After drink, drugs and a death at his home, Barrymore says his TV career is finished, and life for him is far from "awright".

Since the news broke on March 31 that a man had been found floating face down in Barrymore's pool, things have turned messy for the star. The man was 31 year-old Stuart Lubbock, a butcher's supervisor from Harlow, Essex. Lubbock had met Barrymore at a club and went back to the entertainer's mansion to party on. He was discovered in the pool hours later and taken to hospital where he was declared dead.

Fellow partygoers Justin Merrit and John Kenney (Barrymore's ex boyfriend) have been arrested on suspicion of murder. Tests revealing that Lubbock had taken ecstasy and cocaine shortly before his death led to Barrymore being arrested on suspicion of supplying and possessing drugs. All three men have been released on bail and ordered to report to police on August 15.

Born in Bermondsey, London, in 1952, Barrymore followed in the steps of his all-singing, all-dancing mother and pursued a career in show business. After starting out as a Butlin redcoat at the age of 15, Barrymore began playing the pub and club circuit.

After a short period as a television warm-up man, Barrymore broke it big, landing the gig of compere of a quiz show. Other prime-time programmes followed and in 1992 Barrymore was voted TV Personality of the Year.

But in spite of achieving the success he had sought, it soon became clear that Barrymore wasn't a happy man. In 1994, having pulled out of a TV commitment claiming exhaustion, Barrymore confessed to being an alcoholic and drug addict.

Then in 1995, after being spotted out on the scene, news began to leak that Barrymore was gay. After years of marriage to his manager, Cheryl, Barrymore was forced to fess up and come out. "I didn't sit down with a publicist and say: 'This is a campaign of how we are going to do it'. It was all arse about face. It all blew up, and then it had to be dealt with, " said Barrymore in an interview.

Although Barrymore had always feared that such a disclosure would end his career, his fans accepted his sexuality and the star remained as popular as ever. Having come out, Barrymore fell in love and married his boyfriend Shaun Davies in Hawaii in 1999. According to reports the couple planned to adopt children. But rather than settling down, Barrymore continued to party down.

Exacerbated by his lover's self-destructive behaviour, Davies left Barrymore in March. Barrymore went on to form a relationship with 31 year-old drag artist John Kenney. However, due to recent events, the relationship has come to an abrupt and public end.

In the meantime, the TV execs have issued the following statement: "Michael Barrymore remains under contract to LWT. No decision will be taken about his future work commitments while he his undergoing treatment."

Since being released on bail, Barrymore has gone to ground and checked into a rehab clinic in Arizona. He's been reported as saying he wants out of the spotlight. However, it will be impossible for him to escape the glare of publicity whilst the police continue their inquiries and the story continues to run.

Under the circumstances it seems increasingly unlikely that Barrymore will survive the onslaught from the press. The UK's favourite entertainer has become "the fallen star". Even Barrymore himself has said he's finished. His troubles, though, have only just begun.