Fred Batt

{{Short description|English businessman}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Fred Batt

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| birth_place = London, England, United Kingdom

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| known_for = Demonologist on Most Haunted

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| website = {{URL|fredbatt.com}}

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Fred Batt (born September 2, 1955) is a former English businessman, nightclub owner, singer, actor and self-styled historian and demonologist known for his regular appearances on the British paranormal reality television series Most Haunted.

Fred Batt states that his interest in the occult began as a teenager. He made his first appearance as a presenter on Most Haunted in 2008 on a live Hallowe'en special;{{Cite web |url=http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Dorking-Demonologist-Fred-Batt-new-series-Haunted/story-22723798-detail/story.html |title='Dorking Demonologist Fred Batt to front new series of Most Haunted' - Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser - 19 August 2014 |access-date=19 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204185444/http://www.dorkingandleatherheadadvertiser.co.uk/Dorking-Demonologist-Fred-Batt-new-series-Haunted/story-22723798-detail/story.html |archive-date=4 December 2015 |url-status=dead }} he had previously appeared as a guest on the show in 2003 at his home and again, at his nightclub Caesar's in Streatham. He became a regular presenter on the show in the 2010–11 series and rejoined for the 2013 series.

From 1994 to 2010, Fred Batt owned Caesar's, a 2300-capacity nightclub in London SW2; in an episode of Most Haunted filmed there in 2003 he claimed the venue was haunted by the spirit of Ruth Ellis who had worked there as a Hostess in 1948.{{Cite web |url=http://www.streathamguardian.co.uk/news/4075421.Ghostbusters_to_inspect_doomed_nightclub/ |title='Ghostbusters to inspect doomed Caesar's nightclub' - Streatham Guardian - 26 January 2009 |access-date=20 March 2016 |archive-date=4 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404020321/http://www.streathamguardian.co.uk/news/4075421.Ghostbusters_to_inspect_doomed_nightclub/ |url-status=dead }} In 2004, Batt became involved in lengthy licensing hearings in Lambeth when the police and local councillors objected to Caesar's receiving a new alcohol licence because of the heavy drain the venue placed on police resources.[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/jun/30/localgovernment.comment 'Fred won the hearing and it became known as The Longest Licensing Hearing in Living Memory'] - The Guardian - 30 June 2004