Ghosts will give fans "what they’ve been waiting for" with The Captain

The most direct acknowledgement of this storyline came in season 2's Redding Weddy, when a moving flashback alluded to The Captain's romantic feelings towards his second-in-command, Lieutenant Havers (Peter Sandys-Clarke).

Since then, fans have been devouring every hint, clue and reference as to what happened next – including how The Captain became a restless ghost wandering the grounds of Button House. It's now been confirmed we'll know more soon.

Speaking to press ahead of the launch of Ghosts season 5, co-creator and star Mathew Baynton said: "It's fair to say there's a couple of backstories that the audience will have been waiting for.

"There are still some unsolved mysteries and this is the final series – and we wouldn't leave our audience with those unanswered questions."

Willbond later confirmed that The Captain's story is one such arc that will see some long-awaited resolution.

"We have to dig into his backstory a little more, because we were sort of owed it in the writing process," he teased. "So we have gone there. I think he is happy deep down, but I think he just needs a bit more time."

At an advance screening of the first two episodes of season 5, Willbond also warned that his big episode could be a tear-jerker.

When asked what his proudest moment from the entire series would be, he responded: "It's a scene that we've shot but you haven't seen. All I can say is: I'm sorry."

Meanwhile, Baynton offered thoughts on the journey that The Captain and his fellow ghosts have been on since mortal homeowner Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) gained the ability to see them.

"Alison having that accident has changed their afterlives ultimately for the better," he explained. "At the beginning, [the show] seems to be saying ‘people don't change’ – it doesn't matter how long you stick around, you just fundamentally don't change…

"And by the end, it feels like what it's about is the fact that Alison does change them. In some ways big and in some ways small, she improves their lives just by being there. The Captain is a very clear example of that; she and the rest of the ghosts have helped him."

Co-creator and star Laurence Rickard added: "When it comes to The Captain, the four or five things that we get asked most, we've in some way covered off the majority of them – although not necessarily in a way people might be expecting."

Ghosts season 5 launches on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday 6th October 2023. 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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