By Julia Banim
Paul Chuckle has attempted to make contact with the ghost of his late brother Barry Chuckle during an eerie paranormal investigation at his home.
As one of the most iconic comedy duos of all time, fans of The Chuckle Brothers were saddened to learn of Barry's death in 2018, at the age of 76. The thought of his brother still being with him in spirit has brought Paul, 76, great comfort, and he believes he could be watching over him at his converted Nottinghamshire barn.
After moving into his new home some 18 months ago, Paul and wife Sue quickly began to experience inexplicable occurrences, including figures at the foot of their bed, and creepy handprints in their downstairs loo.
Keen to get to the bottom of what was going on, Paul invited a team of paranormal investigators from the TV show Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted over to his house in the hopes of making contact with Barry.
In a chilling twist, however, the experts warned Paul that the ghouls that walked his hallways weren't all benevolent, with one malevolent presence in particular causing them concern.
Detailing the strange happenings he's had to contend with during the episode, Paul said: "Well, we first moved in, we heard a few creaks and noises, and just put it down to an old building. There's times where it sounds like there is a toilet flushing somewhere in the house, and there's only me and Sue here!"
Recalling other strange instances, he continued: "I went into the downstairs toilet, and I suddenly noticed a little handprint on the wall, like a dirty handmark from a child. We hadn't had any kids here, and up to then there had never been anything on that wall. It sort of made me feel a little bit spooky then; where has it come from? [...] Since then, we've heard little footprints here and there, running around, chuckling – excuse the pun!"
Things escalated dramatically during one night of terror when Paul awoke to see the figure of a child standing at the foot of his bed. Paul revealed: "I woke up one night and I could have sworn there was a little kid at the foot of the bed. I opened my eyes again and it had gone. That was the most eerie thing I've had here. That was awful, I hardly slept all night!"
Clarifying that it isn't just himself and Sue who've experienced otherworldly encounters, Paul added: "We had a guest stay one night, and he swore blind that there was somebody there in the room walking backward and forwards across the foot of the bed. Of course, he was alright, didn't get hurt."
An ardent believer in the spirit world, Paul went on to confess that he still feels Barry's presence, even five years after his death. Recalling the first nerve-wracking time he performed solo after Barry's passing, Paul claimed: "Barry passed away in 2018. I'd never been on stage on my own before, and I swear I saw him appear there, and he put the thumbs up. And I went on stage, and I was fine after that."
The Help! My House Is Hauntedteam, comprised of dark arts specialist Ian Lawman, paranormal researcher and historian Jayne Harris, and investigator Barri Ghai, headed over to Paul's house to get answers, and it wasn't long before things got seriously spooky.
After completing a solo walkaround of the property, medium Ian asked, 'Why can I hear footsteps?' while sitting alone in the living room. Upon rejoining the rest of the team and Paul, Ian warned: "There's a lot going on, I'm not going to lie to you."
Investigator Barri then asked Paul if he could feel his brother's presence in the room, to which he replied: "He's always around me, I've always felt that from the day he died. Almost every night he's in my dreams; it's a nice comfort thought that my brother is around."
In a decidedly less comforting turn however, history buff Jayne shared information she'd uncovered that suggested one of the restless spirits could well be Charles Peace, a notorious murderer who terrorised the area back in the Victorian era. Jayne revealed: "He used to operate in this area. And he used to meet a lady called Sue Rayner in a barn nearby, or possibly this building."
Determined to discover more, the team requested that Paul join them in a spirit triggers session, during which they reached out beyond the veil to capture and project spirit voices using a recording device. Upon entering the bathroom, where the unexplained handprints were discovered, Paul and Barri attempted to identify who it was they were speaking with.
Paul asked: "Hello, would you mind telling me who you are please?" The response, which was audible through a flurry of white noise, was anything but friendly, with the ghost appearing to tell the pair to 'p*** off'. Visibly stunned by the phantasmal profanity, a shaken Paul asked Barri: "It's not going to get dangerous in here, is it?"
Trying again, Paul called out: "Why are you in my toilet?", to which he received a clearer response, a chilling plea for "..Help!...". When Paul asked "Are you a good person?" however, whatever they were communicating with appeared to stay quiet.
Encouraging Paul to give it another go, Barri urged: "You can ask if Barry's here." Using their well-loved catchphrase, Paul then said: "Barry, are you here today? [...] To me, Barry. To me. To you, then." To find out what happened next, tune into Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted, available to stream now on discovery+.
The brand-new series of Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted is available to stream now exclusively on discovery+.
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