Stephen Fry admits he is anxious for friend King Charles after cancer diagnosis
Stephen Fry has praised King Charles for his transparency with his cancer diagnosis but admits he is “anxious” for the sovereign.
The 66-year-old actor and comedian is said to be a close friend to the royal and was personally invited to his coronation last year. Stephen, who himself battled prostate cancer in 2018, said his “very swift modernising” of the monarchy now includes “an openness about something as personal and indelicate as a cancer” following Monday evening's announcement from Buckingham Palace.
The King has postponed all public-facing duties, but is continuing with behind-the-scenes work on his red boxes of state papers. The Palace said he had chosen to share the news to “assist public understanding” for those around the world affected by the disease but stopped short of offering further detail.
The actor and comedian attended the King's coronation and is 'concerned' for his wellbeing (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)TV favourite Stephen, who six years ago said the disease was discovered after he visited his doctor for a flu jab, was speaking on the BBC’s Today Podcast earlier today. The former QI host stressed the importance of people talking about cancer and even compared it to Harry Potter.
He said: “I am anxious, of course – anxious for his wellbeing, and anxious that, having sort of been in the wings all this time and to have such a short time on centre stage, if he were to be seriously ill, would be really, really sad, because he has a lot to do and a lot he wants to do.
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“I think what he wants to do is good, is beneficial for the country and for the people he’s there to help. Cancer is sort of mushroom-like – in the dark it grows and it’s more dangerous when not exposed to the light. It’s a bit like the Voldemort principle in the Harry Potter books – if you’re afraid to say the name then the name has more power over you.”
Sharing a 12 minute video on his personal blog back in 2018, the then 60-year-old explained he has been missing from the public eye because he's been fighting for his health. Telling his millions of fans around the world, Stephen said: "For the last two months I’ve been in the throes of a rather unwelcome and unexpected adventure. I’m sorry I haven’t felt able to talk about it till now, but here I am explaining what has been going on."
Explaining the disease was discovered after he visited his doctor for a flu jab, he said blood tests from a health MOT revealed a raised level of prostate-specific antigen. He was referred to a specialist who ordered a transrectal biopsy and said it wasn't something he is keen to repeat.
"It's not an experience I would recommend to my worst enemy, it was really rather unpleasant feeling, like taking an ice core in the poles," he said. "And they took these two bits out of me just to be sure and the next day, it was 'yes, indeed, there is a cancer there. An adenocarcinoma."
The King is expected to return to London for "highly specialised" hospital treatment as an outpatient once a week, staying at his Clarence House home. The monarch is likely to return to Sandringham in Norfolk for the remainder of the week to rest and recuperate, it is understood. A source said: "Cancer treatment has come on in leaps and bounds in past years and are smarter than was the case previously. The efficacy and side effects are therefore significantly improved."
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