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Michael Barrymore discovered kids aren’t the only ones who say the funniest things after calling into an off-licence for a packet of cigarettes on Tuesday.
The former TV presenter found himself embroiled in an increasingly heated argument with a local shopkeeper after being told the law prohibited them from selling him more than two packets at a time.
Barrymore, 73, was incensed after his request for four packets of Silk Cut purple were refused due to previously unheard of restrictions on the sale of tobacco.
‘I was in Tesco the other day and I bought five in one go,’ replied an agitated Barrymore while filming the exchange.
Currently there is no UK law that prohibits the amount of cigarettes an individual can purchase at one time, provided they are of legal age and the cigarettes are purchased in unopened original packaging.
Evidently stewing on the refusal, Barrymore soon returned to the shop for a second confrontation with the manager, this time drawing a small crowd who recognised the former TV star from his glory days on shows such as Strike It Lucky and My Kind Of People.
‘Who doesn’t allow it?’ he demanded. ‘Who made the rule? There is no rule that I can buy ten packets of cigarettes, why won’t you sell me four?’
Turning to a spectator for support, the exasperated star said: ‘Can you believe it? I’m a little bit excited at the moment. What the f***ing hell’s this all about? Absolute bulls**t. Can you believe it?’
The heated exchange, which took place in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, was subsequently posted by Barrymore on TikTok – where it has so far attracted more than 8,100 views.
And followers were quick to side with the former TV personality.
One joked: ‘Beef with the boss man,’ while another quipped: ‘Think they mistaken cigs for paracetamol.’
Elsewhere, a third wrote: ‘You stand your ground Michael! Do they know who you are?!’
While a fourth correctly stated: ‘There is no such law about buying in bulk.’
The fallen presenter was previously one of Britain’s best paid stars but his decades long career ended after the mysterious death of Stuart Lubbock during a party at his Essex home in 2001.
Barrymore was rarely seen again until he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in January 2006 – where he managed to finish in second place.
A series of career revival attempts followed but they were often overshadowed by the ongoing investigation into the death of Lubbock.
Between that year and 2019, Barrymore and others were arrested and questioned on multiple occasions.
No charges were ever filed and the star ultimately sued Essex Police for wrongful arrest, although he dropped his compensation claim of £2.4m after a court ruled he was due ‘nominal’ damages.
But the TV personality has been taking his career back into his own hands by building a loyal fan base on the social media app TikTok.
He is no stranger to the stage, having performed sell-out shows before his career collapsed in 2001 when Lubbock was found dead in the swimming pool of his Essex mansion after the star hosted a late-night party.
He has always denied any knowledge of what happened.
The performer has now amassed 3.1 million followers on TikTok, where his bio reads: ‘This is a very happy place to be…’
