Morbid Podcast: “The Enfield Poltergeist”

Hosts: Ash Kelley & Alaina Urquhart
Episode Date: September 15, 2025
Main Theme:
A creepy deep dive into the infamous Enfield Poltergeist case—a 1970s haunting in North London—blended with Morbid's signature mix of research-heavy storytelling, banter, and skeptical inquiry.

Episode Overview

Ash and Alaina mark the beginning of "spooky season" with one of the world's most notorious poltergeist cases: The Enfield haunting. They break down the facts, controversies, and impact of the story, exploring everything from the original disturbances to infamous levitating photos, media circus, and skeptical takes. Their chatty and candid style investigates both the supernatural and psychological angles, raising questions about truth, belief, and why some hauntings become cultural legends.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: The Hodgson Family and Their Hard Times

• Family Dynamics ([05:24]–[13:44])
  • The poltergeist activity began in August 1977 in Enfield, North London, affecting single mother Margaret Hodgson and four children: Peggy (13), Janet (11), Johnny (10, at boarding school), and Billy (7, with developmental disabilities).
  • The family was struggling post-divorce—financial instability, absent father, emotional hardship.
  • Extended family and neighbors provided support, but stressors were high, creating fertile ground for chaos.

“Poltergeists love nothing more than trying to break a family box.” —Ash ([05:31])

The First Night: Shuffling, Knocks, and the Start of It All

• Initial Disturbances ([14:10]–[17:06])
  • August 31, 1977: Janet heard shuffling from the floor of her bedroom, followed by knocking sounds once her mother investigated.
  • Heavy furniture began to move on its own, culminating in a dresser that slid away from the wall and resisted being moved back—alarming both mother and children.

“She walks towards it and pushed it back against the wall... When she turns to walk away, it started sliding towards the door again.” —Alaina ([18:03])

Escalation and Witnesses: From Legos to the Police

• Family Fleeing Next Door ([19:17]–[21:27])

  • The Hodgsons sought refuge at neighbor Vic and Peggy’s, worried Margaret would sound “cuckoo” if she told anyone what happened.
  • Vic investigated, heard unexplained knocking, and ultimately called the police when the activity persisted.

• Police Witness Paranormal Events ([23:05]–[24:47])

  • Officers, neighbors, and the family observed a chair move across the room on its own.
  • Police found no rational explanation, only offering to "keep an eye" on the house.

“In four full view of the Hodgson, Vic and Peggy and the officers, the chair began to wobble back and forth on its own and then slid 3 or 4ft in the direction of the kitchen.” —Alaina ([23:34])

Paranormal Pandemonium: The Media, the Mirror, and Flying Toys

• Escalation with Projectiles ([24:49]–[29:47])
  • The next morning: the family is pelted by flying Lego bricks and marbles that felt heated, trusted witnesses present.
  • The Daily Mirror sends a reporter and photographer, who witness and document flying objects and are struck themselves.

“Morris saw something was coming at him out of the corner of his eye, and he turned just in time to be struck in the forehead with the sharp corner of a Lego brick.” —Alaina ([32:23])

• Introduction of Investigators ([33:30]–[37:29])
  • Maurice Gross from the Society for Psychical Research (SPR)—with a personal interest after losing his own daughter—takes on the case, with a logical but empathetic approach.
  • Journalist Guy Lyon Playfair later joins as a sympathetic chronicler and co-investigator.

“His only goal going in there... was that he wanted to protect these kids and he wanted to protect Janet, especially because he felt very connected... like, she.” —Alaina ([37:29])

The Bulk of the Haunting: Levitation, Voices, and Possession

• Phenomena Intensifies ([38:26]–[45:17])

  • Objects moving, chairs flying while Janet is asleep, and LEGO assaults become routine.
  • Janet becomes the epicenter: “It was always around Janet,” Maurice Gross notices.
  • Attempts to make contact with the spirit through notepads, knocks, and later audio tape.

• Voice Manifestations ([56:09]–[58:01])

  • Believed contact with a “Joe Watson” and later “Bill,” communicating gruffly only when no adults are present.
  • The voice utters profanities, threats, and claims to be a dead resident.
  • Playfair and Gross defend the phenomena as authentic; skeptics suspect ventriloquism.

“The more they tried to persuade Joe to leave... the more abusive the voice became, telling them to fuck off and bugger off.” —Alaina ([58:19])

• Lorraine and Ed Warren Visit ([44:13]–[46:10])
  • The famous American paranormal couple holds a séance, declares the family under attack by two spirits, and warns Margaret her "bitterness" is a vulnerability.
  • Their theatrical presence comforts Margaret but does not end the disturbances.

