What does the UK think of Michael Barrymore?
Posted by idreamofcuba@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 313 comments
For context, I’m a 22 year old girl living in Australia and over the past year I’ve noticed a huge influx of Michael’s tiktok videos popping up on my page. I watched a few because I recognized him instantly but wasn’t sure exactly where I knew him from (just general old school tv) and then quickly realized there were a lot of comments saying things like “The media was so cruel to him” and things of that nature so I looked up what happened and was pretty horrified to hear about Stuart Lubbock who was anally assaulted, thrown in the pool and died from how horrific his anal injuries were.
I watched part of a documentary and had to switch it off when I heard 5+ forensic pathologists go into detail about how horrific his injuries were.
I’m genuinely shocked by how many fans he has, considering majority of them do not seem to be my age and definitely are aware of what happened. Is this a normal view of him? What do most of you think when you hear his name?
I could be wrong but I just can’t help but think if it was a woman who died under these circumstances there would be a lot more backlash.
blondererer@reddit
There was a lot of backlash at the time and for a while afterwards. He effectively lost his career.
The victims father kept trying to bring attention to the case. Someone did that to him and sadly it appears that they aren’t in a position to identify and convict the guilty party/parties.
Diddleymaz@reddit
He got away with murder, and a particularly unpleasant murder it was.
mynameisjodie@reddit
He should be in prison
Made_Up_Name_1@reddit
Honestly we don't think about him any more. I hadn't thought a thing about him for years until you put his name in your post.
JonFromHR@reddit
Speak for yourself. I’ve been following him and his case against the media for years. He is very well known, loved and was treated terribly. He didn’t kill anyone.
rybnickifull@reddit
Why did he not phone the police? Why did he phone his manager instead?
JonFromHR@reddit
Why are you even bothered?
blueroses8000@reddit
You’re asking why anyone would be bothered about someone potentially being involved in someone’s murder?
JonFromHR@reddit
Who was murdered? Can’t remember there being a criminal trial where someone was tried for, or convicted of, murder? Did the pathologist rule that the death of Mr Lubbock was murder?
blueroses8000@reddit
Conveniently missed out the word potential.
But if you want to play it that way - why aren’t you bothered if a man is found dead and horrifically injured in someone’s house without explanation and the person took measures to protect their career and not call the police first? You’d be okay if that was your son/dad/brother?
JonFromHR@reddit
No such thing as ‘potential’ in criminal law. Have a nice day
rybnickifull@reddit
Why are you so defensive? Of all the celebs to do the crazy BTS style fandom for, a washed up prick like Barrymore?
No_Field624@reddit
He has a huge following on TikTok at the moment, and the younger generation are fawning over him. He gets stopped in the street daily by TikTok fans, so he defo still has some relevance through that
cuccir@reddit
Honestly I think if someone had asked I'd have told them he was dead. I definitely remember that, Mandela moment style
crashdout@reddit
That was his career that died.
Agitated-Tourist9845@reddit
You’re thinking of Dale Winton. Both light entertainment presenters.
onionsofwar@reddit
Is he dead now? Can't keep track.
Jetstream-Sam@reddit
Dale winton apparently died in 2018... I had no idea whatsoever, I guess that was around the time I stopped watching Live TV so I must be missing a lot of things like that. Died in his home of Natural causes, according to
He was only 62 as well. I got him mixed up with David Dickinson at first, who is still alive and is 84. Perhaps spray tans give you longevity
melanie110@reddit
Me and my friend were taking about this last night and googled it. Never knew. We were joking about supermarket sweep
Turtlecleave@reddit
Weirdly dale was Born today too! 😂
Ok_Net4562@reddit
Winton dead. Barrymore death adjacent.
onionsofwar@reddit
I remember the pool and the bad taste joke about how to put out a cigarette. Winton not one that stayed in my memory.
Full-Suggestion-1320@reddit
Dale Winton was a nice person. He started on local radio in my area and was as far as I'm aware very pleasant to everyone.
cuccir@reddit
Yes, that is precisely it
HAMforPastry@reddit
You misremembered nothing Mandela about it
Disgruntled__Goat@reddit
That's exactly what the Mandela effect is
HAMforPastry@reddit
It's not when it's one person misremembering
Disgruntled__Goat@reddit
There are multiple comments in this thread saying the same thing
HAMforPastry@reddit
10-20 people then
Disgruntled__Goat@reddit
Oh my bad, what is the specific number of people that must misremember something before it becomes a Mandela effect? 21? smh
HAMforPastry@reddit
It's in the thousands
iceblnklck@reddit
We’ll make sure to make a survey to report the exact number back to you next time 👍🏻
HAMforPastry@reddit
Watch that Mandela effect doesn't get you and you forget
iceblnklck@reddit
That’s not how the Mandela effect or humour works, princess.
HAMforPastry@reddit
You just proved my point
iceblnklck@reddit
You had no point outside of a desperate need to correct the previous commenter. That’s quite odd and petty.
HAMforPastry@reddit
Say the same for yourself sticking your oar in
Plugpin@reddit
You're probably remembering the body in his swimming pool lol
CrownCommando@reddit
Reason 132,635,262 not to use ShitTok
Royston-Vasey123@reddit
Wow, Michael Barrymore getting big on TikTok was not on my 2026 bingo card. I don't have TikTok - can you tell me if it's old content of his, like clips being recycled, or is he making new content for the younger generation?
rybnickifull@reddit
I'm fascinated by them because it shows how little you need to do to rehabilitate yourself. It's basically an old man with piggy little eyes (because he seems to be permanently stoned now) walking around various supermarkets talking to himself. He's stuck a load of Kids Say the Funniest Things episodes up on YouTube, but doesn't really talk about his heyday very much. I suppose he's worried Gen Z will find the clips of him pretending to be Japanese.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Yeah that’s the only reason I was a bit suprised and thought to ask this question. I figured most people my age and younger just thought he was funny (because he keeps up with a lot of the Gen Z trends) and hadn’t a clue what he’d done but there’s a good amount of fans, who are typically 50+ year old, British woman who always comment on his innocence and how unfair he was treated so it definitely made me curious. But honestly no matter how horrific the crime, you will always find some weirdos supporting them. That said he was not found guilty so I totally understand why some people may support him and he’s definitely not on the same level as a serial killer who’s getting marriage requests lol.
Gauntlets28@reddit
Not to sound too judgy, but I feel like you'll always find somebody in that demographic willing to defend basically anything. This is the target audience of a lot of shit reality TV and gossip magazines.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
You took the words out of my mouth lol! I wanted to comment this but didn’t want to come off as rude😂 It’s so true, it’s always this demographic (who like you said is the target audience) who are very gullible too and will believe anything they hear. They tend to be the type to fall for conspiracy theories too, I like to call them Facebook mums.
I figured there support for him absolutely does not speak for the rest of the UK as they tend to be ready to go to war over celebrities or public figures who they like.
JimmieSavsscumsock@reddit
Chris brown and the guy that ran over someone but the girls thought he was fit so 20000 thought and prayers. Mumsnet too whilst I'm at it. Mucking fuppets.
OkDonkey6524@reddit
What the hell? How did that even happen?
fike88@reddit
He’s no trying to sell swimming pools is he?
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Can you imagine? 😳
Nosworthy@reddit
He isn't particularly well thought of and - imo - the general view is that he handled the situation terribly.
His popularity was far from widespread before that - he was mainly associated with light entertainment shows that appealed to a certain audience / demographic, much in the same way the likes of Stephen Mulhern does now. He was far from national treasure status or even 'well liked by most'.
There was no suggestion he was responsible for what happened but ultimately a man was brutally raped and murdered at a party in his home yet his main concern appeared to be the impact on his TV career, not the victim or justice. He continually complained about his treatment by the press and didn't seem to grasp why he was implicated which further fuelled the negative opinion of him.
