Michael Barrymore was at the height of his fame in the early 2000s when a tragedy at his home saw him pull back from the limelight.
But in recent years the comedian has been enjoying a newfound fame with a different audience – becoming an unlikely icon for Gen Z after building up an impressive TikTok following.
And in his most recent post, Michael shared a bizarre clip of his weekly ‘munchies run’ as he popped to Lidl to buy sweets.
Taking to TikTok last month, Michael said his fans had previously shamed him for spending upwards of £100 on a simple snack so had decided to shop at Lidl instead.
After being left impressed by his basket full of chocolate, coming in at £40, Michael headed home to his London bungalow where he was greeted by his dog.
In a bizarre twist, Michael ended the video by saying he was going to ‘load up Fortnite, roll a J and break into it all’.
Michael Barrymore was at the height of his fame in the early 2000s when he pulled back from the limelight – but he has become an unlikely TikTok icon in recent years
In his most recent post, Michael shared a bizarre clip of his weekly ‘munchies run’ as he popped to Lidl to buy sweets
The ‘munchie run’ is a classic form of content for the former TV star, who in recent weeks has filmed himself at the likes of Marks and Spencer, Aldi, and an extortionate American sweet shop called Candy Logo.
The quiet building of his TikTok brand began in 2022, when he started posting videos from his TV heyday, including clips from Kids Say The Funniest Things. His content has since evolved, making him hugely ‘relevant’.
His fans see him as not just Uncle Michael (or even Grandpa Michael), but as one of their own.
His followers are treated to daily videos about what he is thinking, doing, wearing (mostly hoodies) and eating. No part of his life is too small to share.
He says posting content on TikTok – which his fans see as ‘wholesome’ – is pretty much a full-time job. Very popular are his restaurant reviews. When he’s not eating, he might be taking a ‘colour walk’ – a rainbow-themed I-spy game.
Last year was airborne – courtesy of a TikTok trend where users use camera trickery to blow themselves up, like a balloon.
To those not familiar with TikTok, a deep dive into his account is like stepping on to another planet because here he is adored, revered, worshipped – and not just on a Saturday night either, but on every day of the week.
Indeed, when Michael announced in 2024 he was quitting Britain and moving to Spain, his fans buckled up for the ride. Just six weeks later, however, he was almost weeping in his car, and declaring himself homesick.
Taking to TikTok last month, Michael said his fans had previously shamed him for spending upwards of £100 on a simple snack so had decided to shop at Lidl instead
After being left impressed by his basket full of chocolate, coming in at £40, Michael headed home to his London bungalow where he was greeted by his dog
In a bizarre twist, Michael ended the video by saying he was going to ‘load up Fortnite, roll a J and break into it all’
Fans flocked to put a metaphorical arm around him, posting that he should just ‘come home’. One offered him her spare room, as one might to any stranger finding themselves suddenly homeless (kind but possibly not needed since the car he was in was his £75,000 Porsche Macan).
Michael tells his TikTok fans that ‘no one watches TV any more’, and much of his content seems to be a blatant two-fingers up to mainstream media.
One of his management team pointed out his videos are watched by 10million people, some by 20million, ‘many times more than the ratings for the biggest Saturday night shows on ITV or BBC1’.
His team suggest Michael has been taking an interest in how another has-been TV legend, Noel Edmonds, has been planning a return to the spotlight – by filming his own reality show.
In his heyday, Michael had a lavish lifestyle, a millionaire mansion and a rumoured fleet of 14 cars. Those days are gone – but not missed he consistently tells his fans.
His company, Made by Dave Limited, has been dormant since 2021, when the balance sheet showed a liability of £29,000.
Michael Parker (his legal name) is sole director, but he has not filed any paperwork since the last confirmation statement dated April 2024.
Since 2009, it appears he has been living in a two-bedroomed flat in Acton, West London, bought for £360,000. It was put on the market in autumn of 2024 for £600,000 but earlier this month he knocked £125,000 off the asking price as it has not sold.
The quiet building of his TikTok brand began in 2022, when he started posting videos from his TV heyday
His followers are treated to daily videos about what he is thinking, doing, wearing (mostly hoodies) and eating
Although there were rumours of a new partner (he was photographed in Barcelona with a handsome younger man), his new life in Spain didn’t work out. TikTok footage in December is of a man who seemed broken.
By this point he had a new whippet puppy called Lara, on whom he (and his fans) dote. This video lays bare what a troubled man he still is.
‘You know what Lara, I’m a f***ing mess,’ he says in it. ‘I’m so homesick. I’m so insecure. I can’t bear self-pity and what do I do? Self-pity. I’ve been doing it for f****** ages. I’m tired. I don’t know how much more I can take. I’m surprised I haven’t had a panic attack. What a c***.’
Within days, Michael had returned to London.
There is only room in his flat for a selection of the trophies he collected when he was King of the Telly, but they are neatly arranged in a display cabinet nonetheless.
Some of his most gleeful TikTok posts show him being mobbed in the street, just as he was in the old days.
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