Most Haunted Live is a spin-off of the paranormal reality television series Most Haunted and was also produced by Antix Productions. The show consists of paranormal investigations broadcast live over a period of one or more nights, usually with interactive sections that involve the viewer.
Following a five-year hiatus, Most Haunted Live returned to our screens, this time on UKTV's Really on 31 October 2015. Most Haunted Live was back on 31 October 2019, Hallowe'en Night, exclusive to the official YouTube channel.
Production The first episode of Most Haunted Live! was broadcast on Living on 31 October 2002, from Dudley Castle and was produced jointly by Antix and Hanrahan Media. The format of the show under this joint venture was different from Most Haunted, with different music cues and production style. The next seven live events were produced by Hanrahan. From the 2004 Summer Solstice live event onwards, the Most Haunted Live events were produced by Antix with the production style overhauled to ensure the live events had the same production style as the recorded series.
The first Most Haunted Live! show aired for only one night but over time this increased to three. The first exception was the Halloween 2005 show in London, which was broadcast for three nights. Since then there have been live shows which have lasted five nights (Halloween 2007 & Turin 2008), seven nights (Halloween 2008 and Liverpool 2009) and eight nights (Lancashire Halloween 2009). Gothic Prague – The Evil Within was on for four nights. Studio inserts were presented by now far-right politician Dr David Bull.
Most Haunted Live! did not return for Halloween 2010 and was replaced by a new paranormal show called Paranormal Investigation: LIVE! which aired for two nights on Sky Living.
In 2011 it was reported that Living, who were now known as Sky Living, had chosen not to re-commission either Most Haunted or Most Haunted Live! but thanked both Yvette Fielding and her husband Karl Beattie for their hard work and commitment over the years.
Most Haunted Live returned after a five-year hiatus on Saturday 31 October 2015 on the UKTV channel "Really" for a Halloween special. The three and a half hour live event aired from 9.00pm-12.30am GMT on the Really channel which is available in the UK and Ireland on satellite and cable services, as well as Freeview in the UK. The one night live event came from an allegedly haunted house at 30 East Drive, Pontefract in West Yorkshire, England. The house was the scene for a previous investigation by the Most Haunted team for the series which aired a few weeks before this Halloween event. The team thought the house had a lot of paranormal activity, and it would merit being an ideal location for their first Most Haunted Live in five years.
The live event was hosted by Rylan Clark-Neal and Jamie East who presented from an outside broadcast unit and a small outside studio, with the usual members of the Most Haunted team present too, including Yvette Fielding, Karl Beattie and Stuart Torevell, the only three original members left of the Most Haunted Live team. The live event had the usual interaction from the general public who could tweet or Facebook in their comments and who could watch live streaming webcams from different areas in the house. Talk show host and personality Paul O'Grady joined the team in the investigation.
The event caused some controversy when it appeared that Karl Beattie was dragged up the stairs of the house by an "invisible" force. However reviewing back footage of the incident, many viewers and sceptics noted that Karl had what appeared to be a rope or cable around his waist which dragged him up the stairs. Karl and his wife Yvette dispute the claims that this was a faked incident, saying that the cable around Karl was just a camera lead. Karl would later make a YouTube video explaining the incident and answer sceptics' questions. The disappearance and later reappearance of a knife also caused concern, as many sceptics felt this was staged too. The Most Haunted team deny all claims of fakery or staged events during the Halloween live special.
It was confirmed by Yvette Fielding and the Really Channel that for Halloween 2016 there would not be a live event, but an "As Live" event to air on the UKTV Play platform, their on demand video site. On Monday 31 October 2016 from 9.00pm-11.00pm, Most Haunted will air an "as live" recorded edition of the show from HMP Shrewsbury on UKTV Play. The edition will have no edits and it will be a two-hour investigation recorded as live. The episode will also air on the Really Channel on Thursday 3 November 2016 at 10.00pm for those who could not see it on UKTV Play.
In a recorded promo for the upcoming Halloween special, Yvette said it will be two hours of "pure uncut Most Haunted terror", as Yvette and the team return to HMP Shrewsbury, a place where the team had investigated before in the previous series. It was a place where some unexplained paranormal activities had occurred including a crow bar being thrown and her husband Karl Beattie collapsing on the floor. She had said she never wanted to return there again, but for Halloween, she decided the location was perfect for another investigation.
The Live show returned on Hallowe'en night 2019 on the Most Haunted Official YouTube Channel, for a 3-hour event from Accrington Police Station and Courts.
The team This table shows a list of the current team members and their role in the live shows. Most of these are investigators and are part of the investigation team on location, whereas others are based in the hub.
Name Function Yvette Fielding Presenter Karl Beattie Producer, Director & Cameraman Stuart Torevell Rigger & CameramanFred BattDemonologist & HistorianGlen HuntScepticDarren HutchinsonTechnician
Arch Dyson was the editor in this Living TV series.
Following the return of the main show Most Haunted on a new freeview channel called Really (TV channel) in 2014, it was decided by Antix Productions that psychic mediums would not be used in the format. It is understood this will also follow through to the Most Haunted Live! episode on 31 October 2015.
Format The live events were based on specific paranormal themes, the two most common themes being Halloween and the summer solstice which are reputedly the two most paranormally active periods of the calendar. Some themes are based on well known historical figures such as Dick Turpin, William Shakespeare, Jack the Ripper and Dracula. Other themes include Pirates Curse a live event which took place over a weekend in May 2007. For Halloween 2007, the team embarked on a five night investigation. They traveled around the country in the shape of an inverted pentagram. For Halloween 2008, the Most Haunted Live team undertook a record seven night investigation in the Welsh town on Denbigh, investigating the disused Asylum in the village. A further seven night investigation is taking place over a week in January 2009 in Liverpool, where the team investigate each night a different aspect of the paranormal.
