When the subject of the premium rate phone numbers on the new Official Acorah website was discussed on the Double Exposure Forum (membership by invitation only) members were led to believe that they were simply adverts placed there by the webhosts.

The primary source of this information was no less a person than the Administrator of Acorah's Official Forum**, Kay Folwell * (Spiritwithme), who put forward the rather unconvincing argument:

"Where does it once say DEREKS PHONELINES??????"

However, her post elsewhere demonstrates her own worries:

"You were mad to ring a chat/phone in tarot reading etc...Derek don't do
phone lines so where did your information come from? where was this post/forum/website or chat/phone in psychic reading?"  

So, according to her, Acorah doesn't 'do' psychic phone lines.  It would appear that she has not been kept fully informed by her friend, Gwen Johnson - Acorah's wife and manager.

Dear webmaster

I've seen your other article on your website and there's not much I can add to it. I've been doing phone readings for four years now and I'd say its a pretty accurate account.

It suits me because I can work through the the night three days a week and earn enough to treat the kids at the weekend. I'm a single dad so any extra is always welcome. During the last four years I've worked for six different companys. Some pay peanuts but every week, others slightly more but you have to wait a month for your cheque so its swings and roundabouts .

I move around as the market dictates and my real job lets me. I learn things fast so I cracked the tarot and the I Ching quite easily, I dont always say I use them but most of the callers dont care anyway. I never pretend I'm talking to the dead, I just couldn't do that even when I pick up the plea in their voice and that is where my problem is with Derek Acorah and his new lines.

He had lines before, everyone in the industry knew that but he got cold feet about the bad publicity and pulled out denying he had anything to do with it.

No skin off our noses but we had a bit of a laugh over that. No one in the business takes him seriously anyway after the MH carry ons and the Kafer thing, but good luck to him if he can still pull the crowds. He's a great entertainer and a few people I know have met him and said he's an okay bloke, so whats my beef?

I dont think he's sharing the wealth enough. Derek doesn't need this extra cash, he's loaded and the readers cut for this must be rubbish. To attract the punters he's made his lines a bit cheaper than most, that wont affect his share but the poor readers must be on twenty pence a minute at most.

That's rubbish pay and one of the reasons I wont be applying to his lines for work. He's introducing them like he knows them, but wouldn't know them if he bumped into one of them in the street. I hate it when big celebs try to muscle in on this to squeeze the last pound out of the paying public because they think he might be "logged on " one night and they'll get a reading from him.

The pressure on the girls will be bad too because they'll have to pretend they are hearing the dead talking like he does. Just watch and see how the turnover goes on his lines for the ones that cant hack it though they'll probably just change the readers and keep the names I suppose.

After all they said about him never getting involved in phonelines as though we were'nt as good readers as him I'm curious as to why he's doing this now.

Surely the TV companies arent wising up to him as well as everybody else. I dont see it lasting anyway the lines come and go but the readers just keep moving around for the pin money, and that's all it ever is believe me no matter who's face is grinning out from the advert.

I dont agree its all a con because I counsel the people who phone in and give them a bit of hope .Ok its not psychic but if they belieive it is and it makes them feel better what wrong with that? I feel a lot grubbier now Derek Acorah of the twitchy face is doing it than I ever did before and I cant explain it. Maybe its because I cant see him needing school shoes for the kids that I wonder what the angle is. The market's overcrowded and its plain greedy of him to make it smaller and a bit unfair on the guys who have to advertise when his mug is on everything because of a lucky break.

Mr J.

Derek Acorah
LivingTV
Posts: 524
Registered: May 2002
posted 01 May 2004 10:41 AM

--------------------------------------

Posted by Gwen Acorah

I will ask once again that people do not use any telephone line which involves the name "Derek Acorah".

Thank you so much jjameson99 for bringing to my attention the fact that a web site is using Derek's name in connection with their tarotline.

This is totally illegal and has not been sanctioned by Derek, his agent or myself. The name "Derek Acorah" is a registered name (isn't it unfortunate that we have to go to such lengths to protect ourselves).

A notice will be going up on Derek's web site urging people not to use telephone lines where Derek Acorah's name and likeness is incorporated.
 

Click on the image, and read for yourself what the advert says.

"You can talk to me or one of my mediums personally on my new live 1-21 service."

Yes, it really does say that you can talk to Acorah himself.  If anyone reading this article did phone that hotline number, and actually did speak to Acorah, please do let me know.

 

As of March 2006 Acorah now has three ways
he can extract money from his adoring fans. 

• Theatre shows: earnings from one night may well be more than they can earn in one year.
• Psychic phonelines where 'readers' like Mr J (above) will tell them what they want to hear.
• A fan club which will be selling 'merchandise' - so far unspecified, but watch this space!

** As of early December 2006, the "Official Derek Acorah Forum", run by Kay Folwell, and mentioned in this article is no longer endorsed by either Derek or Gwen Acorah, and cannot be termed "official". 

 Updated 15 December 2006

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