Ghosts stars discuss Alison’s shocking April Fools’ prank on Thomas

Of course, Alison is happily married to Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) and has no interest in dating a soppy apparition, which has led to moments of exasperation as she's dealt with his various gestures.

In Ghosts season 5 episode 1, which is set on April Fools' Day, an opportunity arises to turn the tables.

Alison writes Thomas a letter beckoning him to a secret meeting place, where she has seemingly prepared a romantic dinner and professes her love for him. He completely buys into the ruse.

However, when Alison unbuttons her shirt to reveal a T-shirt underneath reading April Fools', he is rendered hysterical by the elaborate prank.

In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Ghosts co-creator and star Baynton acknowledged viewers may have "sympathy for the devil" in this scene, which was rewritten multiple times during production.

"There were a couple of different versions," he began. "There were versions where he was more pompous and more cocksure going into it and that felt sort of wrong, although it meant that it was less harsh of her and less bruising in a way. You'd have felt very happy for him to get that takedown."

Baynton continued: "With Ghosts, often the right thing in the end is the thing that is a little bit more nuanced or a little bit more human, which is that you can see both sides. Yes, he's a d**khead, but he's also quite sincere in his love or his infatuation, I suppose.

"So yes, it's cruel what she does, but also it's deserved. And you feel a bit sorry for him, but it's a conflicted thing, you know? So yeah, there were versions where she felt too cruel, there were versions where he felt like too much of an a***hole – and we tried to find the thing in the middle that's just, hopefully, deliciously uncomfortable."

On the other hand, co-star Ritchie fully backed Alison's decision to put Thomas in his place, telling RadioTimes.com that it was a long time coming.

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"I'm purely seeing it from Alison's point of view, which is that she said, ‘please can you stop talking to me like that’ for five years or five series," she explained. "And so finally, she's like, ‘Well, guess what? There's only one thing I can do to really make you think about this’."

Although his incessant pestering of Alison has been a frustration for the character, Ritchie goes on to explain how the writers have avoided Thomas seeming like a creepy or malicious harasser over the years.

"I think the thing about Thomas and the thing that makes him excusable and allows it to be a long-running joke is that he's totally unthreatening," she continued. "I think if it comes to the crunch – which you see in that moment [in] the April Fools' [episode] – he wouldn't be ready for anything with Alison.

"He's stuck in arrested development as a sort of very, very childlike, boyish, adult man, who was just wrapped up in the sort of toxic perspective on romance and women throughout history. He's a symptom of that."

Ritchie added: "I’m sympathetic only to a point as Charlotte, watching the show, loving Mat, loving the character, and being really empathetic. But to be honest, I'm fully on Alison’s side and I think it's really funny. He deserves everything he's got coming for him."

Of course, Alison's cunning pranks weren't the only noteworthy moment in the Ghosts season 5 premiere, which aired on BBC One last night, with the character also making a bombshell announcement.

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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