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Derek Acorah has died

91 replies

MoiraRose · 04/01/2020 05:16

His wife Gwen announced on Facebook not long ago. He'd had this flu bug going round. Whether you believed in what he did or not, he seemed a nice man and it's sad news to start the new year off to

OP posts:
overnightangel · 04/01/2020 07:16

A vile conman who emotionally and financially exploited the vulnerable

GiveHerHellFromUs · 04/01/2020 07:20

His wife didn't say it was the flu. She said he went into a coma after a brief illness.

It's always a shame when someone dies. Of course.

But does everyone remember the 'Derek Faker' incident Grin

Bluerussian · 04/01/2020 07:24

Oh yes, I've heard of 'Most Haunted' but never watched, I can't be bothered with that sort of thing. I'm sorry for his widow of course, a sad start to the new year for her.

Luckystar777 · 04/01/2020 07:24

Sad poor guy.

strawberrisc · 04/01/2020 07:26

I bet he heads straight for Mary!

Lozz22 · 04/01/2020 07:27

@Sargass0 😂😂

Bluerussian · 04/01/2020 07:28

I've just read a bit about him and have to say he sounds pretty dreadful. He was accused of being a 'fake medium' but my opinion is they are all fake! What a way to make a living - and trying to involve Madeline McCann - horrible. He would seriously give me the creeps.

1066vegan · 04/01/2020 08:05

It's sad for his wife but I can't feel anything for a fraud. I don't see how somebody is a nice person when they make money by being a charlatan.

If I have an emotional reaction to hearing about the death of a stranger, it's when I hear about incidents like the volunteer firefighters who died in Australia or that poor couple who were stabbed by her ex.

TheUnquestionedAnswer · 04/01/2020 08:11

I've never heard of this person but RIP all the same.

BaolFan · 04/01/2020 08:18

Best wishes to his friends and family, but I'm not particularly moved by the fact that he's died. I feel sorry for anyone close to him as they will be grieving, although his stock in trade was exploiting vulnerable people's grief and fear in order to make money...

His televised live seance with Michael Jackson was in such bad taste it's untrue, and I cannot think of one single and morally valid reason to justify it. If the mark of a person is the legacy they leave behind then I'm not sure how he stacks up in the grand scheme of things.

sashh · 04/01/2020 08:20

I'm not familiar with him though I recognise the name, probably heard others talk about him. Was he a psychic or something like that?

He was a not very good fake.

I once saw him on something like This morning, a woman phoned in and asked if it was a good time to get a new job in accountancy, he said it was time for a move and a job involving numbers would be good, the presenter was Oh so impressed that he knew the type of work until the caller said, "actually I said accountancy".

People who take money off the grieving, hopefully people in pain are IMHO scum and who do no good at all.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 04/01/2020 08:25

Very Sad

All you who are posting about "ConMan" and "Exploiting"

Have you every BEEN To one of his readings?

(FYI , I have and there was no grief or fear. I'm not saying it was all above board, I'm sure there are 'plants' but no-one paid their money at gunpoint FFS )

One of his earlier books - I read it cover-to-cover in one day , he had an interesting life . He went a bit Show-Biz when he went to the USA though, changes in his appearances .

HowlsMovingBungalow · 04/01/2020 08:26

He always striked me as someone who liked a drink.
Can't feel much for a con artist.

sashh · 04/01/2020 08:34

70isaLimitNotaTarget

Do you know how they get those plants?

They go through local obits and contact grieving family, tell them the medium has a message for them and send free tickets.

One woman had this happen, it wasn't DA but another one, her child had drowned. She was told that her child wanted to say good bye and pass on a message.

What happened was after a few 'misses' the 'medium' asked for the woman by name, got her to stand up and then said, "Your little X drowned didn't s/he?" and then went on to another, "I'm getting an 'm', does anyone have a relative whose name sounds like 'm'".

Sorry that is abusive.

Who does that to a grieving parent? Obviously the audience will remember the 'hit'.

If any of these mediums was genuine then we would know where Madeline McCann is, whether Jeremy Bamber is innocent / guilty, who 'Adam' in the river Thames was.

BaolFan · 04/01/2020 08:38

Not paying money at gunpoint is missing the point. People like this trade on gullibility and grief - and what makes it so morally reprehensible is that the 'medium' knows this and they deliberately and willingly exploit it to make people want to come. As mentioned up-thread, the Michael Jackson thing was repulsive.

No psychic or medium has ever passed a properly conducted scientific test to prove their abilities. The million dollar JREF prize was never claimed. If someone had genuine abilities - rather than a well developed knack for reading people - then don't you think it would have been proven by now?

I've seen several of Derren Brown's shows - he's very good and in every single one of them he does a 'cold' read of various audience members. The results are very impressive and whilst he doesn't give away all his secrets he is very clear that it is nothing other than years of practice, NLP and a talent for reading people. He actually spends quite a lot of time trying to de-bunk mystics and psychics.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 04/01/2020 08:40

I would have thought he could have announced it himself.

LOL!

And as for "nice man" - he was a money-grabbing charlatan who preyed on people's grief.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 04/01/2020 08:42

I've seen several of Derren Brown's shows - he's very good and in every single one of them he does a 'cold' read of various audience members. The results are very impressive and whilst he doesn't give away all his secrets he is very clear that it is nothing other than years of practice, NLP and a talent for reading people. He actually spends quite a lot of time trying to de-bunk mystics and psychics.

Derren Brown is brilliant and openly admits that what he is doing is just a very clever con.

Geoffreythecat · 04/01/2020 08:42

No, I've never been to one of his readings, who would I?

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/celebrity-big-brother-derek-acorah-career_uk_5980add4e4b08e143006108a

I'm sure his loss is felt by his family and friends. The way he made his money makes me uncomfortable.

PristineCondition · 04/01/2020 08:43

70isaLimitNotaTarget
I have and many like him events. I worked at a venue that's used for that tripe. It's all pre scripted.

It was hard to watch grieving people paying to try and get some kind of last moment and getting made up liesSad

SchadenfreudePersonified · 04/01/2020 08:43

One woman had this happen, it wasn't DA but another one, her child had drowned. She was told that her child wanted to say good bye and pass on a message.

I remember that instance - I think it was Doris Stokes who was involved with that IIRC. It was dreadful - the poor woman was gutted.

sashh · 04/01/2020 08:50

SchadenfreudePersonified

I believe so, and there are other cases. Another medium did an impression of a child drowning as she was, 'channeling' the death. These people are sick.

Sargass0 · 04/01/2020 08:51

And I'm sure he'll be back on Most Haunted soon......

sashh · 04/01/2020 08:59

Twitter is starting to do what twitter does.

LuluJakey1 · 04/01/2020 09:00

We can't have heard the last of him.

BloodyCats · 04/01/2020 09:02

I used to love watching most haunted as a teen. Had me in stitches every time.