Bloatville@reddit
So I hadn't heard of any of this, and had forgotten who this bloke was & refreshed my memory with the Wikipedia.
It says he & two other men were arrested for murder & sexual assault in the Lubbock case, so there definitely was a suggestion he was responsible.
justmoochin@reddit
Did fuck all to help the police as well, he knows who did it.
skratakh@reddit
Just for context, until 2003-2004 it was illegal for gay men to have sex with more than 2 participants in the same residence. Even if everything was consenual all the participants could face a prison sentence. This is why a lot of gay men did not engage with the police for fear of prosecution even f they did comply.
No-Taro-6953@reddit
The party wasn't a gay thing though.
There was at least one straight man, and two women present.
I get the point you're trying to make, but Stuart Lubbock was not gay, there were no signs or indications he was.
Michael and Kennedy were the only two known gay men at this so called party. It was essentially an afters session with a bunch of randoms Barrymore had invited back from a nightclub, joined by two other men later that he knew locally.
skratakh@reddit
It doesn't matter, if gay sex occured with anyone else on the property it was a crime so even if barrymore was having sex in a bedroom in another part of the house, that was against the law.
we don't know what really happened, i'm offering an explanation why Barrymore would not have willingly helped the police, police at the time were very homophobic and essentially the enemy.
No-Taro-6953@reddit
I'm not disputing that it would've been a crime.
I'm disputing that it was the basis of their lack of cooperation.
There wasn't evidence of any group sex.
There was evidence that Stuart may have been held down, assaulted and potentially forcibly given drugs.
In my opinion, It's more likely Barrymore wasn't especially cooperative, because on the balance of probability he was indirectly or indirectly involved in Stuart's death.
If you look at the witness statements, and movements of people around the house that evening, that narrows it furthur, in terms of the guests that harmed Stuart. And it did have to be one of the guests that evening that harmed him.
Given the nature of Stuart's injuries, it's possible there were multiple people involved in his death, hence the wall of silence the police were met with. They had a vested interest in corroborating the other, and insisting on ignorance.
Nothing to do with the legalities of gay group sex.
skratakh@reddit
All i'm trying to add is that I think you're ignoring the culture of the time, the police were extremely hostile to gay men for decades. while it may not have been a primary motivator, gay men simply did no trust the police so to expect cooperation, even if innocent, is at best naive.
I don't know what happened, i'm just saying i can see lots of reasons why they would not have willingly helped the police.
No-Taro-6953@reddit
But you're projecting and drawing inference without evidence, that's the issue.
skratakh@reddit
maybe but so are a lot of people about the opposite. under the circumstances regardless of what happened in reality i wouldn't expected barrymore or any gay man at the time to willingly help the police. It's taken decades and lots of outreach work to build trust, that trust didn't exist at the time. You see similar things with police and POC or in the US with the Tuskegee experiment and the medical profession.
Inferring guilt because they didn't help the police is all well and good if there is trust between the police and populace, but when there's no trust because of decades of persecution, that argument isn't as solid.
No-Taro-6953@reddit
Sorry but... What?
This is nonsense. You're making huge leaps of logic while simultaneously ignoring the obvious, logical conclusions.
skratakh@reddit
I'm doing nothing of the sort, i'm saying these armchair detectives making inferences based on their perception of the behaviour at the time is anachronistic and ignores the culture of institutional homophobia that may, i repeat "May" have impacted how people acted at the time.
i haven't ignored any "logical" conclusions, i've openly said i don;t know what happened. What i'm saying is to imply you know what happened because of how people acted or innuendo around the event is not based in fact. the fact is the case is still open, we don't know definitively what happened and anything anyone on this reddit thread that thinks they know what happened can be taken with a pinch of salt. Clearly the police don't have enough evidence so it's ridiculous to suggest a bunch of redditors somehow know the truth because of their "logical conclusions"
No-Taro-6953@reddit
Sorry but what a load of tripe.
There's zero indication this was a sex party. There's zero indication there was sexual activity happening. There's zero evidence that multiple gay men were having sex.
Barrymore and his boyfriend are not the victims here.
Stuart Lubbock is.
Grow up.
skratakh@reddit
You clearly have not read of comprehended anything I've written. At no point did I say there was a sex party or sexual activity, and I never said that multiple gay men had sex. You've made that up all by yourself.
Maybe read back through rather than arguing about something that I haven't said and inventing your own narrative.
All I've tried to do is add historical context for why gay men were unlikely to trust the police and cooperate with them because of fear of prosecution or actions being taken out of context and used again them.
No-Taro-6953@reddit
This case has nothing to do with a context where gay men didn't trust police.
And it's abhorrent to suggest this in any way would be excusable or understandable. A man was brutally raped and died.
Being worried about the slim chance of conviction for group sex, doesn't cut it. Please get a grip on some form of morality here.
skratakh@reddit
You're arguing with your own straw man so this is a waste of time, but let me simplify
'people choosing not to cooparate with the police is not an admission of guilt'
Toatkgstuff@reddit
The fact that there was cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis on the premises - enough to supply the party - is probably at least as relevant.
skratakh@reddit
depends, gross indecency maximum sentence was double that for possession of cocaine so it was considered a more severe crime than the drugs.
Toatkgstuff@reddit
How many times was that kind of gross indecency actually prosecuted? I can't imagine it happened often, it at all, in the era of Tony Blair.
skratakh@reddit
they were still prosecuting in 1998, like the case of the bolton 7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolton_7
still in the 100's per year as late as 2000
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c8d51ed915d6969f45ae8/crimestats.pdf
Toatkgstuff@reddit
fascinating, thank you
Delts28@reddit
It was 2000 that the law about acts having to be in private became unenforceable after the ECHR found against the UK in A.D.T. vs UK.
skratakh@reddit
this is true, but it was still on the books, even if unenforcible, until the 2003 sexual offences act.
R1ceKai@reddit
So what's stopping these men from communicating with the police now?
ambergriswoldo@reddit
Possibly as they could now be charged with withholding evidence if they’re aware of anything that could help the investigation
skratakh@reddit
no idea, just giving historical context for attitudes at the time.
Tuarangi@reddit
There were 5-6 people at that party, it's a joke they decided to all keep quiet, no way they didn't notice someone disappearing with Lubbock and coming back later alone and then didn't connect to why there was a body in the pool
Desperate-Drama-8211@reddit
I think your downplaying his popularity, he was massive, thinking back I remember my mum loved watching him , she was a huge fan and she couldn't even speak or understand English! He was beloved by the British public.
Mario_911@reddit
You are underselling his popularity. At his peak he was more like ant and Dec than Stephen mulhern
throwpayrollaway@reddit
I always found him a total chore to watch and unamusing. I take it that fans are/where the lowest common denominator idiots.
Streamliner85@reddit
Yeah, he was massive. In the days when there wasn't much choice on TV, he had his own game show Strike it Lucky, and his own chat/variety show. He kind of filled the gap between Brucie with the cheeky audience participation and Freddie Starr with taking it too far. Was married to his manager Cheryl I think, then went to a gay club in London and came out. Massive news, don't think it affected his career much. The Lubbock thing did for him. He's done docs since then I think, and was in a comedy drama thing where he played a version of himself, but don't know if that was before or after the pool incident. Didn't know he was getting massive on tiktok, cos I'm an adult and don't use it.
markusparkus75@reddit
I think he’s lucky to not be in jail.
Smashleigh_001@reddit
He’s a prick. I worked at the fringe on the show before his in a venue. We were short on staff and tight on time and when we were packing up our show and storing it all away (in a room he’d sit in), he’d watch us and make snarky comments.
I remember him saying to me on the second day ‘not getting any faster are you?’
