England won their first Test match against India with a sensational five-wicket score in the title match, reaching a target of 371 – the 10th most successful run chase in Test history.
England appeared to be cruising to a dramatic victory on Tuesday after turning the cricket match on its head at Headingley after India had won by 430-3 in their opening test match.
At lunch, Duckett and Crawley’s opening duo 117-0 eased their side into the break.
Before Crawley fell for 65, Duckett continued his impressive form with four more victories under the covers to reach his sixth Test hundred.
The second-highest opening fourth-innings partnership between England and England in Tests was 188-runs.
India was reintroduced into the thrilling contest by Harry Brook and Duckett taking two wickets in two balls. England’s chances of winning were pampered by the fact that Ben Stokes had to fall for 33 in a desperate reverse sweep.
[Clive Mason/Getty Images] Joe Root and Jamie Smith of England celebrate their first Test victory.
With the former skipper and Jamie Smith hitting a six in the opening match to bring England home after scoring five centuries in the match, India somehow managed to start the five-test series in disarray. Joe Root’s unbeaten 53 eased the nerves around his home ground.
What a Test match, that is unbelievable. We had a lot of runs, Duckett said, and the weather was perfect. I can’t come up with words.
We only had to look at the scoreboard to determine whether or not to bat the overs. The breaks in the game kept us calm during times when I thought about switching gears.
It’s important for us to win this series by opening it up with a score of 1-0. In the dressing room, there was a sense of calm. It’s relatively simple to be calm when Root is present.
Crawley and Duckett took 99 balls to increase their 50 partnership, which is the longest the pair have ever had for England, before raising the stakes at day five, which was unusual for a team known for its ultra-aggressive batting, before going back on 21-0.
When first-innings centurion Ollie Pope quickly followed Crawley back to the pavilion midway through the afternoon session, the number three falling to Prasidh Krishna’s next victim in back-to-back overs, there was a slight concern for England.
[Clive Mason/Getty Images] Harry Brook of England was dismissed for 99 off Prasidh Krishna’s bowling.
However, Duckett continued to add runs quickly before attempting one big shot too many, falling to Shardul Thakur for 149, the second-highest score in an English opener’s fourth-innings.
It has been 15 years since an England opener last scored a fourth-innings hundred, Alastair Cook at Mirpur in 2010, so Duckett’s contribution is unquestionable in such a pressurized setting.
When Brook left for a golden duck, two in two balls for Thakur, and England’s edgy appearance, a few more frights followed.
After drinking tea, Root and Smith both dug in, stopped offering up chances, and scored the runs needed, with Smith completing a remarkable victory in style. Stokes was left shaking his head as he fell to Ravindra Jadeja shortly after.
India ultimately lost due to numerous dropped catches and two batting collapses. The final seven wickets were lost by them for just 41 runs, with the tail crumbling once more in the second innings. The final six wickets totaled 31 runs as a result of their 430-3 defeat.
England’s Ollie Pope bats from a Prasidh Krishna delivery [George Wood/Getty Images]
For the first time in cricket history has a team managed five centuries in a single Test and not triumphed, and it’s also the first time six batsmen have joined them in a match that included three ducks-for-ducks in each innings.
India’s captain Shubman Gill said, “We had our chances.” I’m proud that we lost a few dropped catches and that the lower order didn’t contribute as much as we would have liked, but that’s okay. Our young team is developing.
In this match, it simply didn’t go our way. In the upcoming matches, we must correct [the batting collapses].
With their aggressive approach, even if it has been toned down and refined, allowing England to achieve their second-highest run chase in Test history, the team could not have gotten off to a more promising start as they approached the Ashes later this year.
A whistleblower complaint was released by a former US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyer, accusing officials of purposefully disregarding court orders that might impede US President Donald Trump’s campaign for mass deportation.
A 35-page letter of complaint was submitted on Tuesday by Erez Reuveni’s lawyers detailing his accusations against the Trump administration.
In addition to defending Trump’s efforts to arrest and deport non-citizens quickly, a process that has raised concerns about rights violations, it provides a look at the debates and divisions that are taking place in the Justice Department.
According to the letter, members of the Trump administration “have engaged in unlawful activity, abused their authority, [and] have [created] a significant and specific threat to health and safety.”
In consequence, it states that “Mr. Reuveni is exercising his rights to report wrongdoing.”
The letter addressed the inspector general for the Justice Department, who investigates allegations of misconduct within the bureau, as well as to members of Congress. In April, Reuveni was ultimately fired.
