Cheryl Barrymore as himself. Michael later wrote in his 2006 autobiography, "Awight Now: Setting the Record Straight", that Cheryl was a control freak who controlled his every movement including his clothes, and she had created the character that was "Michael Barrymore", which drove him to alcohol, drugs and gay affairs. After her split with Michael, Cheryl's health suffered. In 2003 she suffered a burst ulcer, and in late 2004 she was investigated for chronic fatigue syndrome, when she complained of feeling unwell. On 1 April 2005, she died, aged 55, at St John and St Elizabeth Hospital in St John's Wood, having
Gay Life (TV series) Gay Life (TV series) Gay Life was a television programme broadcast by London Weekend Television (LWT) in 1980 and 1981. It was produced by Michael Atwell at LWT's Minorities Unit and was the United Kingdom's LGBT television series. Gay himself, Atwell said that the programme could claim to be "the first time in the world that a major national TV company has given a whole series to gays". Three members of "Gay Life"'s production team were gay and Atwell said the staff felt that they were "in a sense trying to ride two horses – putting forward the gay viewpoint