For those who do not know who he is - and most outside of Britain will not - Michael Barrymore was a generally well-loved television presenter and game show host in the 1980s and '90s, particularly by elderly women. In 1995, Barrymore publicly came out as homosexual after having led a double life away from his nineteen-year marriage to Cheryl, who was also his manager. The other Michael, who the public never saw, was a drug addict and alcoholic who had previously assaulted his wife, the police putting her on the at risk register. I still maintain that one of the causes of homosexuality is mind-altering drug use. After coming out, every on-camera joke and remark became about 'being gay', as it consumed his life, just as 99% of homosexuals become singularly consumed by this lifestyle choice. Everything was camped-up and over-the-top. Cheryl was repeatedly publicly embarrassed and an acrimonious divorce ensued. People began to switch off. Ratings dropped and his show Barrymore was eventually cancelled. Yet strangely, in spite of his drop in popularity, new vehicles were always found for him and he consistently won the National Television Award for Most Popular Entertainment Presenter until his depraved lifestyle got the better of him and public outrage ensured awarding him the prize was no longer justifiable.