I nearly asked him if he was still doing swimming lessons but refrained.
budgiebirdman@reddit
You should have said that.
Smashleigh_001@reddit
I was young and naive. And kinda needed to keep my job 😂
Extension_Sun_377@reddit
Would have made a brilliant story at your next interview though.
"Why did you leave your last position?" "Well......"
Smashleigh_001@reddit
So true! Maybe I’ll get that opportunity one day 😂
NobDeRiro@reddit
I hope you get the chance to work with him again just so you can say that absolute pearl of an insult, it’s too good to not say to him
Spank86@reddit
"Is that what your swimming instructor said"
Would have been legendary. You should never forgive yourself for listening to the angel on your shoulder instead of the devil.
Smashleigh_001@reddit
You’re so right hahaha. Maybe one day I’ll get the opportunity to say that to him since I still work on the industry (if he manages to claw back a career 😂)
EverybodySayin@reddit
My friend's mum was a waitress in a cafe in the 90s and served him once, she said he was a complete arsehole.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Omg! He sounds like a proper dickhead. Honestly, I’d have to restrain myself from saying something like that too. It’s almost too easy.
Superb-Ad-8823@reddit
I have never thought he was funny.
clrthrn@reddit
He was tried by the media a bit back in the day imo. There was a party at his house in the early 00s where someone drowned in the pool. He apparently fled the scene and let others sort it out. While morally wrong, the tabloids of the 80s/90s were another level today so to some extent, I understand why he acted as he did. These were the days when the papers hacked the phone of Milly Dowler for headlines. So Barrymore saw this guy had drowned, he legged it, there was no suggestions that Barrymore had a hand in the death but it was all a bit grubby. Then the papers got involved twisting/suggesting things so it all got really messed up. Barrymore was arrested but let go pretty quick but it destroyed his career. And here we all are, 25 years later, seeing him have a revival on TikTok. Personally I have no problem with him other than him being a bit of a telly prick (he's a natural born game show host) But he isn't Jimmy Saville, Ian Watkins or anything like that and nor should he be treated as such. He was living a fast life, at the top of his fame, and the wheels came off at speed.
Alternative_Week_117@reddit
There was a party at his house in the early 00s where someone drowned in the pool. After being violently raped, you missed that bit out.
cjalderman@reddit
The "after" is still up for debate, apparently...
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Yes, part of me goes back and forth between thinking the worst thing he did was not stay to help and put his own career ahead of helping the police and family and the other part wonders if he had more of a hand in it. But I really do think he was living the fast life (as you said) and using a lot of drugs and alcohol, having hooks up often and probably did not have the best people around him and that was probably the main mistake he made rather than hurting this man. When you’re famous and living like that it’s probably extremely easily to be taken advantage of by people posing as friends and boyfriend and not necessarily knowing people’s true intentions and behaviors.
NoraCharles91@reddit
I think it's important context just how homophobic the tabloids were in that era. There was a huge blurring of exposing actually immoral behaviour (ie. legging it when a guy drowned at your house, tying an escort to a radiator and beating him) and just general sneering at gay men -- innuendo-laden stories about "cottaging" and "bathhouses" and "Hampstead Heath" were all staples of the tabloids, with no public-interest motive at all. I don't think Barrymore was publicly out at the time.
rybnickifull@reddit
A few years before he'd stood on a table at the White Swan and bellowed "start spreading the news, I'm gay today" which is a funny way of not being publicly out. Though he later (after Lubbock's death) claimed to never have been gay and that it was his cruel ex wife who drove him to shag guys, so really he's just a scumbag.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Yes, I made a comment about that replying to another one so I’ll just paste it because it relates to what you’re saying,
“Yeah, I read that the media mainly focused on the sexuality aspect of what happened and rather than criticize someone for their actions (or lack of actions) they took it as an opportunity to be overly homophobic to him and the victim. It’s incredibly sad and it does a lot of harm by taking real interest away from the case and making someone a “bad guy” solely because of his sexuality, not because of what happened that night. The media used to be bloody awful, even as a kid I remember being confused why sexuality seemed to matter so much.”
It definitely took over the case.
No-Taro-6953@reddit
I remember it focusing on Stuart's sexuality more than barrymores.
It was portrayed that he'd kinda brought it on himself, because what do you expect when you take drugs at sex parties?
And if I remember correctly, there were allusions that Barrymore perpetuated this narrative to distract the public. It was just a sex party gone wrong, nothing to see here, all an accident. That's how I remember it to be honest.
No-Taro-6953@reddit
He absolutely was.
His narrative was that he was being targeted for being gay. I don't buy that, personally. I think his narcissistic personality shone through immediately.
And I think it's interesting that the pool thermometer (potential murder weapon) dissapared after he sent his agent/manager to his house.
No-Taro-6953@reddit
Channel 4 did an amazing documentary about 5/6 years ago.
It suggested that possibly Barrymore sent his agent/manager to fetch the pool thermometer. It was present in crime scene photos, he was allowed entry to the premises, and later when they realised it was a possible murder weapon, it had disappeared from the scene.
The documentary prompted the police to reopen the case if I recall correctly, which is why it's no longer viewable on C4.
Alive_Ice7937@reddit
Excellent description
LordSideQuest@reddit
Thats pretty much what I think, but can I correct a couple of things there?
They don't know the cause of death, he was found floating in a pool but they can't say that he drown because of the injuries and the drugs in his system. He could have drowned, but the Corroners report recorded an Open Verdict on the cause of death because they couldn't agree what killed him.
The idea that Barrymore 'legged it' isn't true either, I remember this being reported at the time, but it turned out to be a bit of false information the media got their teeth into before correcting themselves. IIRC (which I probably dont) someone reported that he'd left the house afterwards - meaning after the police and everyone were done and he didn't need to be there anymore, he went to stay somewhere else - and one paper picked this up as him running off to escape justice. Proably the Scum or the Daily Fail.
clrthrn@reddit
Thanks and happy to be corrected. The media monster was spinning stuff all over as well as his own PR people so it's easy to forget what really happened. I am more forgiving of people who lost their careers to stuff like this in the 90s and early 00s because of the press. Anyone who followed Levinson inquiry knows that half of what was reported back then was absolute mince or a fantasy built on a shred of reality. Plus the homophobia was rampant even as late as 2001.
saludpesetasamor@reddit
I feel like he was already broadly disliked in the UK before Stuart Lubbock (I used to work with him and didn’t think much of him as a person either). After, his ‘career’ was rightfully finished here. I had no idea he was even active anywhere else.
Able-Explanation7835@reddit
Oh yeah! If he offers you to go for a swim, run like Billyfuck!
Begum65@reddit
He was a HUGE star in the 90's, Gameshow host and many people loved him.
When all the controversy came out, it was pushed heavily by the media, because he was so well known.
At the end of the day, his likability is because he's a 'showman', his TV likability has switched to online and he's using the same things that made him so likable in the 90's to gain an audience that didn't live through the 90's gameshow Michael Barrymore and all the controversy.
He's likable because that is who he is. But there is still that feeling of his past for people who know about it. If his followers started looking into it they would probably not be as many following him.
They follow him for his showman side, his likable side, he's not putting his past out there. The same things that attracted people to their TV's in the 90's is what is attracting people to his online persona.
BarryMichaelmore@reddit
Never heard of him
DisastrousLawyer6782@reddit
He lives in devon and comes to Torquay which is where I live. People seem to like him he was found not guilty of all the charges relating to the death of Mr lubricant. I grew up watching him if I see him which I probably will I'l shake his hand and say top middle or bottom. Lets hope he don't say bottom lol.
smelltogetwell@reddit
Mr Lubricant? What a disgusting way to refer to man who was assaulted before his untimely death.
DisastrousLawyer6782@reddit
Oh dear lubbuck typo my apologies.