Emil Bove, who formerly represented Trump’s personal lawyer, is one of the prominent figures in his allegations. Last year, Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business documents in New York, and he was able to assist in defending him against criminal charges.
Bove has since been included in Trump’s second term as president. Bove served as the Justice Department’s acting attorney general for the first three months of Trump’s term. Additionally, he will be a judge for the US Third Circuit Court of Appeals until this week when he is subject to a Senate confirmation hearing.
Scrutiny on deportation flights
One incident allegedly occurred on March 14 as Trump considered whether to implement the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a law passed during World War II, to facilitate prompt evictions from the nation.
Bove told Justice Department attorneys that Trump would soon sign an order to invoke the law, which had only been used three times in US history, all during wartime.
Bove added that people would soon be deported under the authority of the law if planes took off soon.
However, Bove anticipated court-imposed retaliation, Reuveni said. He claimed that Bove “would need to consider telling the courts ‘f*** you'” and that Bove “stressed to all in attendance that the planes needed to take off no matter what.”
Reuveni observed “awkward, nervous glances” among his colleagues, and the room turned silent.
According to Mr. Reuveni, Bove’s statement shocked him because, to his knowledge, no one in the DOJ leadership, especially in the “f*** you,” had ever suggested that the Department of Justice could flagrantly disregard court orders.
The Justice Department’s government clients were instructed to follow court orders and not ignore them, according to the statement.
A US district court led by Judge James Boasberg argued the government’s use of the Alien Enemies Act the day before, on March 15.
A senior Justice Department official denied knowing whether any deportation flights were about to begin when Boasberg questioned him. Reuveni claimed that was false in his complaint.
In the following day, Boasberg issued a court injunction that forbade any US aircraft from deporting people in violation of the Alien Enemies Act.
Reuveni claimed to have repeatedly emailed the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to check that their actions followed Boasberg’s orders. He claimed that he had not received a response.
The Terrorism Confinement Centre, or CECOT, is where hundreds of deported immigrants are housed in.
The complaint states that “Mr. Reuveni anticipated that the government would be held in contempt of court for deplaning the passengers on the flight.”
Although an appeals court has temporarily halted the investigation, Boasberg has since stated that he has found probable cause for contempt from the Trump administration.
Inside the Abrego Garcia case
Reuveni claimed in a second instance detailed in the complaint that he had been told to “stop asking questions” after warning the Trump administration that it might be violating another court injunction.
Reuveni claimed that he was given advice to “communicate by phone only where possible,” presumably to avoid leaving a paper trail.
Reuveni’s involvement in the well-known case of Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was granted a protection order to stay in the US, is revealed in a third episode of the complaint.
Abrego Garcia was deported on March 15 despite what officials claimed was an “administrative error.”
Abrego Garcia was charged with joining a gang, MS-13, despite the Trump administration’s defense of its actions.
The Trump administration kept Abrego Garcia in Salvadoran custody for more than two months despite a Supreme Court order that was upheld in order to “facilitate” his return. On the premise that he would face criminal charges for human trafficking, it only returned him to the US on June 6.
Reuveni claimed in the complaint that he initially anticipated Abrego Garcia’s return to the US would be “straightforward.”
Then, he claimed that he had been stonewalled and that he should “cease making requests” and “stop asking for facts to support any possible defense of the case.” Additionally, El Salvador’s government’s “asks” were for him to be abstained.
Reuveni later made headlines after claiming in court that Abrego Garcia should not have been expunged. He added that Paula Xinis, the judge in the case, did not provide “satisfactory” responses to questions.
The Trump administration saw that as a blackout.
Reuveni’s boss was reportedly asked by the court’s administrator why he didn’t deny that Abrego Garcia was a member of a terrorist organization during the hearing behind closed doors. Reuveni responded that the government had not provided evidence or briefs to back up that claim.
Reuveni reportedly said he could not sign the appeal because the allegations “weren’t supported by law or the record” when the Trump administration circulated it on April 4.
The complaint stated that “Mr. Reuveni responded, “I didn’t sign up to lie.”
fallout in the workplace
After nearly 15 years of service, Reuveni was terminated from his position with the Justice Department on April 11.
Attorney General Pam Bondi was charged at the time with acting illiberally against the law, as is customary of a government lawyer. Reuveni’s complaint disputes that assertion, though.
It states that “a significant part of the legal profession is to discourage clients from engaging in illegal behavior.” Mr. Reuveni attempted to do so, but was thwarted, threatened, fired, and publicly disparaged for both acting legally and telling the truth in court.
