Yvette Fielding: ‘Why I want to retire in Whitby rather than Cornwall,’ says Most Haunted star

Yvette and her partner Karl live and work together, travelling the country filming, but it is the seaside town of Whitby which has captured their hearts.

Yvette said: “Karl and I absolutely adore Whitby.

“I just love Whitby. I love its history. I love its connection. There are so many layers of history. You know, you've got the Vikings, you've got the pirates, you've got all sorts of stories.

“They had Mad Maggie the witch. She allegedly cursed the town of Whitby. And her curse was that all the sailors would drown in a big storm, and they did.”

Inspired by such tales, Yvette has since created a story about ‘The Vampire of Whitby’ in her Ghost Hunter Chronicles for children.

She said: “You've got all sorts of layers of history, all kinds of amazing characters, and I just love the look and feel of Whitby. You know, obviously, Bram Stoker and that connection to there you've got the Abbey.

“It’s just a beautiful beautiful place I just love.

“Maybe I might move there one day when I'm really old and grey.”

Like many visitors to the area, Yvette and Karl enjoy fish and chips with curry sauce on the coast.

When in Whitby, they often head to The Magpie.

Yvette said: “One year I think I must have gone to Whitby about four times, which was amazing.

“I've got maps of Whitby on my wall.

“I'm a bit obsessed really. I think I will end up retiring there at some point.”

Yvette initially imagined she’d retire to Cornwall until she discovered Whitby.

The ghost hunter - originally from Stockport, Greater Manchester - said her northern roots also drew her to the area.

Yvette added: “When you fall in love somewhere, because I'm a northerner, it's that same sense of humour.

“My lovely friend Mark Corrie, whom I presented Blue Peter with, was from Leeds. We got on like a house on fire as soon as we met. I think it is that northern sense of humour.

“He used to make me laugh because he used to do impressions of a Yorkshire pub singer on stage and a rendition of Do the Hustle.”

Yvette also said that Yorkshire has some ‘haunted’ places, such as 30 East Drive in Pontefract, which left her in tears.

“The fact that the house is a normal 1960s council house is what makes it feel even more eerie”, she explained.

“So sometimes when I think of Yorkshire and Most Haunted, Pontefract always springs into my head.

I say that's one of the most frightening things.”

Yvette and Karl hope to move to Yorkshire one day due to the down-to-earth mentality.

She added: “You say what you see.”

To hear Yvette’s journey from Blue Peter to Most Haunted and becoming an author as well as community heroes along the way, listen to the Mrs Yorkshire podcast.