Help! My House Is Haunted: 'The Witches Of Leigh' - Series 5, Episode 5 Review

In the latest episode of 'Help! My House Is Haunted', streaming on Discovery+, the team travels to Leigh-on-Sea to investigate a deeply troubled Victorian property that's left its inhabitants feeling distressed and overwhelmed.

Donna and her daughter, Poppy, have been living in this old Victorian house for nearly 11 years. While Donna was initially enamoured by the house's historical charm, Poppy felt an immediate aversion, describing an "overwhelming sense of fear" from the moment she stepped inside. Over the years, their experiences have grown increasingly harrowing. Poppy recounts incidents of seeing an old man with a top hat, which she likens to a "medicine man", lurking in her room. She firmly believes the entity is malevolent. Donna's own encounters with this spectral figure have taken a toll on her mental well-being. She describes moments where she felt possessed, uttering words that didn't feel like her own, as if channelled by the aggressive spirit.

While on their way to the haunted location, the investigative team of Jayne Harris, Barri Ghai, and Ian Lawman share their apprehensions. Their moods are subdued, hinting at the gravity of the case at hand. Ian, the show's resident medium, is particularly affected. He insists on entering the property with no prior knowledge about the case, relying solely on his psychic abilities. His initial impressions of the house are overwhelmingly negative, describing a suffocating heaviness and encounters with a sinister presence. Ian's experiences inside the house are so profound that at one point, he contemplates leaving due to the overwhelming negativity he senses.

While Ian conducts his solo sweep, Barri meets with Logan, Donna's son, away from the house. Logan recounts chilling instances of mimicking, where he's heard his mother's voice calling him when she hadn't. This phenomenon left him deeply unsettled. He also speaks of the profound impact the house has had on his mother's mental state, describing her as a "shell" of her former self.

In a bid to understand the history of the house and its surroundings, Jayne meets historian Penny Griffiths Morgan at the Sarah Moore pub, named after a local witch legend. They discuss the rich history of witchcraft in Essex, particularly in Leigh-on-Sea. Penny shares an unsettling historical practice where accused witches were thrown into a pond, now called "Doom pond", to determine their guilt or innocence. Furthermore, Jayne learns of a historical figure, Dr. William Douglas Watson, known as the "Medical Man", who resided close to Donna's house.

As the night sets in, the paranormal team intensifies their investigation after Donna and Poppy exit the scene. The team feel that the Leigh-On-Sea house's haunting is deeply tied to its history, especially the local witchcraft lore.

Jayne, channeling her intrigue about the witchcraft connection, decides to perform an ancient ritual. This ritual aims to invoke any spirits of witches who might have insights into the mysterious happenings at the house. Using a circle made of salt for protection and purity, she places a REM-Pod at its centre. As she proceeds with a summoning prayer in Latin, the REM-Pod reacts, which is taken to indicate the presence of an entity. Through a series of questions and responses via the REM-Pod, Jayne determines that there's a singular dark entity in the house. Furthermore, the spirit of the gentleman in the top hat, identified as Dr. Watson, isn't malevolent but is merely present.

The team split up to explore the upper floor, with the aim of making contact with the elusive dark entity. Barri's audio recorder seemingly captures a voice, further confirming Dr. Watson's presence. However, the demonic entity remains a challenge. Moving to Logan's bedroom, they encounter mysterious knocks and distant voices, which the team feel are signs that the entity is on the move, perhaps toying with them.

As they attempt communication, they uncover what they believe to be a chilling revelation from the ITC device: there are 60 imps in the house, which the team thinks indicates the presence of a powerful demon. The team is undeterred. They decide to confront the demon directly downstairs, where they believe a spiritual doorway might have been inadvertently opened.

The demonic entity's taunts become more brazen through the team's ghost hunting gadgets, culminating in a muffled yet defiant "f**k off." Jayne suggests a banishing prayer to cleanse the house. Ian, confident in his skills, decides to stay upstairs and initiate the process. He embarks on a rigorous room-by-room exorcism, determined to rid the house of the lurking evil. Meanwhile, downstairs, Jayne and Barri calls upon protective spirits for assistance, as they address Dr. Watson, thanking him and urging him to move on, now that his purpose has been fulfilled.