'Ghosts' star Charlotte Ritchie: ‘It’s suspense-filled!’

Charlotte Ritchie in Ghosts
Charlotte Ritchie is back for more scares in Ghosts Season 3. (Image credit: (C) Monumental Television)

Ghosts has captivated audiences with its hilarious but at times touching portrayal of a young couple sharing their inherited stately home with a bunch of spooks from across the ages.

Now, the BBC1 comedy is back on Monday 9 August with more ghostly goings-on for Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) and their haunting housemates, who only Alison can see.

We caught up with Charlotte Ritchie to find out more about Ghosts Season 3...

Ghosts is back! Where do we find Mike and Alison?

“Mike and Alison are working out emotional stuff this series, so that's nice to explore. We don't know much about her parents or family, so we find out more. And there’s an unexpected visitor. There's a question over this person and who they are and it challenges Mike and Alison and their plans and leaves everybody warring…” 

Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe in Ghosts

Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) are back with their spectral pals in Ghosts Season 3. (Image credit: (C) Monumental Television)

Is Alison happy living with the ghosts now?

“This series we go back to some horror tropes and traditional spooky stuff and it’s suspense-filled, referencing more that they're ghosts. Alison's protective over them now, but for Mike, they do take his wife away from him and mess up his life!”

You filmed this series during the pandemic, was that tricky?

“Luckily, on-screen, Ghosts is a COVID-19-free world, although the ghosts would be alright! But while we were filming, it was on everybody's minds at every moment. It took some military level planning from the crew, they had specific spots where we could be and we were placed in cohorts. There was a lot of, ‘Your cohort’s better than mine!’”

Ghosts seems to appeal to a really wide age range, is that something you are proud of?

“It's amazing to appeal to small people and older people — it makes kids feel good to watch a show that adults like too. Ghosts doesn't talk down to them, it's not designed particularly for them, it just happens they’re able to watch it. That's rare.” 

Why do you think people have fallen in love with Ghosts?

Jim Howick in Ghosts.

Jim Howick is on spooky form as Pat in Ghosts Season 3. (Image credit: (C) Monumental Television)

“People like stuff that makes them laugh, and Ghosts makes people laugh! Everyone’s so funny. Maybe it was the hysteria of having been in lockdown but I laughed a lot on set. There are scenes in this series where I thought, ‘I don't know if I got away with that bit!’ When Pat [the genial 1980s scoutmaster played by Jim Howick] kept making me dip my biscuit into my tea and watching me eat it, I couldn't get through that. But they're funny, what can you do? It’s not my fault!” 

How would you feel about inheriting a stately home like Alison?

“I’d take it! You could have everyone to stay. We do have a lot of conversations on set about what would you actually do if you could have the house? What would you turn it into?!” 

When can I watch Ghosts?

The six-part series returns on Monday 9 August on BBC1 at 8.30pm and will also air on BBC iPlayer.

Caren Clark

Caren has been a journalist specializing in TV for almost two decades and is a Senior Features Writer for TV Times, TV & Satellite Week and What’s On TV magazines and she also writes for What to Watch.


Over the years, she has spent many a day in a muddy field or an on-set catering bus chatting to numerous stars on location including the likes of Olivia Colman, David Tennant, Suranne Jones, Jamie Dornan, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Derek Jacobi as well as Hollywood actors such as Glenn Close and Kiefer Sutherland.


Caren will happily sit down and watch any kind of telly (well, maybe not sci-fi!), but she particularly loves period dramas like Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey and The Crown and she’s also a big fan of juicy crime thrillers from Line of Duty to Poirot.


In her spare time, Caren enjoys going to the cinema and theatre or curling up with a good book.