GruffScottishGuy@reddit
I recently watched a video that covers Barrymore immense popularity in his heyday by Stuart Millard, a UK youtuber who does amusing videos looking back on UK TV of the 90's, 80's and 70's. This one has a decidedly darker tone to it.
I never payed that much attention to him back when I was a kid, but looking back on the content on display it really does portray him as an insufferable prick. The interview neqr the start of the video with the daughter of the last woman to be hanged in the UK is the standout. She's clearly not in her right mind, either drunk, on drugs or possibly mental health issues and it's utterly painful to watch Barrymore prance about and take the piss while an elderly audience howls with laughter.
smelltogetwell@reddit
Thanks for the link. Never saw the interview with (presumably) Ruth Ellis's daughter.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Wow, Thankyou so much for this link, it looks really interesting. I’m going to watch it!
GruffScottishGuy@reddit
You're very welcome, I hope you like it. It was something of an eye opener for me who, like I said, didn't pay that much attention to him back when I was young. He was just another TV presenter type who we had dozens of back in the day. The only thing I really remembered about him was he presented a gameshow and the pool incident that ended his career.
incrediblepepsi@reddit
He's being mentioned a lot more since becoming famous on TikTok, there are several TikTok accounts who spend a lot of time commenting on his videos, posting self-made montages of footage (eg with him speaking to Savile on BB) implying the two were close, analysing video of his face in slow motion to try to demonstrate some theory or another about his personality, ostensibly to try to "raise awareness" of the Stuart Lubbock case. It's fair to say many of his followers are aware of the scandal.
His TV career was destroyed by Lubbock's death and he was not found to be responsible for the death. I remember the newspaper articles at the time, they were gleeful in exaggerating all the details and really honing in on his sexuality, painted him as a murderer before anything had been investigated, because it sells more papers.
No idea if he did it or not, suppose only those who were there actually know, and maybe not all of them, but dragging someone through the coals for decades when as far as i'm aware there's no evidence he was involved, not sure about that.
We have a criminal justice system and whilst it isn't perfect, he was not found to be responsible for Stuart's death. We rely on this system as part of our society, and yet for some it is not enough, but they would be frantic if they were accused of such a serious crime publicly, for decades, despite there being insufficient evidence they were involved.
When you have tv presenters who are never even reported to the police or investigated whilst all their colleagues are aware of their crimes towards children, and music artists with domestic violence convictions who sell out stadiums.
I can understand why the victims family, if they believe Barrymore to be the perpetrator, would find his recent increase in popularity to be upsetting. But it seems a bit of an odd fixation for anyone else to me.
Glad-Feature-2117@reddit
Not that I've thought about him in ages, but I never liked him, from well before the death of Stuart Lubbock. He was very unkind towards the members of the public in his shows - sneery and patronising; laughing at them, not with them. I couldn't stand him back then and was very pleased when he fell from grace. Shame he's making some sort of comeback.
Infamous_Tough_7320@reddit
Who?
forestboy1@reddit
Only pools and corpses
user-captain@reddit
I'm going to use that. Not sure where and when but the moment will come.
user-captain@reddit
I thought he might enjoy panto but he's already done aladin.
TheNinjaPixie@reddit
I always hated his fake persona but lived about 10 miles from his home at the time of Stuart Lubbock's death. It destroyed that man's family ever, and although I'm not sure he had anything to do with any assault, i do feel he knew more than he was saying but chose to protect someone rather than doing the right thing. Just my opinion, not based on anything more. Didn't like him then, don;t like him now.
spookythesquid@reddit
He’s weird/guilty and his TikTok presence is embarrassing
dogegg55@reddit
I find his YouTube content engaging, not convinced Reddit is a good snapshot of the general public
MinaZata@reddit
That's absolutely bizarre that Michael fucking Barryomore is a TikTok celeb. Really reinforces the concept of brain rot.
Bellatrixforqueen@reddit
Tell them to watch the documentary from about 5 years ago
Busy-Bee-4041@reddit
My girlfriend can’t stand him she forces me to scroll past his TikTok’s.
He was never found guilty, but something doesn’t add up.
Doomergeneration@reddit
Same, there’s something not quite right. His popularity now on social media I find bizarre, and the way he acts
Busy-Bee-4041@reddit
He’s definitely appealing to the younger generation with these so called ‘munchie’ runs!
JimmieSavsscumsock@reddit
Yeah because no gen x smokes weed. Pfff.
Busy-Bee-4041@reddit
Ye mar get’s high in the front garden
JimmieSavsscumsock@reddit
I'm high in my back garden!
Busy-Bee-4041@reddit
Well snap JimmieSavsscumsock
upadownpipe@reddit
I don't think there's anything for him to be found guilty of but he definitley know who should be found guilty
Busy-Bee-4041@reddit
I just remembered a clip of when he was on Come Dine With Me and he was a right t*at!!!!
Available_Drink3305@reddit
We don't think about him.
ActionBirbie@reddit
ITT: Hundreds of people making up their own version of what happened and getting upvotes based on salaciousness and not truthfulness.
An average Reddit thread I suppose.
Ok-Palpitation-5380@reddit
I’ll never forget “ Horrific anal injuries!” He tried to make out he couldn’t swim afterwards. He was on a yacht somewhere wearing a life jacket (ooh look at me, I can’t swim, in fact I’m so scared of water I need a life jacket) I couldn’t possibly have been anywhere near a swimming pool (in my own back garden) He definitely knows/was involved in what happened that night. A truly revolting human being. My thoughts are with Stuart Lubbock and his family 💙
RecognitionWestern86@reddit
Same. Ironically I had a location agent visit wanting to recreate the pool scene for a documentary. Erm, no thanks.
If someone was murdered in my house, with horrific anal injuries, I’d be cooperating fully with police enquiries so justice could be done. Not buggering off and removing key evidence from the scene.
It wasn’t some Beckham style mansion where guests could be some distance away, it was a modest house with a pool right next to the house. He knew exactly what went on that night and has chosen not to help Stuart’s parents get justice.
Quiet_surprise79@reddit
He's always creeped me out, even before that big news, but I don't feel like he's very relevant to people my age (mid 30s) or younger. Super weird that he's on Tiktok (I don't have it, thankfully).
I do find it extremely convenient for him that somehow, no one was convicted of Stuart Lubbock's murder.
blueroses8000@reddit
I did hear he had become big on TikTok and with Gen Z. They don’t know him as Michael Barrymore of TV, just a TikTok personality.
kerplunkerfish@reddit
Who?
Pukit@reddit
Some guy died in his pool in 2001 and he got away with it. Still unsolved.
weekedipie1@reddit
Just pool yer answers
Full-Suggestion-1320@reddit
His humour wasn't funny, he was mean and enjoyed making others the target of his supposedly humorous comments. I didn't like him before the scandal.
He and his guests at that party colluded so that nobody will ever know what happened to Stuart Lubbock.
mr_weathervane@reddit
He basically appealed to old ladies, all of whom will now be deceased.
Indyclone77@reddit
He prowled his audience like a predator ready to pounce on anyone to make himself feel better.
Full-Suggestion-1320@reddit
I totally agree, very well put.
common2222@reddit
I never liked comedians who sole line of comedy is insulting the person they are talking too.
BrokenZX81@reddit
He’s not doing panto this year …. He’s already done Aladdin…
Monkeyboogaloo@reddit
I think his social media stuff is pretty sad. While he has found an audience I suspect they are laughing at him rather than with him.
He is a broken man.
I actually quite enjoyed him on tv except the singing. But all that belongs in a different time.
ninja_tuna_91@reddit
I thought he was dead until seeing this post tbh.
Iforgotmypassword126@reddit
Most people think he’s a murderer of sorts. So they don’t give him any thought time.
