Cheryl Barrymore

Cheryl Barrymore was an English dancer and talent manager who rose to fame as the wife and manager of television presenter Michael Barrymore. She was born as Cheryl Carlisa Cocklin in London on 22 March 1950. She trained as a dancer and worked in the publicity department of EMI records between shows. She met Michael Barrymore in 1974 during a West End theatre show and married him two years later. She was the mastermind behind his meteoric rise to fame, helping him win a 1979 edition of New Faces and become one of the highest-paid stars on TV. She also managed other artists, including Rebecca Loos and Danniella Westbrook. However, her marriage with Michael was troubled by his problems with alcohol, drugs, gambling and depression. He also physically assaulted her at a hotel in Los Angeles, which led to her being placed on the "at risk" register by British police. In 1995, Michael publicly declared he was gay and left Cheryl without telling her first. She was so distraught that she had to be sedated and claimed that her menopause started at that moment. They divorced in 1997 and Cheryl published an autobiography titled Catch a Falling Star, which detailed their acrimonious split. She never recovered from the emotional turmoil and became a shadow of her former self. She died of lung cancer on 1 April 2005 at the age of 55. She refused any treatment and kept her condition secret from all but close family and friends. She also left instructions that her former husband should not be contacted or attend her funeral.