Reuveni’s work on immigration policy was previously rated as “stellar,” according to the complaint, which included those that were given to him during Trump’s first term.
Members of the Trump administration attempted to substantiate Reuveni’s claims as those of a “disgruntled former employee” as the news of the complaint spread in the US media.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement on social media that “I was present at the meeting described in the article and never did anyone suggest that a court order should not be followed.”
He accused Reuveni and other media outlets of trying to sabotage Bove’s chances of being elected as a circuit court judge, including The New York Times, which published a copy of Reuveni’s complaint.
He remarked, “This journalism is disgusting.” We have come to expect false hits from the media the day before a confirmation hearing, but doing so does not mean it should be tolerated.
Democrats, in contrast, seized the complaint as proof of Trump administration malfeasance.
Emil Bove disregarded court orders and the rule of law. Senator Cory Booker wrote on social media that “he does not belong on the federal bench.”
Meanwhile, Reuveni was praised in a statement by Senator Dick Durbin for his whistleblower behavior. He claimed that Bove’s “serious allegations” were subject to the Senate’s strictest scrutiny.
Breakout Roland Garros star Lois Boisson saw her hopes of a maiden Wimbledon main-draw appearance ended in the first round of qualifying.
The 22-year-old rose to 65 in the world following her fairytale run to the French Open semi-finals as a 361st-ranked wildcard at the French Open.
However, the cut-off to enter the main draw is about six weeks before the tournament – when Boisson was still ranked outside the top 400.
That meant she had to go through qualifying, where on Tuesday she suffered a 6-2 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 defeat by Canada’s world number 197 Carson Branstine.
Branstine will face compatriot and long-time friend Bianca Andreescu for a place in the third and final round of qualifying.
Former US Open champion Andreescu, currently ranked 147th following a series of injuries and illnesses, comfortably beat Brazil’s Laura Pigossi 6-2 6-1.
The pair won the Australian Open girls’ doubles title together in 2017 and will face each other in a senior singles match for the first time.
Britons Emily Appleton and Amarni Banks progressed to the second qualifying round in the women’s draw.
Appleton, 25, completed a comeback victory over Swiss player Simona Waltert, winning 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-3 to set up a meeting with Czech player Barbora Palicova.
The 22-year-old Banks also went the distance in a 6-4 1-6 6-3 victory over Austria’s Julia Grabher.
But Katie Swan, Yuriko Miyazaki, Ella McDonald, Ranah Akua Stoiber, Amelia Rajecki and Katy Dunne all lost their respective matches.
Swan lost 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (8-6) to Spain’s Leyre Romero Gormaz, while Miyazaki forced a third set but eventually fell 6-4 4-6 6-2 to Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva.
McDonald lost 4-6 7-5 6-1 to Latvia’s Darja Semenistaja, Stoiber was beaten by Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa 5-7 6-4 6-1 and Rajecki exited in a 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-2) defeat by Belarusian Iryna Shymanovich.
Dunne, meanwhile, lost out 6-4 6-3 to experienced French player Alize Cornet, who came out of retirement this year.
As she enters a “new era” in her life and career as a result of her relationship with Chris Hughes, celebrity Big Brother star JoJo Siwa has posted about “stepping into something new” in her life and career.
JoJo Siwa shared a message with fans after an interview about her life and career was released(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Former child star JoJo Siwa has said that “it’s time to find the woman” that she’s becoming. She’s teased that she is navigating a “new era” of her life, with the singer telling fans this week that she’s now “stepping into something new”.
JoJo, 22, rose to fame on shows like Dance Moms before appearing in a host of Nickelodeon projects. She’s also pursued a career in music, with her debut single released when she was 12 and then four years later she’s said to have become the youngest person to headline the O2 Arena.
In more recent years, the reality TV star has ditched the colourful outfits and signature bow ties that she was once associated with. Then, earlier this year, she was a finalist on Celebrity Big Brother and her relationship with co-star Chris Hughes, 32, has continued to make headlines since.
JoJo Siwa, pictured in 2017, rose to fame as a child star, appearing on shows like Dance Moms(Image: Getty Images)
JoJo opened up about her life and career in an interview with YOU magazine that published last week. It included her discussing navigating work as she gets older, her sexuality and her relationship with former Love Island star Chris.
JoJo stated to fans that she is looking forward to a future away from “living inside a sparkly little bubble” after the interview was released and during a reflection on a photo shoot that followed. However, she suggested that it be “a little scary.”
