Michael Barrymore

Comedian, Television Presenter, Entertainer

English London, England

Quick Info

ProfessionComedian, Television Presenter, Entertainer
NationalityEnglish
Date of Birth04/05/1952
Age73 years
BirthplaceLondon, England

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Bio/Wiki

Full NameMichael Ciaran Parker
Stage NameMichael Barrymore
SummaryEnglish comedian and television presenter who became one of the UK's most popular TV stars in the 1980s and 1990s. Known for hosting game shows and variety entertainment programs, he achieved peak popularity with Strike It Lucky which attracted up to 20 million viewers.

Personal Life

BackgroundBorn to a working-class family in London. His mother was a song and dance entertainer; his father left the family when he was 11 years old.
Early CareerWorked as an entertainer in holiday camps and performed in chorus-line roles in West End theatre before television career.

Relationships & More

Sexual OrientationGay, publicly confirmed in radio interview

Family

SpouseCheryl Cocklin (married 1976, separated 1996, divorced 1997)

Career

Major Shows
  • The Michael Barrymore Show (1983)
  • Get Set, Go! (BBC game show)
  • Strike It Lucky/Strike It Rich (1986-1994, ITV)
  • Barrymore (1991-2002, variety show)
  • My Kind of Music (1998-2002)
  • Kids Say the Funniest Things
  • Bob Martin (2000-2001, comedy series)
  • Celebrity Big Brother (2006, runner-up)
  • Piers Morgan's Life Stories (2019)
AwardsWon National Television Award for Most Popular Entertainment Presenter five times, last in 2000
Peak PopularityVoted UK's favourite TV star multiple times; became one of the highest-paid TV stars
Career InterruptionStopped recording new shows for ITV after March 2001 following death of Stuart Lubbock in his swimming pool

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Won talent show New Faces early in career
2. Walked out of LWT contract after one series of The Michael Barrymore Show
3. Emigrated to New Zealand in 2003 to avoid media scrutiny
4. Published memoir titled Awight Now: Setting the Record Straight in 2006
5. Has over 100,000 Instagram followers
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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