Updated: Wednesday, October 4, 2023
More of the stars of the hit BBC comedy Ghosts have explained why the show is to end with season 5 ahead of its premiere on October 6.
The paranormal sitcom has been so well received by viewers that news of the show's ending initially came as a shock to fans. However, there has been some good news in the shape of a final extra Christmas special coming in December.
Now two of the show's actors and writers behind The Captain (Ben Willbond), along with Humphrey and Robin (Laurence Rickard), have explained more reasons why season 5 made sense to be the show's final outing.
Laurence Rickard told Digital Spy exclusively while promoting the upcoming Ghosts: The Button House Archives companion book: "I think we wanted to be able to end it on our own terms, and give it a definite ending, and a definite send-off for the characters.
"But also, we were doing this series… We knew we were doing the last couple of backstories in terms of how the ghosts came to the house. Carrying on, we'd have to do a slightly different format to the show."
What to Read Next
Laurence added: "It was one of those complete head-over-heart decisions, really. Inevitably, television goes one way, where things become less popular, and disappear, and get cancelled, and are replaced in the public perception by something new.
"We were really keen to not start making episodes that were less good than the ones we've done so far. There's always that fear. There's been news this week with regards to Upstart Crow not coming back, despite being a great show, and critically well-received, and finding an audience. You never know when that particular scythe is coming for you.
Ben Willbond also told Digital Spy exclusively: "We talked about it really from when we started writing series 4. We all sort of agreed, really, then, that if we made it to 5, then it would be time to stop.
"We all have various other things that we wanted to be doing at this time. And every time I talk to somebody about it now, I feel like we’ve made the wrong decision, because we love it so much. I would hate for it to be series 7, and people going, 'What happened to Ghosts? It used to be really good.'"
Original story:
Lolly Adefope, who plays the emotional Georgian noblewoman Kitty on Ghosts, has spoken of why the creative team – Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond – have decided to bring the ghostly adventures to an end.
Related: Ghosts' Charlotte Ritchie opens up on Fresh Meat legacy and intimacy coordinator debate
"Five is a great round number, and you never want to push something past its limits," she told the BBC.
"Ghosts is so well-loved, and you want to give it a proper send-off. You have to make sure it finishes on the right note, rather than peters out to the point where people want it to end."
Related: Ghosts star reacts to losing NTA to "a f**kin' spin-off"
"I think the writers are really smart," said Charlotte Ritchie, who agreed that it was the right moment to end the show. "They knew that it was the right choice."
She added: "I think we just were getting to the point where everyone was very comfy in their parts, and it was just the right point to finish. A lot of the feedback I've got from people has been that they think it's cool to quit while you're ahead."
The comedy follows couple Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe), who inherit Button House, an abandoned country mansion. With plans to renovate it into a luxury hotel, they despair when they find the mansion teeming with ghosts.
Ghosts' fifth and final series will premiere on October 6 at 8.30pm on BBC One. A Christmas special will also air in 2023.
Ghosts: The Button House Archives is published by Bloomsbury on October 26, and is available to pre-order now.
Sara is an entertainment journalist who specialises in TV and film. After studying journalism at the University of Roehampton, Sara joined Digital Spy in 2023, writing news (and the occasional feature) on all things entertainment. She has also written for the culture desk at The Evening Standard. A lover of all things TV and film, Sara can wax lyrical about everything from Bridgerton to The Witcher. She can also recite entire episodes of New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation. In her spare time, Sara loves to knit, crochet and cross-stitch. Also a musical theatre aficionado, Sara counts Samantha Barks as one of her heroes and is a loyal fan of Jodie Comer.
Laurence Mozafari (he/him) is a multi-award winning journalist, editor, and presenter. A former Editor-in-Chief of Digital Spy, Laurence previously held roles as the site's Editor, Deputy Editor, and Associate Editor focusing on news, social, and video. Laurence hosted the BBC Sounds podcast Obsessed with Peaky Blinders in 2019. He also hosts his own podcast production, Time of My Life, where he interviews fascinating elders about their life lessons, including Only Fools and Horses' Sir David Jason, Star Trek’s George Takei and Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh.
Laurence was named Editorial Director – Youth Audience at Reach in early 2025. Prior to joining Digital Spy, he was previously at Bauer Media working as Digital Editor of Heat magazine's website Heatworld.com, and has also worked at and written for Sky, NME, Q magazine, Grazia, Closer, FHM and dedicated careers website GoThinkBig. He secured a first-class BA journalism degree at Staffordshire University, along with several NCTJ qualifications, and now has 14 years' experience in digital publishing covering TV, movies, music, gaming, tech, showbiz, and travel.
Laurence has been a broadcasting contributor on television and radio, including KISS, Heat Radio, BBC Radio London, Radio 5 Live, and BBC Breakfast.
He is also a visiting lecturer at various universities teaching journalism, including City, University of London, Nottingham Trent, Staffordshire University and London Metropolitan. Laurence has won numerous awards in his journalism career, including the BSME Talent Award’s Best Deputy Editor, the PPA's 30 Under 30, and the New Editor and Editor of the Year at the AOP and BSMEs. He led Digital Spy to win PPA's Digital Content Team of the Year twice, along with the British Media Awards’ Brand of the Year in 2021.
Laurence joined the committee for the British Society of Magazine Editors in 2022 and was named vice-chair in 2025. He has since hosted panels with CEOs of Immediate Media and the Media Trust at the PPA Festival, as well as presenting his own radio show on Green Man Radio at Green Man Festival in 2022. Laurence is also a Brits voting academy member.
Laurence has been lucky enough to interview numerous celebrities, actors, and musicians throughout his career. Arnold Schwarzenegger loved his hair, Jimmy Carr loved his coat and Antonio Banderas gave a shout-out to his mum. Laurence has covered set visits for The Witcher on Netflix and Marvel’s Inhumans, he got Daisy Ridley to do a Chewbacca impression and loves Marvel, PlayStation, Glastonbury and craft beer. Linkedin
