Stephen Fry returns from the brink as he reveals his cocaine addiction

Actor and comedian Stephen Fry revealed a harrowing incident from the early 90s, where he was left “minutes from death” after taking cocaine at a party.

This revelation comes as Fry recently became the fifth contestant banished from the BBC series Celebrity Traitors.

Fry’s co-writer from Blackadder, Ben Elton, shared the alarming details in his book What Have I Done?. He recounted how Fry was rushed to the hospital after he began to “wheeze” following cocaine use during a gathering in London. Elton described the scene as he struggled to get Fry up to hospital steps, where he eventually informed medical staff about the drug use.

Elton painted a grim picture of Fry’s condition, stating “He looked like a corpse—grey, translucent skin, seemingly no life left in his eyes”. He added that Fry’s breath resembled a death rattle and doctors warned that he was close to suffering permanent brain damage.

Fry has been open about his struggles with bipolar disorder and previously shared that he fled London to escape suicidal thoughts during a difficult period in his life. He expressed regret for the concern he caused others, reflecting on his state of mind at the time.

In 2023, Fry discussed how his childhood addiction to sugar served as a gateway to later substance abuse, including a decade long struggle with cocaine addiction. On John Cleese’s GB News show, he explained, “When I was a teenager, I had this vast empty hole in me that said, ‘Feed me, I need this sugar”.

Fry also revealed in his 2014 autobiography that he had used cocaine in various prestigious locations, including Buckingham Palace and the House of Lords, highlighting the extent of his addiction over the years.