Stephen Fry spoke about his time in prison as a teenager whilst opening up on the Celebrity Traitors this evening, admitting he was a ‘troubled child’
Sir Stephen Fry has opened up about his time in prison during the first episode of the Celebrity Traitors. When asked about his knighthood, the presenter branded himself a “troubled child” and spoke about his stint inside.
While on The Celebrity Traitors, Stephen, 68, was asked by Niko Omilana, a YouTuber, what it was like to be knighted. He responded: “My mother was there and given what a dreadful child I was – I went to prison and things like that – it was like this troubled child has been less of a disgrace.”
While Stephen’s presenting and acting career is well-known, his early life as a “dreadful child” is less publicised. However, he has previously discussed his prison spell on the Diary of a CEO podcast.
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He revealed that he felt “lost and adrift” and that led him down the path to prison. During his teenage years, he was expelled from numerous schools and by the age of 17, he was incarcerated for credit card fraud and sent to Pucklechurch Prison, now known as HMP Ashfield, near Bristol.
Stephen shared how he’d stolen a coat from a pub and realised there was a wallet with two credit cards in it inside. “They were very easy to fraudulently use,” he explained. He added that he began “embarking on a countrywide spending spree” before being apprehended by the police.
Despite the rough start, Stephen has built a successful career in the entertainment industry. Among others, the star has worked on the hit BBC comedy Blackadder, hosted quiz show QI, and been in The Hobbit series.
He was knighted earlier in the year by King Charles III for his work in three key areas, including environmental conservation, his charity work and mental health awareness.
Last year, Stephen reflected on being bipolar. He was diagnosed with the condition aged 37. The diagnosis was a moment of clarity for the star, who struggled with his mental health for years, surviving three suicide attempts. He called himself the “victim of my own moods”.
“I am the victim of my own moods, more than most people are perhaps, in as much as I have a condition which requires me to take medication so that I don’t get either too hyper or too depressed to the point of suicide.”
This is not Stephen’s only health battle. In 2018, Stephen battled prostate cancer and later spoke about how the long-term effects were harder than he anticipated.
He told Radio 4: “I wish that I’d known that it would take so long to get over it all. I don’t mean the actual physical recuperation and convalescence. I mean that it takes a long time to leave you, cancer.”
If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch
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