Channel 4's "Psychic Takedown" exposed loads of charlatans - how do we find real ones?

Has anyone watched the new Channel 4 series? It's basically catching fake psychics and mediums on hidden camera. Some of it's quite brutal - loads of cold reading, hot reading, obvious tricks. But it's also making genuine paranormal investigation look dodgy by association.

My question is: if you've had genuine contact through a real medium, how did you know they were authentic? What separates the real from the charlatan? Because after watching that programme, I'm not sure I'd trust anyone charging £150 per session.

Specifically interested in EVP recordings - has anyone here had verifiable success with actual spirit communication through digital recording?

The Channel 4 show was useful for exposing charlatans, but it's also a bit reductive. Real mediumship is subtle and hard to demonstrate on camera. The dramatic 'spirit voices' stuff you get on the show is usually exactly what the programme proved it is - tricks.

That said, I've had three genuine sessions with a medium in Devon and she knew things she couldn't have researched. No Hollywood drama, just quiet, specific information. But how do I prove it? I can't without sounding mad.

EVP is genuinely difficult because the signal-to-noise ratio is awful. You can convince yourself you're hearing voices in white noise if you expect to hear them. I've recorded for years and I've got maybe three clips I can't easily explain, but I wouldn't call them 'proof.'

The Channel 4 show was actually fair though. A lot of mediums are just really good at reading body language and asking leading questions.

how do we find real ones?

Honestly, the ones worth their salt don't advertise aggressively and don't promise results. They'll usually have referrals from people in the community rather than big websites and testimonials. If someone's charging hundreds and guaranteeing they'll contact your dead relatives, they're a charlatan.

That's my filter anyway.

The frustrating thing about the Channel 4 show is that it's presented as definitive proof that all mediumship is fake, which is unfair. Proper scientific testing of paranormal phenomena is almost impossible because the phenomenon (if it exists) doesn't perform on demand. Doesn't mean it's not real, just means it's hard to verify.