Publicist hopes Michael Barrymore documentary will help shed light on pool death

By Brian Farmer, PA

A publicist at the centre of a justice campaign for a man found dead in entertainer Michael Barrymore’s swimming pool two decades ago hopes a new Channel 5 documentary will encourage witnesses to come forward.

Michael Barrymore: Rise & Fall Of Mr Saturday Night is due to air at 9pm on Saturday – more than 22 years after Stuart Lubbock, 31, was found dead at the entertainer’s then-home in Roydon, Essex.

Publicist Harry Cichy, who helped Mr Lubbock’s father Terry Lubbock campaign to unearth the truth about the death, welcomed the documentary and said he hopes it will help generate information.

“I welcome all publicity about Stuart’s death because I think it helps keep the pressure on,” Mr Cichy told the PA news agency.

“Hopefully this documentary will lead to new witnesses coming forward.”

He added: “Someone knows what happened to Stuart Lubbock.

“We can only hope that someone will come forward and tell police what they know.

“I would urge anyone who knows anything to contact the police.”

A post-mortem examination showed Mr Lubbock, who died in March 2001, had suffered severe internal injuries which suggested he had been sexually assaulted.

Alcohol, ecstasy and cocaine were found in his bloodstream.

A coroner recorded an open verdict.

Terry Lubbock, a retired toolmaker who lived in Harlow, Essex, died in September 2021 aged 76 after being diagnosed with cancer.

He had mounted a 20-year campaign for justice and made a “final appeal” for witnesses to come forward a few months before dying.

The new documentary will feature an interview with Stuart Lubbock’s brother Kevin Lubbock, Channel 5 said.

Barrymore, now 71, was arrested in 2007 but never charged with any offence.

He subsequently sued Essex Police, claiming his wrongful arrest had cost him about £2.5 million in lost earnings, but Court of Appeal judges concluded he should receive nominal damages.