Michael Barrymore, 73, 'could be earning £250k a year' after becoming unlikely TikTok star in shock comeback - two decades after pool tragedy
Michael Barrymore 'could be earning £250k a year' after becoming unlikely social media star in shock comeback.
Michael, 73, was previously one of the UK's top stars but his decades long career ended after the death of Stuart Lubbock in 2001 following a party at his Essex home.
The star lost his job at ITV shortly afterwards in 2003, and he was rarely seen again until he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in January 2006 - managing to finish in second place.
Yet he was plagued by another scandal five years when he later admitted possessing cocaine that was found in his pocket after police approached his car. A charge of being drunk and disorderly was withdrawn at the hearing.
Despite the incidents, Michael has become an unlikely icon for Gen Z and is now a well-loved TikToker and YouTube vlogger.
PR expert Lynn Carratt has estimated he could be making more than £250,000 a year, thanks to his clips and collaboration with Sports Direct that could have made him £1,500 alone.
A friend of Michael's told The Sun: 'Michael is having a great time. He lives to entertain people, and while he may not be getting the TV offers he once did, this way he gets to create his own content on his own terms.
'What started as a bit of a hobby online has now become a way of connecting with his fans again, flexing his funny bone and getting back to doing what he loves without the pressure and scrutiny that comes with being on the nation's TV screens every week.'
In 2001, Stuart Lubbock lost his life in suspicious circumstances following a party at Barrymore's home. The 31-year-old father of two had met Barrymore in a club that evening, and returned to his house with eight others.
He was found unresponsive in the pool, and pronounced dead later in hospital. A post-mortem examination showed he had suffered severe internal injuries, suggesting sexual assault. Police continue to believe he was raped and murdered.
Despite years of investigation, no one has ever been charged, and his family are no closer to knowing what happened.
Michael has always denied any knowledge of what happened.
Stuart's father Terry, who campaigned tirelessly for justice and was a thorn in Michael's side, died in 2021 from cancer.
He always believed that even if Barrymore, who fled the scene before police arrived, wasn't involved, he could have done more to bring closure to the family. Terry's dying wish was that the truth would one day emerge.
For many years it was assumed Barrymore's career had died along with Stuart Lubbock. Dropped by ITV because his 'brand' had become so toxic (it had been plagued by drug and alcohol issues even before the pool night).
There were a few attempts to regain the limelight, including an appearance on 2006's Big Brother and Dancing On Ice.
The quiet building of his TikTok brand began in 2022, when he started posting videos from his TV heyday, including clips from Kids Say The Funniest Things. His content has since evolved, making him hugely 'relevant'.
His fans see him as not just Uncle Michael (or even Grandpa Michael), but as one of their own.
Michael has amassed a whopping 3.6million followers and a gargantuan 198 million likes on TikTok.
Even Sabrina Carpenter is a fan - she reposted one of his videos, which led to him exclaiming: 'Gang I just woke up to find that Sabrina Carpenter knows I exist. I am fangirling so hard right now!!'
His followers are treated to daily videos about what he eats in a day, his outfits, mini vlogs and Labubu unboxings.
He says posting content on TikTok – which his fans see as 'wholesome' – is pretty much a full-time job.
There were rumours of a new partner (he was photographed in Barcelona with a handsome younger man), his new life in Spain didn't work out.
Michael announced last year he was quitting Britain and moving to Spain, but just six weeks later, he was almost weeping in his car, and declaring himself homesick.
Fans flocked to put a metaphorical arm around him, posting that he should just 'come home'.
One offered him her spare room, as one might to any stranger finding themselves suddenly homeless (kind but possibly not needed since the car he was in was his £75,000 Porsche Macan).
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