“Answer the question, damn your eyes!”
Ghosts co-creator and star Mathew Baynton has explained a surprising twist in season 5 episode 2, which reveals that failed poet Thomas Thorne actually hails from Scotland.
The information comes to light amid a fierce debate between Pat (Jim Howick) and Julian (Simon Farnaby) over England’s north/south divide.
As Thomas passes through, he’s asked to share his opinion on which region is the greatest to break the deadlock, but he abstains entirely as his allegiance is to his home country of Scotland.
The character’s southern English accent certainly gives no indication of those roots, leaving his fellow ghosts in disbelief – but they’re quickly put in their place with a ferocious “haud yer wheesht!”.
Thomas continues: “I’m as Scottish as shortbread in a tartan tin, sir!”
The surreal plot development is actually a callback to a moment in Ghosts season 1, when Baynton accidentally broke into a Scottish accent while passionately delivering a line.
“It really makes me laugh when Thomas goes so big that he has a different voice,” recalled co-star Laurence Rickard to RadioTimes.com and other press.
Baynton responded: “We ended up with a whole storyline because of that. ‘Answer the question, damn your eyes!’ in the very first episode came out ever so slightly in a different accent. So we ended up writing an origin story to explain it.”
The line is bellowed by Thomas during a tense exchange between himself and Julian, as the former politician tries to avoid confirming whether he deliberately caused the high-storey fall that almost kills Alison (Charlotte Ritchie).
A blooper reel shared by the BBC earlier this year gave an insight into the several alternate versions of the line, some of which sound less Scottish than the take that was ultimately used. Watch below:
Reflecting on his time making the show, Baynton added: “I hope that in my career I get to play another part that’s as fun [as Thomas].
“And, you know, the good thing about us as a group creating our own stuff is you do get to just write yourself that fun. Hopefully, we will get those opportunities again, but yeah, I’ll miss that guy.”
Ghosts returns for one final episode this Christmas.
Ghosts seasons 1-5 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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