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JoJo’s photos showed her wearing less colorful clothing than she had worn earlier in her career. The singer was posing in a white vest and brown skirt, with pink and blue lighting visible behind her against a gray background.
She wrote on Instagram yesterday: “Stepping into something new… and a little scary. These photos are different. They’re bold. They’re grown. They’re me. For the longest time, I lived inside a sparkly little bubble – and while I love her, it’s time to find the woman I am becoming #JoJoSiwa #NewEra.”
JoJo continued, “This shoot pushed me,” in a follow-up post. To feel and pose differently as well. letting go of restraint To stop pondering, “Is this what people want from me?” and begin to inquire, “Is this me?” Yes, I say that. So, to the discomfort, good things always live there. #Fearless #AdultJoJo #OutOfMyComfortZone.
She’s since ditched her signature look and posted this week about it being ‘time to find the woman’ that she’s ‘becoming’(Image: Variety via Getty Images)
Addressing fans, she wrote in a third post: “To anyone afraid to change… I get it. But we don’t grow inside the lines. mess it up, try it anyway, and let the world see you. Here I am. Love her, fear her, or try to figure her out – this is me.”
JoJo addressed the interview’s own discussion of how to grow professionally as a result. She continued, “As of right now, I couldn’t sell out an arena.” I mean, obviously, the goal is to return, but you get older, change, and behave differently, so I’m not doing the same thing.
She suggested that she betrayed her earlier self and wondered if she had been “more successful” than she is now. JoJo, however, added that she is proud of what she accomplished as a teenager and that she has “got to give it up” for her.
It comes after JoJo, pictured with Chris Hughes, spoke about her life and career in a new interview(Image: Instagram/itsjojosiwa)
She also recalls making the confession that she was gay when she was 17 in the interview. JoJo claimed that she then “boxed” herself by revealing her gender. She suggested that she had felt “pressure,” but JoJo now describes herself as queer, according to the outlet.
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In the interview, the singer from the US, who claimed that she views sexuality as being “fluid,” also spoke about her relationship with UK-born Chris. She remarked, “I’ve previously had a long-distance relationship, and it’s difficult, obviously, but you make it work.” She did, however, claim that they are “lucky” because of their “control” careers.
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Agnew, Jonathan
The BBC’s top cricket commentator
Nothing can compare to the drama and tension of Headingley Miracle, which was filmed in the Ashes in 2019.
However, England’s 371-run victory over India in the first Test on the same ground is unmatched in terms of pure run chase.
Here, there are some unique things.
Stokes’ victory and the famous 1981 Ashes comeback victory, which were both inspired by Ian Botham and Bob Willis’ iconic performances, are the most memorable.
That day, Butcher batted like a god.
He told me that he has never played like it before when we had dinner with him this week. It was an innings once in a lifetime.
In contrast, Duckett simply batted like Duckett and recorded 149, which is the second-highest score by an England opener in the fourth innings.
Many of the other great fourth-innings centuries are defensive in nature because they attempt to save the game.
Duckett’s attack was flawlessly controlled despite his excellent control.
The 30-year-old makes the most of his shortness, his size, by adjusting bowlers’ lengths, and plays those cuts, pulls, and sweeps. Ravindra Jadeja’s reverse-sweep for six off was simply extraordinary.
When I bowled Duckett, I would have found him enraging. You assume as a bowler that he will eventually nick one behind, but somehow he doesn’t because he leaves the ball so rarely outside off the stump.
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It’s not hard to dispute the fact that he is one of the best batters currently playing all different types of baseball.
He benefits from having a few more expansive shots in the shortest format, which makes him switch between formats more easily, as he does in a T20.
Given his difficult first Test debut, his success is made even more cheery.
After he looked out of his depth in those four Tests in India and Bangladesh in 2016, a number of people who I respect greatly advised me to keep an open mind about Duckett.
Although Duckett had a 15.71 on average, I was instructed to believe.
You would want to have him in your team because he is now one of the key players in England’s XI and has benefited from Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s new start in 2022.
Duckett never backs away from the fight, standing there with his chest puffed out, and never takes a backseat.
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Zak Crawley deserves a lot of praise for this incredible victory, especially since he more than contributed to the opening stand of 188 with Duckett, which provided the platform for England to finish their second-highest Test run ever.
Because of how much control they displayed, I think their partnership is so highly regarded.
The refined version of England’s attacking strategy has been discussed a lot. It was in top condition here.