Classic-Wafer-7838@reddit
I had never heard of him before he was on Celeb Big Brother, and remember my parents making snarky comments about swimming pools. He came across as a smug prick on that, and I don't think I've really thought of him since.
badula-yama-yama@reddit
Top, middle or bottom !
kernowjim@reddit
He killed a young man at his house by inserting a broken bottle up his anus. There's nothing to like.
HunkaMunkaHunkaMunka@reddit
I thought he was dead
MissingBothCufflinks@reddit
Didnt he drown a guy in a pool or something?
sunnyday74@reddit
He's "alright"
SplodgySplodge1@reddit
Barrymore was a massive tv star in the UK, and could actually be really funny. Then he held a pool party one night and in the morning one guy was found dead, bleeding from his arse. No one knows exactly what happened or who did what, and there's a fair chance that Barrymore wasn't even involved.
But that was the end of Barrymore's career.
Tuarangi@reddit
Barrymore (legally) wasn't involved, police cleared him and he successfully sued over the false arrest.
However I doubt very much he and the other guests don't know which one of them did it - in a party, someone goes away with Lubbock, comes back alone, dead body found in pool, doesn't take a genius to connect the dots
JimmieSavsscumsock@reddit
Drink and drug fuelled person drowned in a pool.
Shocking headline! Or, a normal day in any tourist place.
It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots at all.
Tuarangi@reddit
Person who never took drugs and was heavily anally assaulted causing severe internal bleeding which killed him yes
Indeed I agree, the dots being someone gay disappears with a straight man who has been drugged, comes back alone and said straight man is found in a pool with his boxers and pool towels covered in blood, while a pool room door and pool thermometer are removed from the scene. Wonder who could have anally assaulted the victim and chucked him in the pool to cover up the evidence?
No-Taro-6953@reddit
FYI he sued them and won on the basis of procedural grounds.
the properly briefed arresting officer was not the one who actually carried out the arrest. Courts accepted there were reasonable grounds to suspect him at the time.
Tuarangi@reddit
The original high court ruling confirmed he was unlawfully arrested as there wasn't reasonable grounds for the arresting officer to suspect him, that was the procedural grounds, Essex police argued that they did have yes but the case was still confirmed in Barrymore's favour just for nominal compensation not the £2.3m Barrymore wanted
Thenedslittlegirl@reddit
He knows what happened to Stuart Lubbock. No one can convince me he didn’t. He fled the scene and has kept his mouth shut ever since. That poor man was raped and died a terrible death and any attempt to rehabilitate Barrymore sickens me
No_Jellyfish_7695@reddit
I’m shocked he’s still around. I cannot stand him, nor Boy George
Mr_Bumcrest@reddit
I thought he was dead
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Honestly, me too until I saw he was a judge on The Voice and thought I must be confusing him for someone else. I was like no way they’ve got him on tv!
shortymcsteve@reddit
Wait, so do all the British shit heads end up on tv in Australia or what? I’m shocked to hear Barrymore has a following.
CMR1891@reddit
When you think about it, the continent is made up of hundreds of thousands of descendants of British criminals, so it kind of makes sense!
autofill-name@reddit
It's traditional!
JimmieSavsscumsock@reddit
Australia was made by exporting shit heads from Britain 😂😂
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Oh yeah, we also barely have anyone (apart from a few legends) who would be considered famous so we tend to rely on D- list celebrities for our shows like that.
InkedDoll1@reddit
Let's hope Tom Gleeson doesn't do anything dodgy! (I'm British, but a big fan of Hard Quiz and Taskmaster AU)
Responsible-Ad-1086@reddit
No that was his party guest
Mr_Bumcrest@reddit
Yeah knew that. Thought Barrymore had conked it too
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Oh god yes, Boy George. That was another moment where I had to kind of scratch my head about how on earth he was still doing interviews and tv shows in Australia after hearing about what happened.
Nolsoth@reddit
What did George do?
I vaguely remember him getting done for drug driving? I think.
Barrymore is a scunbag rapist for sure and should have zero public platform.
JimmieSavsscumsock@reddit
Barrymore put George out in the pool.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
He was found guilty of assaulting and the false imprisonment of a male escort. Horrendous.
SnooHabits8484@reddit
Handcuffed him to a radiator, not consensually
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Nolsoth@reddit
Jesus fucking wept.
Well that's another one I can happily blacklist.
MountainMuffin1980@reddit
"On 5 December 2008, Boy George was convicted in Snaresbrook Crown Court, London, of the April 2007 assault and false imprisonment of Audun Carlsen, a Norwegian model and male escort, who initially stood for a photography session with Boy George. Carlsen revealed that he had been handcuffed to a wall fixture and beaten with a metal chain during their next meeting. Boy George maintained that only the handcuffing was true and that he never beat Carlsen.[ "
Also a few people died of drug overdoses in his home. He was an addict too but still...
Nolsoth@reddit
Cheers for the PSA, there's been. So many of them over the last 40 years it's been hard to keep up.
WillWatsof@reddit
Why is Boy George catching strays?
upadownpipe@reddit
You've missed a lot ...
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Not sure if I’d call them strays.
OnlymyOP@reddit
It was a man who drowned at a drug fuelled party in Barrymore's home and it's claimed he essentially fled the scene if I recall...
I'd read somewhere he was trying to do something in tiktok....Either way Barrymore's career is dead in the UK. He tried a few times to resurrect it, but the man's death and his actions at the Party always rears it's ugly head as no one has been prosecuted for it (as far as I know!) .
Tuarangi@reddit
Stuart Lubbock was murdered at the party, Barrymore fled yes but he wasn't the killer, but I'd bet he knows who did it
NickKnock5@reddit
I heard a version of the incident where he died in the pool and to cover up the anal sex someone cleaned him and this is what caused the injuries.
Tuarangi@reddit
He was internally assaulted with something (believed to be a door handle or thermometer from the pool house of all things as these were not investigated and disappeared from the scene), his injury was not caused purely by anal sex, there was way too much damage
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Oh I’m sure people spanning from Millennial?-Boomer age are, I really haven’t asked anyone and my dad is not Australian so he’s got no bloody idea who he is. It’s just not something that’s really talked about here.
tobotic@reddit
I was born in 1980, so fit in that category. I grew up in Australia and moved to the UK in 1996. I personally had never heard of Barrymore until I moved to the UK. I don't think he was well-known in Australia at all.
This was in pre-Internet days (the Internet existed of course, but wasn't a big part of most people's lives; many didn't have access at home before the mid-90s) so most TV shows didn't have global reach. People could be hugely famous in one country while being almost unheard of elsewhere.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Of course, there’s a lot of people I have no idea about who are huge overseas. When I asked my mum she said he was a big deal and a popular talk show host but I do think part of her knowledge is having two British parents and mainly watching British media and keeping up with it more than your average Aussie would + spending time abroad. I think it’s probably a case by case basis and depends how much British Telly one watched. I’m pretty certain I recognized him from old VHS tapes my mum had of random tv shows lol.
Toatkgstuff@reddit
People like Barrymore crave the attention and the limelight.
They often try to rehabilitate their careers after these incidents are forgotten, and frequently use PR agents to build new fan bases.
If he's got some fame among a generation of people that enver knew him on television, then he's definitely paying for likes in one way or another.
alfa_omega@reddit
eeedeat@reddit
He's a great rapper
Millefeuille-coil@reddit
Don’t go to any of his swimming pool parties
imfinewithastraw@reddit
He was a national treasure until this instance. You will find half believe he’s innocent and half not. But he’s mostly completely forgotten in the uk by both sides.
Spl1t101@reddit
The only thing that matters is that he court of law determined that he's not guilty.
The whole guilty until you're innocent that is charaded around via the publics opinion needs to stop imo.
