Hosted by Corinne Vien and Sabrina Deana-Roga
Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
The host explores the infamous 1992 BBC live broadcast Ghostwatch, a fictional paranormal investigation presented as real news that terrified millions and triggered panic across Britain. The broadcast followed a single mother and her daughters experiencing aggressive poltergeist activity in a North London home, culminating in studio chaos and alleged possessions. Although millions of viewers believed every minute of it, the entire special was a scripted mockumentary written by Stephen Volk. The episode examines how the production blurred reality and fiction so effectively that it inadvertently caused widespread trauma, leading to PTSD in children and intense public backlash against the BBC.
The episode opens with sponsor messages from Americans United for Separation of Church and State and a brief introduction by the hosts.
Corinne and Sabrina introduce themselves, explain the Halloween setting, and tease the upcoming costume contest.
The hosts describe the Early family, their ordinary life, and the initial paranormal phenomena that led to the BBC investigation.
The BBC sets up a live 90‑minute paranormal investigation, introducing key presenters and explaining the equipment and plan.
Early subtle hauntings occur, viewers call in, and the hosts discuss the growing intensity of the events.
The investigation escalates with Suzie’s trance, a cameraman injury, and speculation that the broadcast created a massive seance.
The studio erupts in chaos as lights fail, a presenter becomes possessed, and the broadcast ends abruptly.
Hosts reveal that the entire segment was scripted, discuss the impact on viewers, and reflect on the power of televised horror.
The hosts introduce themselves and set the stage for the episode.
Details on how the show was produced, budget, and how it fooled millions.
Exploration of the psychological effects on viewers, including a study on child PTSD.
The BBC faced hearings, rulings, and eventual removal of the program.
Unveiling Ghostwatchstory
The host introduces the infamous 1992 Halloween night BBC broadcast that shocked millions of viewers across Britain.
The Haunted Closetstory
The younger daughter Kim describes seeing a grotesque entity named Pipes hiding in the boarded-up closet under the stairs.
The Accidental Seanceinsight
A parapsychology expert suggests that the combined focus of millions of viewers might have accidentally created a massive seance.
On-Air Injurystory
During the frantic search for a missing daughter, a cameraman is injured and bleeds from his head on live television.
Studio Possessionstory
The broadcast concludes with anchor Michael Parkinson seemingly possessed, speaking in creepy riddles before the transmission ends.
The Revelationinsight
The host reveals that the entire broadcast was a scripted fiction written by Stephen Volk, and the family members were actors.
The fictional special was crafted with a substantial budget of 900,000 pounds and weeks of pre-recorded footage.
A study published 14 months later documented the first known case of PTSD in children caused by a television broadcast.
“The early family did not exist.”
“The BBC would spend the next decade trying to bury it.”
“The first 15 minutes of the segment, you're like, well, of course, this isn't real.”
“11 million people focused their collective attention and fear on a single point on Halloween night of 1992 for 90 minutes, possibly creating the largest seance in history.”
“When I rented it, I did not see that warning that, like, some of the articles said was in the beginning.”
“They recorded it over weeks and then cut together the footage to make it look like it was live.”
“The British Medical Journal published an article that documented the first known case in medical history of post-traumatic stress disorder in children caused by a television program.”
“He left a note that said, if there are ghosts, I will always be with you as a ghost.”
“They had a budget of 900,000 pounds to create this.”
“The BBC had removed Ghost Watch from its catalog, discouraged employees from ever talking about it, basically tried to pretend like this never happened, forget about it for years.”
What happens when the BBC turns a haunted house into a live Halloween investigation watched by 11 million people? We’re diving into Ghostwatch, the infamous 1992 broadcast of a family being terrorized by a poltergeist named Pipes. With unexplained knocking, cold spots, scratches, disappearing figures caught on camera, and one family member going into a trance on live TV. The live paranormal investigation spirals completely out of control as the reporters are terrorized, lights explode in the BBC studio and viewers call in to report paranormal events in their own homes during the broadcast. Watch the video version here. Have ghost stories of your own? E-mail them to us at [email protected] New Episodes are released every Thursday and Sunday at 12am PST/3am EST (the witching hour, of course). Corinne and Sabrina hand select a couple of paranormal encounters from our inbox to read in each episode, from demons, to cryptids, to aliens, to creepy kids... the list goes on and on. If you have a story of your own that you'd like us to share on an upcoming episode, we invite you to email them to us! If you enjoy our show, please consider joining our Patreon, rating and reviewing on iTunes & Spotify and following us on social media! Youtube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Discord. Edited and produced by Jaimi Ryan. Original music by Arms Akimbo! Disclaimer: the use of white sage and smudging is a closed practice. If you’re looking to cleanse your space, here are some great alternatives! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
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