Barrymore's ex pledges to tell all

Michael Barrymore's ex-wife is to tell everything she knows to police probing allegations that he lied to the coroner investigating the death of a man in the entertainer's swimming pool.

Cheryl Barrymore is to cooperate fully with the Essex police inquiry into her allegation that the television personality committed perjury when he told the inquest into Stuart Lubbock's death that he could not swim.

The pledge from Mrs Barrymore, who guided her husband's career for 20 years until he "came out" as homosexual, ending their marriage and business partnership, came as he left for a foreign holiday.

The 50-year-old star of shows including My Kind Of Music is understood to have started a two-week break to escape the growing controversy over his decision to invoke his right to silence at the inquest.

A source said: "He booked a holiday before the inquest began. He was obviously told that he should keep his head down."

Mr Lubbock was found floating in Barrymore's pool after a late-night party at his home in Roydon, Essex. He was suffering from severe internal injuries caused by a sexual assault and had high levels of alcohol, cocaine and ecstasy in his bloodstream, the inquest heard.