Strictly Come Dancing cast left spooked after terrifying incident in toilets of Elstree Studios
STRICTLY celebrities will be terrified to go for a toilet break during tomorrow’s Halloween special — as they fear the loos are HAUNTED.
Ghostly goings-on at London’s Elstree Studios, where the BBC One dance contest is recorded, have long been rumoured.
But I can reveal things have become a little more problematic of late, with paranormal activity now extending to the restrooms.
Spine-tingling reports from the lavs have been freaking out cast and crew as spooky stories intensify.
A show insider said: “One of Strictly’s head honchos was in the loos recently and the stall doors slammed by themselves.
“The windows weren’t open so it couldn’t have been the wind.
“And the toilets sounded like they were weeping and made odd noises.
“It was incredibly eerie and no one was around.
“There has always been rumours the Strictly studios were haunted, but this has just confirmed the fears.”
The Sun revealed last month that unexplained “bumps, noises and incidents” inside the set had been leaving show stars on tenterhooks.
It emerged that competitors and backstage teams were so concerned, they planned to have a meeting with producers to explain their terror and even get help from a spirit guide or healer.
A source said: “A number of them have experienced things that they cannot explain. Everyone in the studios is on heightened alert anyway, but there’s been a real increase in activity this week. No one can quite believe the poltergeist has now taken to the bogs!
“Paranormal experts say that the uptick could be because the spirit world and the living world become closer aligned around All Hallows Eve.”
Movies and TV shows have been produced at Elstree since 1914, including horror classics such as Jack Nicholson’s 1980 supernatural chiller The Shining and a string of Dracula films starring Christopher Lee.
Yvette Fielding, who visited for a Most Haunted show in 2005, said: “Famous actors and crew would whisper to each other about personal objects being moved in the dressing rooms, showers being turned on full and, worse, the sounds of children whispering and singing and men growling when no one was there.
“I believe that the stars of Strictly should watch their backs — this particular ghost loves nothing more than to cause chaos and disruption.”
The Strictly Curse now has a whole new meaning.
Strict family affair
STRICTLY’S pro dancers get seriously spooky in this weekend’s group dance.
Jowita Przystal, Graziano Di Prima and Luba Mushtuk become The Addams Family to perform as Wednesday, Gomez and Morticia for a spine-chilling number.
Elsewhere, Angela Rippon will dance as Murder She Wrote’s Angel Lansbury, while judge Craig Revel Horwood will be Harry Potter’s Professor Snape.
It gets even spookier for Layton Williams and his dance partner Nikita Kuzmin as they dance a tango to Olivia Rodrigo’s Vampire.
And Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe will compete with a tango to INXS’ Need U Tonight.
It’ll all be topped off with a performance from Rick Astley, though I can’t see what’s so scary about that.
Bedside phantom zapped by Zara
ZARA McDERMOTT called in a ghost hunter after finding out her house was haunted.
The former Love Islander and her boyfriend, fellow reality star Sam Thompson, were spooked by lights flashing and the TV coming on at random times.
So they contacted a paranormal expert to suss out the strange activity.
The couple were informed the spirit of an elderly gentleman who used to live in their London property was lingering . . . and his favourite pastime was peering over Zara as she slept.
She then had to burn sage to get rid of the bad energy.
Zara explained: “They told us there was an old man who used to live in that house before. Apparently he would stand over my side of the bed and stare at me at night.
“I saged the house and I actually asked the ghost to leave – I banished it.
“So the man is no longer there. Well, he might be there but now he’s nice and likes women now. Crazy.”
Meanwhile, Zara and ex- Made In Chelsea star Sam are no strangers to dressing up for Halloween, as their TikTok followers know only too well.
Even Zara’s skeleton costume for tomorrow’s dance is unlikely to top her favourite-ever Halloween outfit.
She added: “Sam and I dressed up as TV show The Chase one year. I was the scoreboard and he was Chaser Anne Hegerty.”
Now, that is scary.
ELLIE LEACH has admitted she is a big wimp and does not go in for all the spooky shenanigans on October 31.
The former Corrie actress said: “I’m such a scaredy-cat, so I usually stay in and carve pumpkins.”
All those murders on the Cobbles must have taken their toll . . .
Taking a fancy to hotpants
THERE must be something about Albert Square that brings out the passion for fancy dress.
Take Bobby Brazier and Nigel Harman.
Current EastEnders star Bobby says his favourite-ever Halloween costume was a Scary Cheerleader, while former Walford resident Nigel prefers to camp things up.
Asked about his top fancy dress costume, Nigel, who played Dennis Rickman in the Beeb soap, said: “I had a Eurovision party and came as Euroboy. I had little red and blue hotpants, which were actually my swimming trunks from when I was in Mamma Mia! the musical.
“I had ox-blood red DMs, black vest and a black beret with a stick-on moustache. When I walked into the room to see my friends, they were all dressed in Italian suits and looking quite cool.”
Shame there’s no Kylie Minogue week so he can give the hotpants another go.
ADAM THOMAS does not care about scary costumes – he’s only into Halloween for the sweets.
Asked why he enjoys fright night, the Waterloo Road actor said: “Trick or treating and getting loads of sweets. That was the best part of Halloween.”
At least he can burn off the calories on the dance floor.
Angela: Sack the stylist
ANGELA SCANLON cannot wait for the make-up team to work their magic on her.
The TV host says that trick or treating “wasn’t a big thing in Ireland” when she was little – and missed out on elaborate costumes.
But if she did dress up, her Halloween outfit was usually made out of a rubbish sack.
She said: “Mum would panic at the last minute. We had green face paint, so that would go on, and she would get a black bag and cut three holes in it – two for your arms and one for your head.
“So we used to all wear black bags with green faces and that was literally it.
Angela’s revealed her kids have loftier plans for their own Halloween this year . . . dead Barbie dolls.