Before someone says, I know you're innocent until proven guilty.
hdhxuxufxufufiffif@reddit
That didn't happen, he was never tried for it.
LordSideQuest@reddit
He was arrested on suspicion of murder and then released without charge. I think they just meant that the legal position was that they don't think he killed him.
Commercial_Reward_78@reddit
That’s a massive logic leap. A suspect in any crime is arrested so they can be interviewed under caution. Being released without charge can be because there isn’t enough evidence for a realistic chance of conviction. “They don’t think he killed him” isn’t necessarily true and it certainly isn’t relevant.
LordSideQuest@reddit
Yeah absolutely. I was mostly commenting on what the previous person meant, though my language was sloppy too.
A better worded reply would have been to say I think as there wasn't sufficient evidence to charge him, he's technically innocent... with the innocent until proven guilty thing. Which is what I thought they meant.
JimmieSavsscumsock@reddit
He sued for wrongful arrest and won. So it was wrong to arrest him. So he wasn't in any way involved in any crime because he shouldn't have been arrested.
Right?
No-Taro-6953@reddit
Totally agree. There were a very limited selection of people it could have been (the party guests dispearsed through the night). And Barrymore was among them.
In my opinion, a few people likely contributed to the death of stuart.
There were suggestions (I can't remember if it came from a coroner's report or if it was suggested in the channel 4 documentary), that Stuart was held in a headlock, sexually assaulted with an object and possibly force fed drugs.
So in my opinion, that small group of people were likely all complicit to a degree and all colluded to feign ignorance/corroborate their stories. They all have a vested interest in upholding that story, and it makes it nigh on impossible to furthur the case.
It's a shame the police didn't treat the scene as suspicious immediately. It's a shame they allowed Barrymore's assistant access, and the subsequent dissapesrance of the suspected murder weapon. That small window to establish what happened to Stuart was lost because of their failings.
derpyfloofus@reddit
Didn’t he have a TV show once? Forgot the name, I think it was Only Pools and Corpses..
No-Taro-6953@reddit
I find it pretty distasteful to joke about this case.
It's easy to forget that a young man lost his life in horrific circumstances. His children have grown up without a father and have never gotten answers.
He was essentially victim blamed and mischaracterised as a hedonistic druggy, indirectly responsible for his own death - despite the fact there were no signs he engaged in consensual sex and there was a possibility he'd be forced to consume drugs.
His father died having fought as best he could for justice for Stuart, and noone ever gave him a reprieve. He suffered decades, not knowing how his son died, knowing it was likely a violent and horrible death, and that the people responsible never faced consequences.
He wasn't just a corpse in a pool. His name was Stuart Lubbock. He was a much loved son, brother and father. I was a child when this happened, and my heart still aches for what he suffered and for his family.
derpyfloofus@reddit
Looks like I’ve found myself on the wrong side of the humour police.
RIP Stuart and co silences to his family.
No-Taro-6953@reddit
I have a sense of humour as good as the best of them. But this young man has been cheated and wronged a dozen times over. So I think finding empathy in this situation is more important than looking for the humour.
wholesomechunk@reddit
No comment.
tobotic@reddit
To be honest, I wasn't aware he was even still alive. I thought he'd died, but I think I'm just mixing him up with Jeremy Beadle, who (I checked) did die nearly 20 years ago.
He was once one of the UK's biggest TV personalities.
The guy being found dead in his pool pretty much killed his career. Homophobia was probably a contributing factor: this was more than 20 years ago and homophobia was still pretty common. (I'm sure it's still pretty bad today too, though not compared to back then.) But no matter the genders involved, being strongly suspected of murder is realistically going to harm a celebrity's career.
JimmieSavsscumsock@reddit
I heard Jeremy Beadle had a small cock but on the other hand...
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I read that the media mainly focused on the sexuality aspect of what happened and rather than criticize someone for their actions (or lack of actions) they took it as an opportunity to be overly homophobic to him and the victim. It’s incredibly sad and it does a lot of harm by taking real interest away from the case and making someone a “bad guy” solely because of his sexuality, not because of what happened that night.
The media used to be bloody awful, even as a kid I remember being confused why sexuality seemed to matter so much.
necronomicoder@reddit
They found a man buggered to death in his pool. I don't think more needs to be said.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Stuart_Lubbock
Bruno241221@reddit
He’s very popular online.
You just get a knuckle dragger on EVERY occasion who makes a swimming pool joke on every post he makes and it’s boring as fuck.
ChadderyChad@reddit
My my partner sees him as the funny gay uncle with no kids at family parties and point blank refuses to acknowledge the party where a man was murdered. Loves his tiktoks. I think he let a man die in his home and chose to cover it up. We are in our 30s and did not watch barrymore growing up.
Etheria_system@reddit
Thought he was dead until a couple of years ago when I saw a video of him online. Don’t really think of him at all beyond that.
ServerLost@reddit
He's got a lot of questions to answer about that guy who drowned in his pool.
JonFromHR@reddit
Watched him on TV as a child, followed his whole career and all the media stuff. Love him
Fantastic_Recipe2740@reddit
Who?
LordvaderUK@reddit
Google Michael Barrymore swimming pool.
RepublicWarm2383@reddit
Other than the fact some poor guy was killed on his premises under extremely dubious circumstances one thing stands out to me.
When he was on celebrity big brother and they introduced a complete nobody, he fawned all over her stating "of course he knew who she was".
Exposed himself to the world as the total superficial fraud that he is.
trustmeimabuilder@reddit
He's just moved into my area of South Devon, and he's all over the local news websites etc, with his creepy grin. I think he was a shitty comedian and haven't really followed what happened at his party in detail, but assume he's not very nice guy.
MadamKitsune@reddit
Personally I never liked him even when he was at the top. He was an instant switch the channel face for me, preferably before he could even open his mouth. He made my skin prickly in a stranger danger kind of vibe and I hated the way his humour was of the "punch down on the contestant/audience member" type. For some reason the grannies loved him, even when he was mocking them to their face. I never understood it.
Temporary-Bread08@reddit
Thought he was dead
OverTheCandlestik@reddit
He knows what happened to Stuart, he’s complicit in the sexual assault and murder of a young man and he’s chosen to protect whoever did it. Scumbag
Strong_Roll5639@reddit
This is funny because a younger guy in work mentioned he has a whippet (I was talking about mine). I was shocked he even know who he was 😂 Tik Tok apparently
Milvusmilvus@reddit
Until he started showing back up on social media I hadn't thought about him for years. I always thought he was odious but am astonished at how little push back he's had and how young people seem to think he's a funny old grandpa or something when he was at best complicit in a coverup of Stuart Lubbock's death if not actually involved in what was done to him. Absolute loser of a human being and I hope it haunts him.
No-Taro-6953@reddit
Oh it doesn't haunt him. He's a narcissistic POS in my view.
The only thing that haunts him is his lack of career. He's desperate for attention, to be fawned over.
He's a vile piece of work. When off screen and not doing his stupid tiktoks, I imagine he's a sad, bitter, angry, lonely man.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Agreed, yes that’s the main thing I see too, everyone calling him their grandpa and saying how funny he is etc.
Zathral@reddit
Who?
hhfugrr3@reddit
I'm amazed to hear he's putting out tiktoks. hadn't thought about him in a long time. He was very popular untl that young lad turned up dead in his pool and all the stuff about his private life came out.
Neko-gao@reddit
He bummed a guy to death.
NoodleDoodlesocks@reddit
Honestly I didn't know he was still alive.
-mister_oddball-@reddit
Absolute wrong un.
No_Promotion_65@reddit
He was properly properly huge. The paul smith of his day. He sold out huge arenas and summer seasons. Watched by millions. And Lubbock happened and his career rightly stopped but he was so huge everybody past a certain age knows who he is
No-Taro-6953@reddit
I think he's a vile murderer and narcissist, personally.