Although India’s attack lacks other than the exceptional Jasprit Bumrah, Crawley and Duckett batted with control rather than being reckless as they did in the terrible winter defeats of Rawalpindi and Hamilton.
Avoid the enormous pressure of leaving with such a target.
We have been yelling for England to display some common sense, which they did in a modern sense.
At no point did it seem like a wild assault despite the batsmen’s four or five runs per over. They tossed the ball around in an effort to get rid of the bad shots.
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After scoring seven wickets in the match, Josh Tongue deserves praise. India should have buried England with a 600-run first-innings score from 430-3.
Given how under Stokes, they have struggled to do so under his leadership, and having the Tongue twice now should make their next choice easier, is a big plus for England.
Jofra Archer has been the subject of a lot of speculation, but I’m hoping that is all that is true now that England are taking on Edgbaston with a win.
There is no reason to rush Archer back after a first-class match, despite all the heartache, careful planning, and both sides’ patience.
You can bowl as many overs in the nets as you like and play as many T20s as you like, but you won’t be ready for Test cricket until you have bowled spell after spell and backed it up once more.
On Sunday, Sussex will play in the Sussex County Championship.
If England want to make a change, let Archer play in that and he will then be ready for the third Test at Lord’s.
One of their best performances in recent memory was at Headingley, and they deserve a lot of credit. Stop being so silly right now.
QI host and one of the new Celebrity Traitors has had his fair share of ups and downs, but Sir Stephen Fry reveals it was his raging cocaine addiction which triggered a bipolar breakdown
Stephen Fry, Ben Elton, Hugh Laurie and Robbie Coltrane, Siobhan Redmond and Emma Thompson. were the bright young things of the comedy circuit in the 1980s(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
National treasure Sir Stephen Fry has shared shocking stories about his rock ‘n’ roll years – when he indulged in cocaine races with rockstars in late night Soho cafes.
Speaking during Pride month, the TV personality – who will soon be joining Celebrity Traitors – has also spoken about an extraordinary friendship with the late author John Le Carre, who once sent him a “spy letter”.
And he has told how his overindulgence triggered a bipolar breakdown that left him feeling like a “failure” and desperate to escape his car crash of a life.
Reflecting on his charmed, but flawed life, QI host, writer and author Stephen, 67 – who is now happily married to Elliot Spencer, 38 – reflects: “When I was introduced to the Devil’s dandruff (cocaine), I found that it made me like parties.
“There was an all night cafe (in Soho)… some unbelievably famous rock stars and actors and things would gather there, and you’d have the longest line (of cocaine) competitions.”
Stephen Fry was made a Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honours list, for services to mental health awareness in December 2024(Image: PA)
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Describing his “coke fiend impulse,” he adds: “I would stay up late and get up late and felt like I kind of belonged to London’s nightlife. But then a crash came.”
As his life unravelled, Stephen famously fled the UK to Belgium in the middle of appearing in a West End play in 1995, leaving a suicide note that sparked an international search.
Explaining his desperate feelings, he says: “I had failed at everything that mattered, I had failed in love, I had failed in being a proper person, I had failed in self-control, I had failed to understand myself.”
Hitting rockbottom, he left a note, adding: “It said ‘I’m a failure and I’m so sorry and you’re to forget all about me’ and that sort of thing.’”
Luckily, his suicide attempt failed, so he decided to drive as far away from his old life as possible.
Stephen is one of the 18 celebs joining The Celebrity Traitors along with Kate Garraway, Charlotte Church, Jonathan Ross and Tom Daley(Image: PA)
“I caught a ferry from Folkestone to Zeebrugge in Belgium, and drove until I reached Germany,” he says.
Hoping to eventually “sit on a rock and write poetry,” be forgotten and reinvent his life, he reached a railway station in Hanover when he realised everyone was looking for him. “I was on the front page of a whole line of British newspapers,” he says.
Tracked down by his dear friend and comedy partner Hugh Laurie – who he met at Cambridge University – he told him to “come the f*ck home.’”
Stephen hadn’t realised everyone was so worried, but his anxious dad flew out to meet him and they dodged the world’s media by taking private flight back to the UK.
Instead of being greeted by disdain, Stephen says: “People were unbelievably kind.
“The novelist John Le Carre arranged an escape for me. He wrote me this fabulous letter, like a spy letter, just telling one how to do these secret things.
“He told me how to get to the West Indies, where he knew someone who had a boat, who knew someone who would take me to an island. I didn’t take him up on the offer.”
