Stephen Fry explains why he is quitting QI
TV host Stephen Fry has opened up about his decision to step away from comedy quiz show QI.
It was confirmed in October that Fry will be leaving the show he has hosted since its inception in 2003.
He will be replaced by comedian and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig – a replacement that Fry says made the decision to leave easier.
Speaking on documentary A Life On Screen, Fry explained the decision to leave the show.
He explained: “I’m leaving QI really because I think 13 years is enough!
“It’s been incredibly good fun and I wouldn’t want to feel stale or for it to go sour on me in that sort of way, or for me to feel like I’m treading water or repeating myself.
“I do think it’s a good enough idea for it to have another host, and Sandi Toksvig couldn’t be a better choice. I’m very happy for the show to go on without me.
“[I can] find other things to do!”
Alan Davies, who has appeared as a regular panellist on the show since its inception, added: “I was saddened but not surprised, really.
“I’ve felt in recent years it’s been a bit of a squeeze on the show – we have to compact the recordings.
“We have to do three shows in a 24-hour period each week and it’s pretty tough going. It’s not fun like it used to be!”
Of his plans for the future, Fry said: “I would hate to stop acting. I love film acting and acting in TV dramas – and writing.
“I hope to continue to write, and enjoy the pleasures of age.”
Fry has recently spent time away from the spotlight, travelling the world with husband Elliot Spencer.
He will bow out of the show after its current series, with Toksvig taking up the chair in late 2016.