Ok_Performance5378@reddit
Controversial take perhaps but innocent until proven guilty or justice would be arbitrary. I know questions remain but I wasn't there. Take the man as I find him he seems ok I sometimes watch his content
Toffeemade@reddit
There is a documentary that investigated the death of Stuart Lubbock, a young man whose unconscious body was found after a party at Barrymore's house in his swimming pool with 'traumatic injuries to the anus.' Because of the paucity of witnesses and their contradictory stories the documentary concluded that it may be impossible to ever know what events led to the man's death. This might be entirely unrelated to the reason Barrymore no longer has a public pofile in the UK. Personally I wouldn't touch him with a barge pole.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Unfortunately I agree we will probably never know what happened. I believe it’s been covered up by the people there and everyone’s kind of agreed to be silent about it. The police made a huge mistake by letting his assistant on the active crime scene, who ended up taking the pool thermometer and door handle which have never been recovered. Luckily they were at least photographed before that.
sbaldrick33@reddit
I am afraid I do t know who he is.
Do t yiu dare flag this reply, mods. This is a perfectly legitimate answer to this question.
TerpzArmy@reddit
We adore him. Most think he should be knighted but I’d go a step beyond and let him lead the country.
A man died taking drugs at a sex party and his family & the media needed a victim.
Barrymore is a national treasure now as a result. Just slightly above David Attenborough, but a bit below Jimmy Saville.
Commercial_Reward_78@reddit
I realise you find this all so amusing, but a man did lose his life in this incident. Hopefully his parents aren’t trawling Reddit looking for mentions of their son’s name. And no, I’m not a moral high-grounder… but once again, a man lost his life.
TerpzArmy@reddit
And their response was barraging a man publicly that wasn’t responsible
Commercial_Reward_78@reddit
A man who refused to assist with police enquiries.
TerpzArmy@reddit
As is his right as a British citizen.
Commercial_Reward_78@reddit
That’s quite correct, “No comment” is a completely legal answer in any police interview. However, not one I’d use if someone had died in my house and I had nothing to hide.
InevitableGreed@reddit
I don't think about him, why are you thinking about him??
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
You don’t know how to read?
kirwanm86@reddit
I've heard he is a great swimming teacher and an even better lifeguard.
AceusErin@reddit
I quite like him on TikTok tbh - I’m too young to know him from before. I also told my mum he was big on online and now she’s obsessed with his YouTube channel where he vlogs. He is popular online especially with young people I was surprised by these comments tbh
Zealousideal-Ad9280@reddit
Don't go to his pool party's, for fucks sake!
FluffyBunnyFlipFlops@reddit
I'm old enough to remember when he was on TV a lot. I haven't done a lot of research on the topic but from memory, it happened at his house, although there is no proof that he had anything to do with the assault and/or 'murder'. Whatever happened, it ruined his reputation and he has never been back in the limelight. I always thought he was a good entertainer. If you've seen the outtakes where he's doing crowd work, he seemed like a really nice guy.
oscarx-ray@reddit
He sang this banger, so he's tip notch in my eyes.
https://youtu.be/l_bIaF7P9WA?si=9fKC70YBAIfKLla6
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
No way, I’ll admit I clicked for the minute I read the Title because I didn’t want one of my favourite songs ruined😂
oscarx-ray@reddit
It's so cringeworthy that it's pure comedy, incapable of being taken seriously enough to ruin the real song - although the backing singers are genuinely very good.
LOTDT@reddit
Most don't really think about him. Only time I do is when we are joking about the time he tried it on with my mate in the Groucho Club a few years back.
QueenSashimi@reddit
I forgot he was alive. I think at some point I misremembered what happened and decided he'd drowned in his pool.
He's not really part of UK pop culture nowadays I think.
RopeOk7076@reddit
He knows precisely who raced that guy.
He is persona non grata in the UK.
Equal-Competition930@reddit
Strangely my late nan loved him and I never understood why. She never believe him guilty. I have watched both interviews on pier morgan and one on Jeremy kyle and the most recent documentary on five and still not sure . The one with Jeremy kyle does make sound more likeable than morgan one where he comes off self pitying . But just dont think we ever know truth of that terrible night. As for tiktok videos he just using power of naivety and memory to get attention. He loves attention maybe in memory of true victim and his family we should stop giving Micheal Barrymore what he craves
Spoonylingus@reddit
He got famous as a talentless prick doing impressions of another comedian (John Cheese, Ministry of silly walks). Then he got a show mocking people while pretending to support them. Absolutely despised him (can you tell? 🤣) long before the sex scandal.
RainbowPenguin1000@reddit
You’ve taken 2+2 and gotten 10 with some of these statements.
Stuart Lubbock did not did from “anal injuries”, he drowned.
This was at a party at Michael Barrymores house though.
Michael Barrymore was never charged with murder or anything like that. He was arrested and questioned but not charged. Barrymore later sued the police for wrongful arrest and won, he was to be paid out a “nominal fee” but he ended up withdrawing his case (for some reason).
The most likely scenario is Barrymore threw big extravagant drug fuelled parties with a lot of gay men around where they all got drunk and fooled about. At one of these parties someone unfortunately died and the media latched on to Barrymore as he was the host and the celebrity, effectively ending his career, but as I said above - he was never actually charged and never had to go to trial because there was no evidence he did anything more than get drunk/high and fool around, just like everyone at the party.
smoulderstoat@reddit
While Michael Heath, the pathologist who conducted Stuart Lubbock's post mortem, concluded that his cause of death was drowning, other pathologists did not agree. In January 2006 Heath volunteered to stop working as a Home Office pathologist after it was found that he had reached conclusions contrary to other pathologists on multiple occasions, and in June 2006 he was found by a disciplinary tribunal to have fallen below the standards required of pathologists. His evidence should be treated with extreme scepticism at the very least.
Presumably having suffered severe anal injuries and possibly been asphyxiated, he decided to go swimming.
The Court of Appeal ruled that he would only be entitled to a nominal sum because his wrongful arrest was no more than a technicality, and any losses he had suffered were not the fault of the Police. That is not exactly a resounding victory. We don't know why he discontinued his case, but the case was no longer worth the candle and far dwarfed by the costs, and it is not unusual for such cases to be settled in some way.
Commercial_Reward_78@reddit
On seeing Mr Lubbock’s body in the pool, Barrymore didn’t attempt to reach it or check for signs of life, claiming he was unable to swim.
RoyofBungay@reddit
The ex navy boys I worked with couldn’t stand to have him on board. Apparently too false and untrustworthy. They always, however, spoke highly of Jim Davidson, partly for his comedy and his respect and admiration for the armed forces.
Commercial_Reward_78@reddit
Jim Davidson had a long run of hits… of his wives’ and girlfriends’ faces.
Pedantichrist@reddit
I never really liked him that much, because most of his humour was focused on negative crowd work. I like generous humour on the whole.
Plus the whole death thing.
Prestigious_Emu6039@reddit
He enjoyed drugs and orgies which is normal for celebrities these days
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Nothing wrong with that lol, that’s definitely not where my judgement comes in.
fruitbat1994@reddit
90’s relic
JobAnxious2005@reddit
Hi Barry 👋🏿
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
If I was him I’d be writing a much nicer post than this, or not bring it up at all as he seems to block anyone who asks about it.
Commercial_Reward_78@reddit
In the US they call that “Taking the 5th.”
Gbrown546@reddit
Bad reputation. The death of Stuart Lubbock at his pool party and the post mortem showing he had horrific internal injuries suggests a cover up as nobody has ever been brought to justice.
