British TV Medium Derek Acorah Has Died Aged 69

British TV medium Derek Acorah, who appeared on Most Haunted and Celebrity Big Brother, has died aged 69.

Derek's wife Gwen announced his passing on Facebook, saying Derek had fallen into a coma following a 'very brief illness'.

She wrote: "Farewell my love! I will miss you forever! I'm devastated to announce that my beloved husband Derek has passed away after a very brief illness.

"Thank you so much to everybody who has supported me - I can never thank you enough."

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Acorah was born in Bootle, Merseyside, in January 1950. He began his TV career in 1996, appearing on programmes such as Psychic Livetime and Predictions with Derek Acorah. In 2001, he joined the team for a new UK ghost series named Haunting Truths, which became Most Haunted.

Acorah's other notable TV appearances include Michael Jackson: The Search for his Spirit, Derek Acorah's Ghost Towns and Paranormal Egypt.

In 2012, Acorah caused controversy by claiming he had contacted the spirit of Madeleine McCann. He said that McCann had 'been over in the spirit world for some time,' but would soon be reincarnated. He later apologised to McCann's parents for making his predictions public.

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Acorah is also known for his appearance on the 20th series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, for which he finished in fourth place, with actress and singer Sarah Harding going on to win.

Tributes to the late TV personality have been flooding in. One of Acorah's friends wrote on Twitter: "Goodnight our dear friend @derek_acorah. Thank you for gracing us with your beaming smile, your love and your kindness. We'll be forever grateful for the time that you were in our lives. You will be in our hearts forever."

Another wrote: "Heaven gained an angel. A true gentleman and one of my husband's dearest friends. My heart goes out to his wonderful wife Gwen and their family. We will love and miss you forever. Shine bright Derek and sleep tight xxx."

A third wrote: "Sleep tight my dear beautiful friend @derek_acorah. Heartbroken beyond words. Thank you for your continuous belief in me and for keeping me going in my journey as a medium at times I felt like quitting... my dear friend and my mentor... will remember your always! Fly high."

RIP Derek Acorah.

Topics: TV and Film

Simon Fearn