But Stephen did take Monty Python legend John Cleese up on his offer of a safe haven of his house in Santa Barbara for six months.
Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, John Bird and Jane Booker in a sketch from the BBC television series A Bit of Fry and Laurie in April 1994(Image: Getty Images)
And, back in London, he was diagnosed with the psychiatric condition bipolar disorder.
“That set me on a path to at least forgiving myself for the ridiculousness of my behaviour,” he says, acknowledging it is “an illness, not a moral failing.”
A non-sporty, “completely uncoordinated child,” Stephen says, even as a youngster, he never felt good enough.
Expelled from several schools, at 17, he was held on remand for three months for credit card fraud – an astonishing start for someone who, later in life, would befriend King Charles and be knighted.
But Stephen’s life has been full of twists, turns and surprises.
He laughs recalling his role as Lord Melchett in Blackadder and how it was filmed next door to Only Fools and Horses at the BBC.
The casts of both hilarious comedies would compete to find out whose live audiences had laughed the least!
Sir Stephen Fry is made a Knight Bachelor by King Charles III at Windsor Castle(Image: PA)
He says: “We’d have competitions with David Jason and Nick Lyndhurst and say, ‘No, our audience hates us more than your audience.’”
After years at the top of his game, Stephen’s voice is instantly recognisable.
But, with the advent of AI, this has presented a unique set of problems, according to the star, who says it was scraped from the Harry Potter books to make documentaries without his knowledge.
“One of the most frightening things about AI is that nobody knows how it works. They know how to set it up, but they don’t know what it is doing,” he says.
This is just one of the perils of fame – which Stephen is very glad he didn’t achieve overnight.
“When I was a teenager, if I’d ever thought I was going to be famous, I would have wriggled with joy at the idea,” he says. “I was very lucky in that I slowly leaked into the public consciousness, you know, rather than waking up to find myself famous. I think that can be rather difficult to cope with.
“I always say it’s a picnic being well-known, really. You get lovely tables at lovely restaurants and meet your heroes. But like a lot of picnics, you know, there will be wasps.… like social media and paparazzi.”
Stephen Fry and Elliott Spencer attend a Bafta after-party in 2015(Image: Getty Images Europe)
And he says there is no room for being moody in public.
If the public see you in a bad mood, he says they will tell people: “I saw that Stephen Fry, what a misery.’”
Dating someone famous also be demanding, says Stephen, who married Elliot three years after they met in 2015.
He says: “I always think the worst thing is to be a spouse or partner of a well-known person, because you get elbowed out of the way and that can be rude.”
Despite the 30-year-age gap, the couple have recently marked their tenth anniversary.
But before meeting Elliott, Stephen spent 16 years celibate.
Patsy Byrne, Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson in a scene from popular BBC TV sitcom Blackadder in 1985(Image: Getty Images)
“From university onwards, I was also completely celibate, afraid of relationships,” he confesses. “When I left university in 1981 people started talking about this strange gay illness that had arrived from America, which became known as AIDS
“I started going to funerals of friends and seeing their parents devastated.”
As well as being scared by AIDS, Stephen felt he was undesirable.
“Friends would say, “Let’s go to Heaven (London gat club),” he says. “And you go through the door, and all you see are eyes raking you up and down, and then turning away. You just feel so rejected.
“I just thought, ‘No-one is going to be even vaguely interested in me. I can’t dance, and I’m wearing a tweed jacket.’”
As well as his openness about his sexuality, his struggles with mental illness and his problems with drugs, Stephen is open about his Jewishness in the face of growing antisemitism because of the conflict in the Middle East.
Stephen Fry presents a Pride of Britain Special Recognition award to the Oxford Vaccine team in 2021(Image: Daily Mirror/Andy Stenning)
“My Jewishness is not my religion. It’s not anything other than the fact that my grandfather and grandmother were Jewish on my mother’s side only,” he says, recalling distressing approaches that were made to him by “some organisation saying that they had seen my name in a right-wing magazine along with Ben Elton and all kinds of writers, saying this is a list of Jews.”
As well as making threats, he says he was asked if he wanted security advice.
This has all been a shock for Stephen, whose grandparents considered themselves to be “assimilated in English.”
He says: ”My grandfather used to wear tweed jackets and shoot in the countryside.
“So, for me, being Jewish was just having family with slightly odd accents.”
And while Stephen doesn’t wear his tweed jacket to gay clubs any more, as a knight of the realm, his grandfather would agree that, not only is he “assimilated,” but his talent and honesty have made earned him both respect and love.
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