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Did you ever notice the creepy long-haired FIFTH housemate in The Young Ones? Here’s the proof they existed

Fans of the anarchic eighties sitcom have noticed a mystery figure lurking in the house

IF you remember The Young Ones you’ll know it was pretty weird, right?

Anything could happen in the anarchic house shared by Rick, Mike, Neil and Vyvyan in the eighties’ student sitcom.

The Young Ones made a big bang in the eighties but there was a secret hiding in the house
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The Young Ones (Ade Edmondson, Nigel Planer, Rik Mayall and Christopher Ryan) made a big bang in the eighties but there was a secret hiding in the houseCredit: PA:Press Association

The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse crashed through the living room, demons appeared to drag the boys to Hell and extreme violence was par for the course, with limbs flying off in all directions.

But here’s one odd detail you may never have noticed – the fifth housemate.

A ghostly figure has been revealed lurking in the background in every episode of series one.

The Young Ones
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The mystery stranger is seen in the background in episode oneCredit: BBC

You never see the face, which is hidden by hair, and it’s not easy to determine the gender.

But he or she is there a LOT.

In the opening episode, Demolition, the spooky long-haired person is behind Rik Mayall as he watched TV.

In episode two – Oil – they can be seen behind Adrian Edmondson.

Adrian Edmondson is not alone
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Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall are not aloneCredit: BBC

In Boring, the figure sits beside silently beside the staircase.

The appearances of the mysterious extra were so secret that even Ben Elton didn’t know about – and he wrote the series.

When contacted by Business Insider, the comedian replied: "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about I'm afraid. There were four housemates plus the Landlord.”

The creepy figure lurks by the stairs
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The creepy figure lurks by the stairsCredit: BBC

But series producer Geoff Posner was happy to shed some light on the mystery guest.

He revealed he had been going through a “period of things in the background.”

He said: "If my memory serves me correctly, Paul Jackson and I thought it would be fun to have some ghostly figure in the background of some scenes that was never explained or talked about.

"Hair all over the face so you shouldn't be able to decipher gender either.

“The fact we forgot to do it consistently through the series shows what a bunch of amateurs we were in them days."

So now you know.

The Young Ones
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Fifth wheel ... the spare housemate is spotted againCredit: BBC