Post by lozwinter on Jun 25, 2005 19:40:40 GMT
(13th April) Metro newspaper- an interview with Yvette Fielding for its "60 Seconds" feature.
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60 SECONDS EXTRA!: Former Blue Peter and Practical Parenting presenter Yvette Fielding now fronts Living TV's smash-hit spookfest Most Haunted. On the show, Yvette, psychic medium Derek Acorah, and paranormal investigator Phil Wyman spend 24 hours in a haunted house trying to catch ghoulish capers on camera. Yvette and her husband, Karl, produce the show.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: Are you going to run out of places to research before finding proof of ghosts?
No. The publicised ones that we know of may be running out, but there are tons of other places that no one knows about. A lady came up to me the other day and said: 'You should come to my place.' She's having an absolute nightmare in her home: things go bump in the night, she has water dripping onto her bed. She's had plumbers in and they've taken the roof off and there's no explanation. She's terrified and she's sure it's ghosts. We get more and more people with personal stories ringing us up with new stories to go on. Plus we want to do abroad and America.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!:You should do the place I was born. The Ship Inn, Swinton, South Yorkshire. Haunted to hell it is.
Er, thanks we'll bear that one in mind.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: You're bringing more psychics in. Is Derek hurt?
I don't think so - or he says he isn't. We have to move the programme on, we're on series four now. The fans will begin to become frustrated. Derek will always do his main bit walking around the property, we just want to bring in other mediums who are maybe psychic artists or exorcists to vary things a little.
Do you believe in ghosts?
I sit on the fence. People say I must do because I scream and seem to crap myself, but it's because I'm afraid of the dark and what could happen. Your imagination goes completely mad. When you make the programme, you have to sit on the fence. If I were a total believer, it would be one-sided. We have to cater for the sceptics as well, which is why we use people such as Dr Matthew Smith to verify things.
Have you ever been so scared you wet yourself?
Yes I have. And so did our make-up artist Cath Howe [aside to Cath] 'You did, didn't you Cath?' [Faint 'Yes' heard in background]. It was at a brewery we investigated in Oldham. I wet myself just a tad - Cath did big time. That was a bit of a cracker. We have never been so terrified in our lives.
What's the closest you've come to finding something?
It's hard to say, but it was probably at Owlpen Manor. Even Dr Smith admitted to that one. We have actual footage of poltergeist activity. Books were flying off the shelf and hitting members of the crew. We could hear footsteps in the room, the floorboards were creaking and no one was there. We could feel people walking towards us but not see anything. I have never been so petrified in my whole life. I said to camera: 'It feels like something is coming in.' People say I must be getting braver but I'm not. I've gone backwards. I will now not stay in a room on my own. I even have to take people to the loo with me.
Does Derek fake it?
It's difficult to say. It's crossed every member of the crew's mind. It's natural to think that when a medium goes into a trance, he must be faking it. He's a lovely man though and that makes you think he doesn't. There have also been times where he has blown us away. He does get facts wrong sometimes, but he's spot on with others. He comes out with all this information that is not in any history books and then we research it and find out he was right. It's interesting whichever way you look at it.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: Aren't the live ones a bit disappointing?
They can be. They are a really good event for people at home to actually be involved in the investigation. They can look at webcams and all that kind of stuff and call or e-mail us and tell us what they see.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: Some of the fans are quite mad aren't they?
I don't think so. I've met a heck of a lot of fans and they are 100 per cent total believers. I have to say, I've seen things that when I explain them to people, they look at me as though I'm barking mad. I have genuinely seen a pair of legs walking in front of me when we did the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. People look at me at times as though I've lost the plot. I think the people who view things on the webcam genuinely believe they are seeing things and for the majority of them it's real. It's just a shame we haven't seen it.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: If you could meet a ghost, who would it be?
Elvis Presley. I'm a huge fan. Karl's worse. We have two 6ft statues in the office and every Elvis CD, movie and everything. We're working on trying to get to Graceland.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: For a show?
No - for a holiday. I don't think his organisation would like it. And can you imagine Derek suddenly talking like Elvis?
You've gone for a vampy look. Are you a closet goth?
No! Am I 'eck. It's the whole thing with haunting - you end up wearing black. We recorded one show and Derek, Phil, myself and the whole crew turned up in black and we looked as though we were going to a funeral. I'm desperately trying to find someone to give me new ideas on a look I can have for the show that is different from black leather. We've done 40-odd shows and I wear black leather in every one. If any readers can help, please write in. I'm desperate.
I have a Most Haunted mug where your face appears when I fill it with hot water.
You lucky man. Don't put it in the dishwater - it stops it from working. Hand wash only.
Do you drink from similar?
It would be pretty bloody sad if I did. I use the mugs with Derek's face on them.
Could you make a ghost-busting machine from a Fairy Liquid bottle and sticky back plastic?
I'm not answering that one.
Why?
If I was there, I would slap you. Bloody hell. I love Blue Peter to bits but people like Val Singleton and John Noakes will never ever get away from 'Here's one I made earlier'. I used to get it all the time. Now it's: 'Aren't you that mad woman from the ghost programme who screams all the time?'
You did escape the curse?
Yes - I haven't been done for sheep shagging... yet.
Were you offered any drugs while on the show?