He’s been forgotten about in the UK mainstream media and I’m amazed to see the following he has on TikTok
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Me too, I guess I was also surprised by the kind of videos he posted as they seemed very set to appeal to Gen Z. However 90% of people who post on TikTok, especially influencers just make whatever’s trendy and will get them the most fame + brand recognition. You really have to do some searching and tailor your TikTok to the kind of niche interests you have if you want to see anything worth while.
SupermarketCrafty329@reddit
Your first mistake was thinking people on TikTok are sane.
You excluded ofc ;)
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Oh I know, majority are not which is why I wanted to ask the average person. It’s actually really hard to have a normal conversation on TikTok, I don’t post on there (because who cares?) but had I posted this the comments would be completely different. There is no such thing as nuance on TikTok and there’s so much black and white thinking (which I definitely can get caught up in). So I appreciate those who realize not everything is definite and there is grey area in all things.
greetp@reddit
Nobody goes to his parties anymore.
Gauntlets28@reddit
I vaguely know the name, but I can't remember who he is. Some kind of ex-celebrity?
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Yes, he was a comedian and TV presenter. He was one of the highest paid entertainers throughout the 80s and 90s. I remember him from a VHS tape where he was a game show host.
strawberrypops@reddit
Can’t bear him, he was incredibly rude on Come Dine With Me.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
I’ve heard this a lot, especially when I looked up other posts about him. It seems like his kind of humor was poking fun at his guests and getting the audience to join in. Seems like kind of a shitty way to go about it. + yes, I’ve seen that come done with me episode bought up a few times. I’m definitely going to see if I kind find it on YouTube out of curiosity.
strawberrypops@reddit
Yeah, that’s very much his style. It’s all well and good when everyone’s laughing but he doesn’t seem to care when he crosses the line and causes genuine upset, he just keeps going with his schtick. Zero compassion.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
I hate that style of comedy and people like that. They care more about their appearance and appearing funny and cool to others than being a kind, decent person. I’m sure the fame also went to his head and didn’t help. I much prefer self-deprecating humor than making fun of others as it often crosses the line and can come off really cruel if it’s not done right.
Glittering-Knee9595@reddit
He was never found guilty and the whole thing wrecked his career.
I feel for the guy, and I think he just wants to live a quiet life away from the UK.
I quite like the guy tbh, he is funny and endearing so I understand why he has lots of fans.
Reminds me a bit of what happened to Michael Jackson. Your career and reputation can be destroyed and it’s hard to live life after that.
I am assuming that he was in fact innocent but of course we will never know.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
I understand that, completely. Honestly it is probably 10x better for me not to speculate since he was not found guilty but I just can’t help but think with only 9 people at the party, he at least knows something. I do not think he was the one who did the assault though. I don’t know I think I’d just try and help as much as I could if someone was found in my pool, in that state and not answer no comment to everything BUT he was a public figure and that does change things too. I’ve heard the media went absolutely crazy with talking about his & the victims sexuality and it kind of clouded the seriousness of what happened and they took this case as an easy way to be homophobic. It’s just super sad, I really hope his family gets justice.
limpingdba@reddit
He fled the scene, disposed of evidence and refused to cooperate with the investigation. Make of that what you will.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I’m trying to be nice and objective because I know people on Reddit tend to think more that way than by personal opinion (which is a good thing), but I personally think he absolutely knows what happened. I’m not sure how many people know those details, so I was trying to give a bit of grace and remember I do get quite upset about things like this happening, which can cloud judgement, but after watching the documentary, I personally wouldn’t call him innocent. My opinion and the court of law + facts are two extremely different things, so I’m not judging anyone for their opinion.
limpingdba@reddit
It's widely known he was at least involved in the cover up, and possibly even the incident itself. Hence why he's been pushed into absolute obscurity. Nobody in the entertainment industry wants to be involved with him anymore.
It does seem some people have either forgotten or overlooked this, hence he gets people defending him, because he was a great entertainer.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Yeah, is it true he went to the clinic the next day for a cut or issue with his genitalia? It was in the documentary and online but I’ve seen so many conflicting pieces of information about this case that I’m getting a bit confused.
RetroRegretso@reddit
I think he's a knobhead.
Silhouette_Sneezes@reddit
If you watch any of his old stuff on TV, you’ll realise he was actually a mean bully to his contestants all the time. He was cruel, and not funny. It’s mad he was as popular as he was.
I don’t know his role in the death of Stuart Lubbock, but I know he immediately fled the scene, refused to cooperate with police and the friends who were also there gave the police almost word-for-word identical accounts of events. The coroner’s report suggests that Lubbock’s injuries were not self inflicted and that they were inflicted upon him under duress.
At the very least, I’d say he knew exactly what happened. He certainly doesn’t deserve fame.
timeforknowledge@reddit
It's kinda sad what happened, last I heard he was working at a garden center
Tumeni1959@reddit
I can't recall the last time I saw him on TV, the case with the dead guy in the pool was years ago, a lot has happened elsewhere since then, so ... I don't actually "think" of him at all.
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Hence why I asked “when you hear his name”. I doubt anyone is thinking of him unless it’s bought up.
filbert94@reddit
Hang on he's alive?
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
This seems to be a common comment, lol. I’m not surprised either. I’m sure majority of people who saw his TikTok’s on their page were surprised too.
Empty_Bell_1942@reddit
Depends if you believe the homeowner is responsible for what occurs under their own roof. MB and a friend withdrew to another part of the house when they realised the random strangers they'd brought back were savages. He was known at the time in the gay clubs (usually a mixed crowd) for carousing with younger folk. He got off lightly on the whole; did he deserve to lose his career over it; yes, he should've acted sooner. Don't agree with your point about the female...just because Stuart was such a nice looking, perhaps vulnerable young man and of course what these criminals did to him was so horrific. The press here really went to town on the case. Do I think MB deserves a resurgence on soc-med currently, if that's what's happening? Sure, why not, he's paid dearly for his own foolish antics and/or partial culpability.
Nolberto78@reddit
If only his house guest had "got off lightly on the hole"
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
That’s very true. I just assumed having like 9 guests, half of which he knew or his boyfriend knew and 3 being women + his personal assistant coming over the next day and clearing up items such as the pool thermometer (which is believed to have been used) is convenient, doesn’t make for a whole lot of suspects and someone would’ve had to know,see or hear something. At the very least I believe he morally failed by replying no comment and not helping the families and police with information, after the family had begged him. I get being scared for your career but if someone who I bought over was found, in that state, in my home I’d really want to help the family as much as I could. But I guess none of us truly know how we would act in that situation and I’m sure fame adds a whole nother level. I just hope someone can help the police, one day. Honestly hearing about what that man went through made me feel sick.
Ryy86@reddit
Didn’t he drown 20 year ago must be an imposter
Lolabird2112@reddit
There was a lot of backlash. It really helps if you understand that when YOU watch something on any social media platform, it means YOU will see a “huge influx”. It has nothing to do with the rest of the world or how anyone feels about him. Same as just because you’re seeing comments like that doesn’t mean they’re genuine, or even real trolls looking to boost engagement and fan flames and not just bots.
justmoochin@reddit
Michael Barrymore was asked if he was going to star in pantomime this Christmas.
He replied: "No, I did Aladdin 2001 and I’ve never heard the end of it."
evenifihateit@reddit
I had forgotten he ever existed until I saw your post
peppermint_aero@reddit
Same, hadn't heard his name in a good 10-15 years
idreamofcuba@reddit (OP)
Oh I’m sure a lot of people have. If I hadn’t kept seeing him pop up on my TikTok I wouldn’t have remembered either.
SHalls17@reddit
Great guy but wouldn’t go to a pool party at his house
Mysterious_County154@reddit
never heard of him
socratic-meth@reddit
I wouldn’t go for a swim in his pool, that’s for sure.
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