Barrymore tipped for I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

TVscoop

It is a mystery to rival crop circles and UFOs – how on Earth did Michael Barrymore come second in Celebrity Big Brother? Whatever charms the disgraced TV star displayed in front of the Channel 4 cameras, ITV are hoping will help them to a ratings hit, having asked him to appear in their new series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!

Unless you’ve been living under a stone, it is well-known that Barrymore is currently on bail following his June arrest in connection with the suspicious death of Stuart Lubbock in his swimming pool. This might hinder his opportunity to enjoy bug showers, campfire sing-a-longs and teasing from Geordie scallywags Ant and Dec, with an ITV insider keen to avoid any perceived impropriety: “We have been talking to Barrymore because we think viewers would be attracted to hearing what he has to say in the jungle about his personal problems and all the trauma he’s had in his life. He opened up a great deal when he was in Celebrity Big Brother which is one of the reasons why he was so popular with viewers and almost won that programme. But it will all be scrapped if Barrymore is charged. There is no way ITV would go ahead with signing him on a contract if that happened. It simply would not be possible."

Such public discussions of the tragedy might appear in bad taste to some, and yet Lubbock’s father, Terry, is keen to look for that elusive silver lining: "In a way, I wouldn’t be totally unhappy, because all the while he remains high-profile it helps my campaign to get justice for Stuart’s death.” Though, he expresses astonishment at the popularity of Barrymore and a TV network’s willingness to work with him: "I find it incredible that anyone could even consider offering work to Barrymore at the moment. But nothing surprises me any more with him.”