Reality TV slot for Barrymore

The star talked about his future while he enjoyed a haircut and pedicure on the fly-on-the-wall show.

He revealed he had been asked to appear in a television drama but said he had not yet decided if he should accept the offer.

" There isn't a problem in the world that can't be sorted out "
Michael Barrymore

Barrymore's appearance on The Salon is one of his first forays back into television since the death of Stuart Lubbock, the 31-year-old who was found drowned in the star's swimming pool in March 2001.

Channel 4 has promised more celebrity appearances on The Salon, which features a fully working hairdressers and beauty parlour run by 11 full-time staff.

Barrymore's arrival was shown live on E4 and he fidgeted as he waited for his appointment with stylist Adee.

Asked by Adee why he had agreed to appear, Barrymore replied: "Because you asked me and I wasn't doing anything else.

He claimed to be considering a "great format" for a new show and said he would return to TV "when the time is right".

Barrymore added he was keeping himself busy in the absence of a TV career.

"There isn't a problem in the world that can't be sorted out," he said.

"There are a lot of things I can do apart from TV.

When the conversation turned to Barrymore's battle with alcoholism, the entertainer said he had been "clean and sober for 20 months" and was still attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Internal injuries

Barrymore recently said the support of the public had kept him from descending into a "pit of depression" after the death of Mr Lubbock.

Mr Lubbock was found floating in a swimming pool at Barrymore's Essex home and declared dead in hospital shortly afterwards.

The cause of his death has still not been established.

Police announced earlier this month they were launching a new investigation into Mr Lubbock's death.