There Was A Time Everything Barrymore Touched, Turned to Gold...

Michael Barrymore - Funny Acceptance Speech



Michael Barrymore at his peak here perhaps. Here he wins the "Best ITV Entertainment Presenter" award. There was no overall award for the category, only split between the 3 stations, of the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. Barrymore by this point, was well-loved and his antics, especially at award shows, became more and more outrageous. Here he rips out the monitor giving the autocue for the now household furniture of the awards show every year, Johnathan Ross. Did he go too far? Maybe, but this is the British Comedy Awards, where many outlandish shenanigans have transpired...the proprietor being usually drunk. The audience loved it. Basically you could say Barrymore, trying to be funny was basically trying to be a twat. Some of it could be known as insensitive, which is maybe why we don't sadly see the likes of him today after all the drama and allegations he has had from his wife Cheryl leaving him, then coming out as gay, then the party pool incident, and you know the rest! You kind of feel sorry for him, but at the same time, you're never quite sure...Is every bloody post about Barrymore going to end on this note!?

The British Comedy Awards has run annually since 1990, the first presentation by the-rather-more-straight-man Michael Parkinson or "Parky". Johnathan Ross has presented the show ever since bar one year - 2008- after the BBC Radio 2 controversy with Russell Brand. Angus Deayton was the replacement that year, but Ross came back for 2009. Various award titles had changed and chopped about over the years, but there's always a lifetime award to a comedy great. which is usually one of the highlights.

There's a plethora of controversial moments from these awards. We'll be seeing more of this here, on the blog. Another thing, the stage backdrop from 1995 and around the time was brilliant, hosting an ancient Greek outdoor setting.