English entertainer and television presenter Michael Barrymore was BOTD in 1952. Born Michael Parker in London to a working-class family, his father left the family home when he was 11. After leaving school, he worked as an entertainer in holiday camps, working his way up to chorus-line roles in West End theatre. He married dancer Cheryl Cocklin in 1976, who became his manager, facilitating his entry into light-entertainment television. After winning the talent show New Faces, he became a regular contestant on TV game shows, eventually headlining The Michael Barrymore Show in 1983. He leapfrogged between TV networks as the host of game shows Get Set, Go! and Strike It Rich, before landing his own variety show, Barrymore, in 1991. By the 1990s, he was one of the most popular and highest paid stars in British television. He spent many years struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, which was feverishly reported by the tabloid press, though retained his public popularity. In 1995, he appeared at the White Swan pub in East London and gave a (presumably drunken) impromptu performance, singing “Start spreading the news, I’m gay today” to the tune of New York, New York. After being widely reported in the tabloid press, he subsequently confirmed he was gay in a radio interview, and separated from Cocklin in 1996. Following a decline in ratings, Barrymore was cancelled, though was relaunched in 2000 to great success. In 2001, 31 year-old Stuart Lubbock was found dead in Barrymore’s swimming pool after a weekend party. An inquest found traces of alcohol and cocaine in Lubbock’s bloodstream, and anal injuries consistent with sexual assault. Barrymore and others were arrested on suspicion of murder but never charged; an inquest in 2002 reached an open verdict. The case created a media scandal, effectively ending Barrymore’s television career. In a bid to avoid media scrutiny, Barrymore and his partner Shaun Davis emigrated to New Zealand in 2003. He attempted a career revival in 2005 by appearing in TV reality show Celebrity Big Brother, publishing his memoir, the intriguingly-titled Awight Now: Setting the Record Straight, in 2006. Police investigations into Lubbock’s death continued for over 15 years, resulting in Barrymore unsuccessfully suing the Essex Police force for wrongful arrest. Various attempts to revive his television career have failed, though he found unexpected success on social network TikTok, amassing 3.6 million followers with banal videos of his post-celebrity life. His current relationship status is unknown.