"The Hub", as it was known, was the centre of communications where the audience and main studio were set up. The presenters, Paul Ross and David Bull, historian, Lesley Smith followed by Dr John Callow, and 'demonologist' Fred Batt who resides in Capel, Surrey worked from the hub. He owned Caesars Nightclub in Streatham from 1994 to 2010. As did the interactive team and its leader, Julian Clegg. The hub was also the location of the gallery and production offices.
The show was fully interactive. There were usually four webcams running through the event which could be watched online. Viewers could also send emails and text messages to report their own experiences.
Episodes
2002 # Airdate Location Theme Presenter's
Yvette Fielding & David Bull 1 31 October 2002 Dudley Castle Dudley, West Midlands Halloween 2 22 December 2002 Dover CastleDover, Kent Christmas
2003 # Airdate Location Theme 3 1 April 2003 St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel St Pancras International, London Spring 4 21 June 2003 Woodchester MansionGloucestershire Summer Solstice 5 31 October 2003 Beaulieu, Hampshire Hampshire Halloween 6 29 December 2003 Hampstead Heath, Spaniards Inn London On the trail of Dick Turpin 30 December 2003 Epping Forest Essex 31 December 2003 York Dungeon, Knavesmire York
2004 # Airdate Location Theme 7 28 February 2004 Avon Riverbank, Falstaff Experience Museum, New Place Stratford-Upon-Avon The life and love's of William Shakespeare 29 February 2004 Hall's Croft, Clopton House and Well 8 9 April 2004 Graveyard of St. Nicholas Church, Scots Hall Crossroads Canewdon, Essex The Witch Finder General Essex Matthew Hopkins @ (Easter) 10 April 2004 Seafield Bay, The White Hart, Manningtree Green Manningtree, Essex 11 April 2004 Mistley Towers, The Thorn Hotel, Mistley Pond and Hopping Bridge, Church Ruins Mistley, Essex 9 19 June 2004 House of John Flamsteed, Arbor Low, The Silk Mill, Ye Olde Dolphin Inne Derby Summer Solstice 20 June 2004 McClusky's Nightclub "Was" Grand Theatre, Derby, Derby Gaol, Derby Blackfriars 21 June 2004 Elvaston Castle 10 11 September 2004 Maes Artro / Heritage Museum / RAF Llanbedr Llanbedr, Gwynedd Spirits In The Skies 12 September 2004 13 September 2004 11 30 October 2004 Clitheroe Castle, Church Brow, Trinity Youth Centre Pendle Hill, Lancashire Halloween 31 October 2004 Lower Well Head Farm, Bull Hole Farm, Tynedale Farm 1 November 2004 Waddow Hall, Peg O' Nells Well 12 12 December 2004 Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool Christmas 13 December 2004 Blackpool Tower 14 December 2004 Opera House Theatre, Blackpool
2005 # Airdate Location Theme 13 12 March 2005 Lupton House Brixham, Devon Terror At Torbay 13 March 2005 The Globe Hotel, Brixham Heritage Museum, The Smugglers' Haunt 14 March 2005 Berry Pomeroy Castle 14 6 May 2005 Elstree Film and T.V. Studios Elstree, Hertfordshire Nightmare on Elstree 7 May 2005 The Waggon and Horses Inn, Allum Hall, The Holybush Inn 8 May 2005 Gate Studios 15 19 June 2005 Rutland Mills Wakefield The Darkness Begins (Summer Solstice) 20 June 2005 Wakefield Theatre Royal & Opera House 21 June 2005 Caphouse Colliery 16 2 September 2005 Staircase House Manchester Mayhem In Manchester 3 September 2005 Barnes Convalescent Hospital & The Morgue 4 September 2005 The Albert Hall, Brannigan's 17 28 October 2005 Tower Bridge London Eerie in the East End (Halloween) 29 October 2005 Commercial Tavern 30 October 2005 Clink Prison Museum 31 October 2005 The Blind Beggar Pub & Commercial Street Warehouse & Stable's 18 9 December 2005 Bluecoat Chambers Liverpool Mayhem In Merseyside (Christmas) These were the first Live Episodes following Derek Acorah’s departure. 10 December 2005 The Wirral Museum 11 December 2005 Royal Court Theatre Birkenhead
2006 # Airdate Location Theme 20 24 June 2006 Wymering Manor Portsmouth Panic In Portsmouth (SummerSolstice) 25 June 2006 Southsea Castle 26 June 2006 Royal Marines Museum 21 29 October 2006 Blair Street Vaults Edinburgh (Halloween) 30 October 2006 Niddry Street Vaults 31 October 2006 Mary King's Close
2007 # Airdate Location Theme 22 23 February 2007 Corvin Castle Transylvania Count Dracula, Transylvania 24 February 2007 Corvin Castle 25 February 2007 Corvin Castle 23 5 May 2007 Blackbeard's House Bristol Pirates' Curse 6 May 2007 Redcliffe Caves 7 May 2007 Llandoger Trow 24 27 October 2007 Wheler Priory Knutsford Cheshire Halloween 28 October 2007 Leopard Inn 29 October 2007 Towneley Hall 30 October 2007 Bolsover Castle 31 October 2007 Plas Teg
2008