Just watched the 'When Awards Shows Go Wrong' and Barrymore was on - marching someone out of the auditorium, and trashing Jonathan Ross's autocue machine.
I remember seeing him in a theatre way before he was famous, marching out someone off the front row who was clearly seriously embarrassed and upset. I thought then that he was an idiot, and destined for obscurity because he was so unfunny, and nasty.
Seeing him on this clips show, it reminded me what an utterly talentless nasty buffoon of a man he was - and the endless mystery to me of why anyone ever found him remotely amusing, or talented.
He ripped off a seriously poor Basil Fawlty impression as his main 'routine', and in the Awards show, he clearly thought people were having a pop at him for his recent 'coming out' as gay, by having his award presented by Dale Winton, an out-and-proud gay man.
That level of self-absorption just beggars belief, and although I was horrified by the circumstances, I was delighted when his career came to an abrupt end.
Anyone else share my extreme bafflement as to what anyone ever saw in him as an 'entertainer'?
I'm more baffled by your intense dislike. I can't remember what it was called but he was a totally brilliant host of that game show - really funny and really good with people. That was my impression. I feel quite sorry for him how things turned out (unless he played a part of course).
I agree, Andy. I could never see anything remotely likeable or funny in the man, but then I thought that about Bruce Forsyth too (to a slightly lesser extent).
While I could never be called a Barrymore fan, it should be remembered he appeared on the Royal Variety show at least 3 times, headlining it in 1993, so he cant have been that bad.
He was also one of the highest paid people on TV for a while.
Here are a couple of clips from him on the Royal Variety that show a simpler side of him, where he could entertain and make people laugh.
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (terrible film quality)
So he COULD entertain without being rude or going over the top, though I admit that some of his antics were the behaviour of a man high on drugs.
Barmaid - // "when his career came to an abrupt end". He probably took time out to help his new best friend GH deal with the loss of her daughter....... ;) //