As we reported yesterday, QI host Stephen Fry took the brave step of revealing that he’d recently attempted suicide for a second time…

And today, it’s been further revealed that it was homophobic hatred that drove him to the act, which occurred in Africa while he was filming documentary, Stephen Fry — Out There.

Of Stephen’s second suicide attempt, a source close to the star said, “It was shocking to see what he had done but we knew that he had suffered from manic depression… Read more & comment »

It’s been revealed today that when comedian Stephen Fry attempted suicide for a second time, he very nearly managed it, and had he not been discovered in the nick of time, would’ve died.

Stephen apparently made the attempt on his life by downing vodka and “pills” as he struggled to cope with his bi-polar disorder.

Speaking to TV Biz, troubled Stephen explained, “It was a close run thing… Read more & comment »

Boxing Day is a very odd occasion and nobody quite knows what its about as it’s the day after you’ve opened all your presents but you’ve still got half tins of chocolate lying around and uneaten turkey to devour. It’s also an odd day in terms of TV as the big Christmas specials have been on the day before but at the same time it’s still too early to be airing new series so instead films and one-off dramas fill the majority of the airtime. One such drama is Doors Open, based on a novel by Ian Rankin, which is produced by Stephen Fry’s Sprout Pictures and stars the man himself as art historian Professor Robert Gissing.

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Stephen has a look at how new technology can help keep us fit and healthy. He road-tests some of the latest gym gadgets and gets a makeover from Amy Childs, from The Only Way Is Essex, using some weird and wonderful beauty devices.

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The bizarre British comedy, This Is Jinsy, is set to return to our Sky Atlantic screens next summer, and this time is set to star Inbetweeners star, Greg Davies, as a girl!

6ft 8in Davies is best known for playing bitter and resentful teacher, Mr Gilbert in the hugely popular lads comedy, The Inbetweeners, where he reigned sarcasm and punishment on sixth formers Jay (James Buckley), Will (Simon Bird), Simon (Joe Thomas) and Neil (Blake Harrison), as they made their way into adult life.
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A forgotten script for a biblical themed Blackadder has been unearthed, and will be featured in a new book about the show!

In the draft Rowan Atkinson famous character of Blackadder is an innkeeper, the innkeeper that offered Mary and Joseph accommodation for the night when baby Jesus was born.
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As of course you can’t fail to know, unless you’re headless and live in a land far, far away, today – and the three days preceding it – is all about the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee…

There has of course been almost wall-to-wall coverage of the various events that’ve taken place all around the country to celebrate the occasion, however, yesterday’s coverage by the BBC of the River Thames pageant has been branded “mind-numbingly tedious” by comedian Stephen Fry.

Of the BBC’s coverage, which was dogged by technical problems, Stephen wrote, “Has the BBC ever presented a more mind-numbingly tedious programme in its history?”

He then added, “Don’t get me wrong peeps, I’m not saying this in relation to ER II’s jubilee – just expected better of the beeb…” Read more & comment »

The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff Christmas Special is the first of a new four part comedy adventure set in the Dickensian world of Jedrington Secret-Past played by Robert Webb.

Jedrington is a fine, upstanding family man and the owner of The Old Shop of Stuff, Victorian London’s most successful purveyor of miscellaneous odd things.

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The BBC have today announced that they’ve lined up a star studded treat for us this Christmas, and have cast Stephen Fry, Victoria Wood, Christopher Eccleston, Sharon Horgan, Robert Sheehan and Aisling Loftus in a new adaptation of The Borrowers.

Set to be a 90 minute film, the story – which is an adaptation of Mary Norton’s original novels – will tell the story of Arrietty Clock (who’ll be played by Loftus) as a feisty teenaged Borrower who wants to explore the world beyond her hidden home.

However, her mum and dad, Pod and Homily Clock – who are played by Eccleston and Horgan respectively – are terrified of the world that’s above the floorboards, and especially of the ‘Human Beans’ who live there.

But when Arrietty makes friends with human James (Shaun Dooley) the lives of the Borrowers will change forever… Read more & comment »

Comedian and presenter Stephen Fry is taking on the role of God in a new BBC4 comedy which is entitled, ‘Holy Flying Circus’.

The show is based on the religious controversy that was caused by the Monty Python movie ‘Life of Brian’, which took an irreverent look at the life of Jesus Christ.

Many of the characters and actors from the original film will also crop up in the new show which as Darren Boyd playing John Cleese, Steve Punt as Eric Idle and Charles
Edwards will be Michael Palin.

Richard Klein, head of BBC4, said: “This is a smart and witty take on both the nature of censorship and the world of Monty Python.”

The show will also feature a re-enactment of a TV debate between John Cleese, Michael Palin and members of the Church of England, and will be aired in autumn. Read more & comment »

Stephen Fry, Victoria Wood, and Christopher Eccleston have been cast to star in The Borrowers alongside Robbie Sheehan (Misfits), Aisling Loftus (Dive), Sharon Horgan (Free Agents, Pulling) and Shaun Dooley (Exile, South Riding) in an action-packed adventure film for all the family on BBC One this Christmas.

Written by Ben Vanstone (Merlin, EastEnders) and produced by Working Title Television, the 90-minute film is an adaptation of Mary Norton’s classic children’s books that brings the world of the tiny Borrowers who live under our floorboards into the 21st century.

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Stephen Fry has admitted that he “may well” kill himself one day.

The comic actor and presenter has always admitted to suffering from bipolar disorder, and has claimed that people don’t realise how serious the disease is and how much it affects the lives of those living with it.

He said: “It’s a morbid condition and any doctor will tell you it is one of the most serious morbid conditions that is present in Britain.
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Stars have started paying tributes to Doctor Who’ star Elisabeth Sladen, who passed away last night.

The 63-year-old actress died after a protracted battle with cancer, leaving behind husband Brian Miller and their 26-year-old daughter Sadie. The star shot to fame as assistant Sarah Jane Smith in the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who from 1973 to 1976 alongside Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. She later went on to star in CBBC spinoff show The Sarah Jane Chronicles.

‘Doctor Who’ writer and creator of ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’ spin-off show – which Elisabeth also starred in – Russell T Davies led the tributes, saying: “I absolutely loved Lis. She was funny and cheeky and clever and just simply wonderful.”

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Thirty years ago Fry and Laurie met for the first time at Cambridge, introduced by their mutual friend Emma Thompson and comedy history was made.

Stephen is a national treasure and the epitome of a polymath with his staggering output ranging from acting (Wilde, Kingdom, Blackadder, Bones) to directing (Bright Young Things) to writing (The Liar, Making History) to voicing (the Harry Potter books) to presenting (Stephen Fry in America, Qi, Sorry I haven’t a Clue) and he is now of course Twitterer supreme. Hugh Laurie stars as Gregory House in the global hit TV series House, as well as finding time to fit in Hollywood movies, voiceovers for major cartoons, comedy, music and to write best selling novel The Gun Seller.

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In Planet Word, a five-part series on language for BBC Two, Stephen Fry dissects language in all its guises with his inimitable mixture of learning, love of lexicon and humour.

From the cutting-edge of linguistic research to the glories of world literature, Stephen analyses how we use and abuse language, corral it for good and bad, and seeks out whether we are anywhere near to beginning to understand the complexities of its DNA.

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