He’s a celebrity psychic who hasn’t shied away from controversy.
Despite his fans across the globe, Derek Acorah ’s claim to be able to communicate with the spirit world has drawn much criticism.
Decribed by many as a con-man and a faker, his profession and his prominence in the media spotlight has spurred a number of stories and accounts - many of which the average reader could find difficult to distinguish as true or false.
None more so than the story of his alleged visit to Rhyl, where he was reportedly attacked by a gang of “yobbo” ghosts donned in Burberry outfits during a Most Haunted investigation.
As a result of which, he apparently planned to sue Rhyl Town Council.
The spoof story by satire site Denbighshire Today went viral, and the medium was forced to make a public statement denying the claims.
Ahead of his next trip to Rhyl next month, Derek Acorah speaks to the Daily Post about the alleged spiritual beating: “My wife pointed the story out to me. But I can confirm I did not get beaten up by ghosts when I was in Rhyl.
"Actually, I practically lived in Rhyl as a child. My family had caravans there. I had a great time.
But there’s been loads of crazy stories about me.
One story, this chap had said that their was inside information about me. That I was in a restaurant with my wife and I’d had a huge row with Sam (my spirit guide) and Sam was supposed to have stood up and stormed out saying ‘I’ve had enough of you, I quit. I’m going.
“Another story, this guy was claiming to have my guide Sam in a jar and was planning on selling him on eBay. Turns out he had actually listed this jar for sale online and he had bids of over £800. We had to put a stop to it. People were actually making bids on it.
“But there’s plenty of time for more stories, I’m sure. I just take it on the chin and laugh along with it. These things happen with mediums.”
Turns out, spirits cannot approach Acorah at random, meaning an attack from disgruntled spectres would be unlikely. According to the psychic, he has to be “open” to receiving communication from the spirit world.
Something he calls “controlled situation”.
“I will not leave myself open. I won’t randomly go somewhere and call upon or ask spirits around to speak with me. It’s uncontrolled and unproffesional. I just block it out.
“Every so often periodically I may get a spirit person who will try and connect when I’m out and about. But it’s rare.
“At home it’s different though. My wife and I both have our parents in the spirit world and they both visit regularly. The dogs always know when I have an other-side visitor. Merlin, he’s a poodle, and whenever a spirit comes to the house he stands on his hind legs and lets out this weird howl.”
Acorah has is own personal spirit guide who he credits for helping him with his career as a medium. Sam is the spirit of a 2,000 year old Ethiopian who helps guide him through life: ”Sam is my main spiritual guide and he’s been with me since I was a young boy. He will be with me until I finish my spiritual work on this plane of life. He’s been an absolutely wonderful friend. He’s helped me through so much. I’ve had the fortune of higher guidance from him.
“At first when he started speaking to me I could only hear him. It was out of the blue out of nowhere. A disembodied voice. But it took a while to get used to. But I never saw him in those days. It wasn’t till I developed my skills in the spiritualist church that I gained the skill of clairvoyance - where you can actually see spirits. By that point I was so at peace with him being around it didn’t bother me.
“I know there are millions of people in the world that would love to be able to contact those on the higher plane of light. I know I’m lucky.
“But everyone has their own spirit guide. You are born with one. The moment you are born to this earth, your spirit guide has always been in attendance watching you grow.
“Even though I use this facility in my work, I live an ordinary life, I have a family, pets, I pay my bills. I get ill. However I just use the gift of spirit in my work.
“I know when my time will be up. I know the exact date. I’m not going to reveal it. But what I can tell you is, I will have had a good innings when the time comes.
“When you die, your spirit moves on to another world which allows the energy of the spirit to live as it did in this world. Your spirit loved ones look and act just as they did on this earth. Their personalities move over with them, they think exactly the same way.
“After they have settled in the new environment, they are shown they can come back and visit loved ones. We live on and life is continuous. We are all eternal.
“When evil people move to the world of spirit, they don’t move very far. They go to the bottom rung of the world of spirit and it’s not a nice place. Every bit of suffering they caused on earth they undergo that suffering themselves. They remain there until they cry out to the angels that they are sorry.
“There isn’t much history of them leaving that sordid and terrible place. They are too set in their ways. And they can’t come back to this plane to cause any more harm. But they can stay in the atmosphere. Where they refuse to be sent to the bad place, they can be found hanging around where they would be in the spirit world.”
Derek Acorah will be at Rhyl Pavilion on April 27. Which could be one of his last shows as he plans to roll back his appearances over the next two years: “We’re getting older my wife and I.
"I need to be spending more time relaxing and enjoying my time. I’ll definitely be cutting down on work in the next couple of months.
“But you might start seeing me more on Facebook.”
