Inside Celebrity Traitors star Stephen Fry's health from on-stage fall to chronic pain

BBC fans who have been glued to watching the new series of Celebrity Traitors will know that one of the famous faces is none other than TV royalty Stephen Fry. The legendary comedian and actor is currently on the spin-off show, where 19 celebrities work together to sniff out the Traitors so that the Faithfuls can share the £100,000 prize money, which will be donated to a charity of their choice. His intelligence could offer him the ideal platform to outwit his fellow contestants, but away from his successful career, Stephen has experienced numerous health issues over the years.

In 2023, Stephen was rushed to the hospital with leg and rib injuries after he fell from a high stage at the CogX Festival in London's O2 Arena. At the time, the MailOnline reported Stephen had fallen "two metres to the floor" and "had to leave in a wheelchair".

Speaking to BBC Radio 2's Claudia Winkleman after he recovered, he said: "I was doing an event at the O2 Arena. I did my hour after delivering this lecture, turned to go off stage and didn't realise I was walking off a part stage where there was nothing but a six-foot drop onto concrete.

"I broke my right leg in a couple of places, my pelvis in four places, and a bunch of ribs. I'm now fine. I'm now without a stick. It's been fine so far, but I feel slightly self-conscious without the stick."

Stephen also admitted that he'd been offered to take OxyContin as a painkiller in the hospital. At first, he refused, but after speaking to his doctor, he later changed his mind in order to help speed up his recovery.

The TV star has also been candid about his chronic pain since the fall. Last year, he told Radio 4's Today programme that living with the condition "makes you afraid of basic movements".

"You almost call it a friend and say, 'It's okay, I know why you're there' and you're not a failure on the part of evolution, or God, or whatever you want to call nature," he said. He also revealed that his fall in 2023 left him needing constant physiotherapy.

Speaking to Proffesor Irene Tracey, he told her: "Are we wrong to believe that it's rather British to think that pain is something that should be endured?"

The 68-year-old also added he was now off medication and pain-free.

Celebrity Traitors can be streamed on BBC iPlayer.