Michael Barrymore "could not be more sorry" about the death of Stuart Lubbock.
Michael Barrymore
The 'Strike It Lucky' presenter's career was left in tatters after he was arrested on suspicion of rape and murder after the man's lifeless body was found in his swimming pool in 2001 and he has now apologised for the tragedy because he he "f**ked up" and feels responsible for the incident because he invited people to his home for a party.
Speaking to Piers Morgan on an episode of 'Life Stories' that will air this weekend, he said: "I could not be more sad. I could not be more sorry that this event took place.
"It was at my house and they don't have all the answers to how he got these injuries. I could not be more sad or sorry if I have to be for the rest of my life.
"Of course it goes through my head and I want things different. I wish I could change it for them.
"I f***ed up. What more do you want? I f***ed up.
"I'm sorry. I could not be more sorry. I'm sorry for swearing. I do apologise. I've never swore in front of an audience.
"I was responsible for allowing people to come back to my house and to go out to the pool. All of them were . . . there were no children. Stuart was 31. You assume they was capable of looking after themselves."
But Michael insisted he doesn't feel "remorse" over the incident because he didn't do anything "horrific".
He said: "You know, some people say, 'You did not show any remorse.'
"But the word remorse applies to when you have actually done something horrific. So how do you show remorse?"
And the 67-year-old presenter slammed "idiots" in the local police force for the way they handled the investigation into Stuart's death and suggested they were responsible for the injuries on his body.
He said: "The idiots at Essex Police have been disgraceful with the way that they have dealt with this.
"I have not come on here to gain anything or to do anything other than to do the show. Stuart's gone. And that family deserve proper answers and the police have not completed their inquiries properly.
"One of their own officers said that he, when he was younger, jumped into a pool and had sustained exactly the same injuries. Essex Police weren't interested in listening to that.
"I think Stuart drowned. These injuries don't appear until 4.30pm the next afternoon.
"Suddenly eight hours later after he is pronounced dead these injuries appear. Well, where else do you go? It's the police."
While Stuart's dad Terry has previously requested a new inquest and said he was "totally disgusted" when Michael sued for wrongful arrest, the former 'My Kind of People' star insisted Terry has always been "charming" to him and even encouraged him to try and revive his TV career.
He said: "His dad, when I've met him three or four times now, has always been charming with me.
"Even more so when he realised that as time went on there were unanswered situations with Essex Police. I said, 'I thought you were going to punch me in the face and I would have quite happily taken it on the chin,' when we first met.
"After a period of time he has been nothing more than charming. In fact the last time at the court when I won the wrongful arrest case he said, 'It would be nice to get you back on the telly.'
"I said, 'Well let's not worry about that at the moment, eh?' "
Michael also admitted he had tried to take his own life while in rehab after the accident.
Asked how he tried to do it, he said: "Tablets."
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