“‘Go away!’ Before launching into a fit of laughter that quickly escalated into what Playfair described as ‘a grotesque cackle like one of the Macbeth witches.’” —Alaina ([44:36])

Hoax or Haunting? Media Scrutiny, Child Pranks & Lasting Mystery

• Hoax Accusations & Analysis ([47:55]–[70:29])

  • SPR investigators and ventriloquists like Ray Allen increasingly see hoaxing at work—trick voices, staged incidents, and the infamous “levitation” photo that just looks like a skilled jump.
  • Janet and Peggy are caught “adding to the activity”; they confess and later retract hoax admissions.

• Media Shifts from Belief to Skepticism ([67:44]–[70:32])

  • As the press tire, coverage turns sarcastic. The Mirror runs a “confession” story; public and serious investigators dismiss the case.

“One reporter reviewed the tape, described it as ‘a videotape of a cheeky young girl struggling to keep her lips closed and speak at the same time.’” —Alaina quoting a journalist ([69:01])

Childhood, Trauma, and the Power of Belief

• Psychological Interpretations ([72:09]–[72:44])
  • Deborah Hyde posits that the girls, seeking focused adult attention after family trauma, may have kept the haunting going for the sake of comfort and connection.
  • Ash and Alaina underscore the sadness of a haunting that may be a coping mechanism.

“People frequently see what they expect to see... I would find it plausible if somebody suggested that two bright girls, feeling abandoned by their father … could have been motivated to manifest a poltergeist.” —Alaina quoting Deborah Hyde ([72:25])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Poltergeists Loving Drama

  “Oh, poltergeist love nothing more than, like, trying to break a family box.” —Ash ([05:31])

• First Hint of Skepticism

  “Quit your larking about at bedtime. Which is honestly an adorable way to say that they were just, like, not going to sleep.” —Alaina ([15:25])

• Supernatural Meets Comedic Relief

  “It started raining when more Lego bricks and marbles started flying around the living room.” —Alaina ([27:37])
  “You all know the fucking pain of stepping on a goddamn Lego.” —Ash ([28:11])

• On the Nature of the ‘Poltergeist’ Voice

  “So now she’s a ventriloquist.” —Ash ([59:34])
  “It is fun to swear in an old man voice.” —Ash ([61:24])

• Blurring Fact and Hoax

  “I think maybe it started off as something, and then… the kids maybe ramped it up.” —Alaina ([73:48])

• Cultural Reflection

  “Neither side is any closer to proving either that it was real or that it was a hoax than they were on the day Maurice Gross arrived in the summer of 1977.” —Alaina ([73:21])

Important Segment Timestamps

• [04:37] — Announcing this episode’s focus: The Enfield Poltergeist
• [05:24]–[13:44] — Hodgson family background and setting
• [14:10]–[17:06] — Initial haunting night
• [23:34] — Police witness chair moving
• [27:37] — LEGO and marble-throwing escalation
• [32:23] — Mirror journalist struck with flying LEGO
• [33:30]–[45:17] — Investigators join case, early psychical research
• [44:13]–[46:10] — The Warrens’ séance and diagnosis of the haunting
• [56:09]–[62:45] — “Voice” manifestations, skepticism, ventriloquism
• [70:29] — Analysis of “levitation” photo
• [72:09]–[72:44] — Psychological interpretations and sadder realities

Tone and Experience

Morbid delivers its signature blend of spooky deep-dives and irreverent humor, balancing supernatural intrigue with skepticism and plenty of personal asides. Listeners are drawn into a layered conversation—at times genuinely eerie, at others hilariously relatable—about the social, psychological, and cultural legacy of the Enfield haunting.

Final Reflections

Ash and Alaina ultimately lean into the ambiguity: The Enfield Poltergeist remains unresolved, as much a study of human fear, loneliness, and media frenzy as of the paranormal. Was it all a child’s prank, or a poltergeist feeding on family upheaval? No one can say for sure, and that, the hosts suggest, is what makes the story endure.

"Still, there are those who... remain steadfast in their belief that the entire story... was genuine. Now, more than four decades later, neither side is any closer to proving either that it was real or that it was a hoax." —Alaina ([73:21])

For those who haven’t listened:
This episode provides a full, nuanced account of what many call the world’s most famous poltergeist case, with all its mess, mystery, and a dose of Morbid wit. Whether you’re a believer, a skeptic, or just love ghost stories with heart, the Enfield Poltergeist episode delivers.