Ghosts co-creator reveals guest star they missed most: "It was a shame"
Mathew Baynton recalled a particular actor who became "part of the gang".
Ghosts co-creator Mathew Baynton has recalled a series guest star he would have liked to keep around, describing it as "a shame" when they had to leave the sitcom.
The writer and actor, known for his farcical turn as failed romantic poet Thomas Thorne, spoke to RadioTimes.com and other press about the Christmas 2023 special – which is set to be the last ever episode.
The final chapter sees the return of Sutara Gayle as Betty, the well-meaning mother of Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe), who is eager to ensure that her newly born granddaughter is being looked after.
When quizzed on any other former guest stars that he wishes could have returned, Baynton said: "I remember being sad because Jess Knappett’s part, Lucy, ran across several episodes [and] she became part of the gang for a while.
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"She was really there for an extended period of time. And I remember, at the time, we started saying, 'Oh, it's a shame she turns out to be a b*****d because we're going to have to say goodbye!'"
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Fans will remember that villainous Lucy claimed to be the half-sister of Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) in season 3, but was ultimately exposed as a fraudster hoping to swindle the Button House heir.
Baynton concluded: "She was just such a perfect fit with everyone. She just felt completely kind of part of the team for that period. So yeah, it was a shame."
Other notable guest stars to grace the set of Ghosts across its five season run include Jennifer Saunders, who played Lady Button's mother Lavinia, and Kylie Minogue, who made a cameo as herself in a Red Nose Day sketch.
Co-creator Laurence Rickard said: "We've been really lucky with guest stars. If it'd been a slightly different show or a slightly different format, it would have been lovely to just go, 'The final hurrah, everyone comes back!'"
He did note, however, that several familiar faces cropped up throughout season 5, including Chloé Delanney as Sophie, Geoffrey McGivern as Barclay and Nathan Byron as Obi.
He added: "And so we've kind of been able to get all the big hitters back and have them play in various places through the final series."
Ghosts returns to BBC One and iPlayer at 7:45pm on Christmas Day. 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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