Why Some Viewers Think Zak Bagans’ Ghost Adventures Show Is Fake

Travel Channel

Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, which is hosted by ghost hunter Zak Bagans and Aaron Goodwin, has been on the air since 2008. Some viewers have come to believe the reality TV show is fake or staged in that time.

Ghost Adventures came about four years after the premiere of Sci-Fi’s Ghosthunters, and it soon became a sensation due to the hosting capabilities of Zak Bagans. He began each show with an explanation of the fact that he used to never believe in ghosts, but then something happened that changed his life forever.

While some viewers think the show is fake, others believe it is real, and there are several stories written by people who have appeared on the show testifying to the fact that the show is not scripted.

According to Bagans, the 2020 season of the show is the most terrifying season yet. Read on to learn why some viewers think the show is fake or staged.

There Are Always Voices on the Recordings & The Cast Provokes the Paranormal

During the show, the hosts often pick up sounds on recorders or EVP meters. Oftentimes, these sounds don’t sound like much to viewers the first time through the recording. The hosts will then say what they think the recording is saying, and then it will repeat the message a few times with that caption, making it so viewers hear the same thing the hosts do.

Another reason people may believe the show is staged is that the crew sometimes goes as far as “triple dog” daring the ghosts to do something like slamming a door or moving an object. Most paranormal experts would suggest that spirits would not show themselves in this type of situation.

The last reason cited by some is that the show has become more polished with time. Since the show’s premiere over 10 years ago, it has evolved from a show where the guys are followed around by no camera crew to a large production where the hosts are followed by a camera crew.

A Fired Host Said the Travel Channel Messed With the Authenticity

In 2014, then-co-host of Ghost Adventures, Aaron Goodwin, appeared on the Are We Alone podcast and ranted about the show, which he said was ruined by the Travel Channel when they picked it up.

He said they took everything authentic about the show and everything truly paranormal and ruined it by forcing the crew to record their own voices as EVPs when the filming didn’t have enough suspense or activity to satisfy producers of the show. He said they even made the cast go back to the scene and re-record things to make them seem surprised when they heard noises that they had actually recorded themselves.

“If we film all night long and come back with uneventful material, they actually make us go back and act out scenes. It’s sickening really,” he said. “This started off as a real thing, it is just not consistent and active enough for the big shots at the network so they basically have turned us into liars. We have been committing fraud in my eyes and I’ve just about had enough.”

A spokesman for the Travel Channel refuted his comments at the time, citing a feud between co-stars, saying that the co-host may have wanted to “get at them” by attacking the show. Goodwin was later fired from the show.

Ghost Adventures airs on the Travel Channel at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Tuesday nights.

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