Reading time: 4 minutes
Derek Acorah had many fans and detractors. GEMMA JOHNSON talks about a profound experience 18 years ago with the late paranormal TV medium that left a lasting impression on her…
There can be a lot of mistrust of mediums, and in some cases rightly so. I have witnessed my fair share of mediumship “performances” involving asking blatantly cold questions and manipulating the answers.
However, I have also come across mediums who have remembered information they had no way of knowing, precise details regarding deceased family members, as well as those who are still very much alive.
I recently came across a note that I had written during a private reading over ten years ago. Some of the predictions that have been made have come true. I won’t bore you with it, but needless to say, even my skeptical husband was impressed.
That tattered old piece of paper got me thinking about mediumship, especially the medium I had an amazing experience with: Derek Acorah.
There’s no doubt that there has been a lot of controversy surrounding Derek. Those who watched the early days of Most Haunted will remember the infamous Creed Kafer incident, an incident that sparked ridicule and haunted Derek after his time on Most Haunted ended. Derek played a character in Most Haunted; it did attract the viewers who wanted to see his ‘assets’ and his eccentricities, but this created a cloud of doubt that remained with him. Even today, almost four years after his death, the ridicule persists and has, in my opinion, created an unfair legacy of his mediumship.
Talk to anyone who knew Derek outside of Most Haunted, and they will tell you – as they told me – that he was very different from his character on the program. Derek embarked on a series of stage shows where audiences could see a glimpse of the real Derek, away from the television cameras and the focus on ratings. I went to see Derek at a venue in Greater Manchester in February 2005 with my now husband and my sister. We had an experience at that show that still sticks with us today.
Before I get into the details, here’s some background information. When we went on the show, we had a seriously ill family member, a beloved aunt, who had been battling cancer for some time. The day leading up to the show was unremarkable; No news had been received from our aunt, so we went as planned.
When we arrived at the venue, we were seated on the top floor, overlooking the stage. The stage had a simple stool and a table with a glass of water on it. Derek was announced and he received a welcome applause. Sam (his spirit guide) was also present and the readings began. We watched as there was a mixture of reactions to the information Derek shared – some straight to the point, others quite vague. A general mixed bag, but that’s possibly to be expected.
But then something happened. Derek was providing information to a lady sitting near the stage. While reading he seemed distracted and kept looking to the right. He became increasingly distracted and held up his hand, signaling to the audience that he should stop reading.
I remember his words to this day: he said he was interrupted by a very persistent lady who had gotten through to him; she had only recently passed away and she was adamant that she wanted to deliver a message to her family who were in the audience. The entire theater fell silent. Derek took a very deep breath and told us, the audience, that this was very unusual and that we should be patient with him because she was not leaving.
He then described the lady: she was quite short, had bright red hair and wore red lipstick. She sounded just like our aunt; my sister and I looked at each other in surprise. Later he described what had caused her death: she had breast cancer; it has returned and spread; she did her best to fight it, but it was too much. Again my sister and I looked at each other. Was it? Could it be? Someone would have told us if she had died, right? So we did not respond.
Derek begged family members to come forward, but the theater remained silent. My sister and I looked at each other again and agreed that no one had told us anything about our aunt, so it couldn’t be her. At that exact moment, Derek told the audience that the lady had just realized that her family, present at the show, did not know that she had passed away earlier that day, but if they find out, they should be comforted knowing that she has. is no longer in pain and that she is with the family. With that, it seemed the lady had stepped back, and Derek continued with the show.
On the drive home we talked about Derek and his readings, coming back again and again to the information he shared about the lady who had just passed away. It was clearly a coincidence, but we wanted to make sure. We dropped my sister off at home; the car hadn’t even stopped completely before we both jumped out. My sister threw open the door, ran inside to find my mother and asked the question about my aunt: had she passed? Mom told us both to sit down. Then we knew. It turned out that she had died early in the morning; at our aunt’s request, we were only told this after our night out.
I know everyone has their opinions about Derek, and some may not agree with my thoughts here because they may not believe them or find other explanations for my experience. Whatever your thoughts, the meeting we had at that show brought us great comfort in the difficult times that followed. Unbeknownst to Derek, he became part of our family story that night, a testament to the fact that we still talk about it eighteen years later.
Tell us your memories of Derek Acorah in the comments below!