Cocaine in a nightclub. It was the first time I went. The people I was with went to do whatever and I sat and drank a huge bottle of champagne on my own. My worst sin on Blue Peter was my dreadful Kevin Keegan haircut. We have footage of poltergeist activity. Books were flying off the shelf and hitting crew members
-------------------------------------------------------
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: Former Blue Peter and Practical Parenting presenter Yvette Fielding now fronts Living TV's smash-hit spookfest Most Haunted. On the show, Yvette, psychic medium Derek Acorah, and paranormal investigator Phil Wyman spend 24 hours in a haunted house trying to catch ghoulish capers on camera. Yvette and her husband, Karl, produce the show.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: Are you going to run out of places to research before finding proof of ghosts?
No. The publicised ones that we know of may be running out, but there are tons of other places that no one knows about. A lady came up to me the other day and said: 'You should come to my place.' She's having an absolute nightmare in her home: things go bump in the night, she has water dripping onto her bed. She's had plumbers in and they've taken the roof off and there's no explanation. She's terrified and she's sure it's ghosts. We get more and more people with personal stories ringing us up with new stories to go on. Plus we want to do abroad and America.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!:You should do the place I was born. The Ship Inn, Swinton, South Yorkshire. Haunted to hell it is.
Er, thanks we'll bear that one in mind.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: You're bringing more psychics in. Is Derek hurt?
I don't think so - or he says he isn't. We have to move the programme on, we're on series four now. The fans will begin to become frustrated. Derek will always do his main bit walking around the property, we just want to bring in other mediums who are maybe psychic artists or exorcists to vary things a little.
Do you believe in ghosts?
I sit on the fence. People say I must do because I scream and seem to crap myself, but it's because I'm afraid of the dark and what could happen. Your imagination goes completely mad. When you make the programme, you have to sit on the fence. If I were a total believer, it would be one-sided. We have to cater for the sceptics as well, which is why we use people such as Dr Matthew Smith to verify things.
Have you ever been so scared you wet yourself?
Yes I have. And so did our make-up artist Cath Howe [aside to Cath] 'You did, didn't you Cath?' [Faint 'Yes' heard in background]. It was at a brewery we investigated in Oldham. I wet myself just a tad - Cath did big time. That was a bit of a cracker. We have never been so terrified in our lives.
What's the closest you've come to finding something?
It's hard to say, but it was probably at Owlpen Manor. Even Dr Smith admitted to that one. We have actual footage of poltergeist activity. Books were flying off the shelf and hitting members of the crew. We could hear footsteps in the room, the floorboards were creaking and no one was there. We could feel people walking towards us but not see anything. I have never been so petrified in my whole life. I said to camera: 'It feels like something is coming in.' People say I must be getting braver but I'm not. I've gone backwards. I will now not stay in a room on my own. I even have to take people to the loo with me.
Does Derek fake it?
It's difficult to say. It's crossed every member of the crew's mind. It's natural to think that when a medium goes into a trance, he must be faking it. He's a lovely man though and that makes you think he doesn't. There have also been times where he has blown us away. He does get facts wrong sometimes, but he's spot on with others. He comes out with all this information that is not in any history books and then we research it and find out he was right. It's interesting whichever way you look at it.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: Aren't the live ones a bit disappointing?
They can be. They are a really good event for people at home to actually be involved in the investigation. They can look at webcams and all that kind of stuff and call or e-mail us and tell us what they see.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: Some of the fans are quite mad aren't they?
I don't think so. I've met a heck of a lot of fans and they are 100 per cent total believers. I have to say, I've seen things that when I explain them to people, they look at me as though I'm barking mad. I have genuinely seen a pair of legs walking in front of me when we did the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. People look at me at times as though I've lost the plot. I think the people who view things on the webcam genuinely believe they are seeing things and for the majority of them it's real. It's just a shame we haven't seen it.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: If you could meet a ghost, who would it be?
Elvis Presley. I'm a huge fan. Karl's worse. We have two 6ft statues in the office and every Elvis CD, movie and everything. We're working on trying to get to Graceland.
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: For a show?
No - for a holiday. I don't think his organisation would like it. And can you imagine Derek suddenly talking like Elvis?
You've gone for a vampy look. Are you a closet goth?
No! Am I 'eck. It's the whole thing with haunting - you end up wearing black. We recorded one show and Derek, Phil, myself and the whole crew turned up in black and we looked as though we were going to a funeral. I'm desperately trying to find someone to give me new ideas on a look I can have for the show that is different from black leather. We've done 40-odd shows and I wear black leather in every one. If any readers can help, please write in. I'm desperate.
I have a Most Haunted mug where your face appears when I fill it with hot water.
You lucky man. Don't put it in the dishwater - it stops it from working. Hand wash only.
Do you drink from similar?
It would be pretty bloody sad if I did. I use the mugs with Derek's face on them.
Could you make a ghost-busting machine from a Fairy Liquid bottle and sticky back plastic?
I'm not answering that one.
Why?
If I was there, I would slap you. Bloody hell. I love Blue Peter to bits but people like Val Singleton and John Noakes will never ever get away from 'Here's one I made earlier'. I used to get it all the time. Now it's: 'Aren't you that mad woman from the ghost programme who screams all the time?'
You did escape the curse?
Yes - I haven't been done for sheep shagging... yet.
Were you offered any drugs while on the show?
Cocaine in a nightclub. It was the first time I went. The people I was with went to do whatever and I sat and drank a huge bottle of champagne on my own. My worst sin on Blue Peter was my dreadful Kevin Keegan haircut. We have footage of poltergeist activity. Books were flying off the shelf and hitting crew members