Michael Barrymore claims he's been 'bashed and bullied' over Steven Lubbock's death

6 February 2020, 18:54

Michael Barrymore has insisted he had "nothing to do" with the death of Stuart Lubbock just hours before a documentary about the incident is aired.

Mr Lubbock was 31 when he was found dead in the former TV Presenter's pool at his then-home in Roydon, Essex, in March 2001.

There had been a pool party that night, attended by seven people.

Police have insisted Mr Lubbock was raped and murdered, and Mr Barrymore has always insisted he played no part in the death.

The two-hour programme, Barrymore: The Body in the Pool, will chart the police investigation and explain Mr Barrymore's attempts to regenerate his career in the years following the death.

It is set to air on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight.

In a video statement posted to Twitter, Mr Barrymore slammed producers for not including him in the show.

He said: "Channel 4 are refusing to show it to me or tell me what it is about.

"Anyone who wants to get to the truth of the matter should watch the ITV interview I did last year with Piers Morgan.

"He went into everything and left no stone unturned.

"The truth is, I have always done everything asked of me and I've co-operated with everyone.

"Essex Police's own QC has said that 'we know that Mr Barrymore has nothing to do with this and that there is no evidence linking him to the injuries on Mr Lubbock or the pool.

"I have had nothing to do with this whatsoever and yet I keep getting bashed and bullied by the media."

He added that he may comment on the matter further after he has seen the programme this evening.

Mr Lubbock's father, Terry Lubbock, earlier praised journalists for keeping the case in the public eye for so long.

Terry, 74, said he hoped the documentary would persuade someone who knows what happened to come forward.

"I could not have kept going all this time without the media," he said.

"Journalists have been great. They have never let this go.

"I don't think people understand how important journalists are. Journalists are as important as the police."

Last year, Barrymore spoke about Mr Lubbock's death.

He told Piers Morgan's ITV show, Life Stories, that he "couldn't be more sorry" and that he was "100% innocent".

Barrymore was arrested in 2007 but never charged with any offence.

He sued Essex Police and claimed that a wrongful arrest had cost him about £2.5 million in lost earnings.

But Court of Appeal judges concluded he should get nominal damages.