The Button House heir has a big surprise for Mike and the ghosts. *SPOILER ALERT*
Ghosts fans were delighted by a massive twist at the end of tonight’s season 5 premiere, when Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) revealed to husband Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) that she is pregnant.
The scene followed a hysterical episode of April Fools’ pranks, causing deceased scoutmaster Pat (Jim Howick) to be sceptical of the announcement – that is, until Alison pointed out that midday had passed.
Charlotte Ritchie told RadioTimes.com that she had mixed feelings to the development at first, as she was surprised by how closely Alison’s story was mirroring that of many of her real-life friends.
“It is beautiful and wonderful and amazing, but it also marks the end of one era and the beginning of another,” she said. “And I think, in a kind of selfish way, I always loved getting to play Alison because she existed in a separate world…
“It just so happens that she got pregnant at the same time that loads of my really good friends did. And I guess I’m just at that age, so I was a bit like, ‘Even in Ghosts, everyone [is getting pregnant]!’ But truthfully, it was really lovely once I got over that.”
The actor, who is also known for roles in Call the Midwife, Feel Good and You, went on to say that she wouldn’t have changed the storyline if she’d had the opportunity.
“I guess it just seems so grown up… but it’s great,” she explained. “Obviously, it’s fantastic that there’s this person coming into their life that makes them feel so unified.
“And also, just knowing that the ghosts would be so excited. It’s such a lovely thing that this baby is coming into a huge family of people.”
Ritchie continued: “I love Mike and Alison, I love their relationship. They’ve got such a deep love and friendship and I think knowing that they’re embarking on this together is obviously just a sweet next step for them.”
Fans will now be wondering exactly how this will impact the rest of the final season, with Ritchie offering an insight into how Alison’s pregnancy is handled by the writers.
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She said: “I think it’s a lot like what pregnancy is like [in real-life]… the first bit you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is happening. This is huge’. And then it takes so long for it to actually happen, that it becomes part of your daily life.
“That is, by the way, if you have a fairly problem-free pregnancy without issues that you need to attend to, which Alison seems to. So ultimately, it sort of is the news, and then it becomes part of the furniture.”
Ritchie added: “And then they obviously have other things to think about daily, like neighbours that are a nightmare or that bloody house and how they can never have enough money to keep it together.
“And the ghosts are up to things all the time, so you know, it never really stops.”
If you just can’t wait to find out what happens next, all episodes of Ghosts season 5 are now streaming on BBC iPlayer. The series will ultimately conclude with a surprise Christmas special later this year.
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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