Stephen Fry's revealed how his struggle with depression resulted in him trying to take his own life last year. In a frank admission about his battle with bipolar disorder he said he was saved by his producer who found him unconscious. He was abroad filming when it happened. The television presenter is the president of the mental health charity Mind and says he wants to draw attention to the difficulties faced by people with certain mood disorders. He told fellow comic Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast how he took a cocktail of drugs and vodka while he was filming on location.
He said:
"I have a condition which requires me to take medication so I don't get too hyper or too depressed to the point of suicide.
"I'd go as far to say as I attempted it last year so I'm not always happy. It's the first time I've said this in public but I thought I might as well.
"You may say how can anybody who's got it all want to end it all? That's the point, there's no why, there's no reason.
"If there were a reason you could reason someone out of it."
The actor and comic said he felt unable to talk to friends about his condition and described his failed suicide attempt as a 'close-run' thing. He's since tweeted (@stephenfry):
Thank you all for your concern. As Pres of @mindcharity I could only tell truth if asked directly. Now fine. On good meds. Love to you all x
Charities have been quick to praise his openness. Jo Swinney wrote Through the Dark Woods - a book based on her own experience of wrestling with depression.
She told Premier's Victoria Laurence during the News Hour Fry took a brave decision to reveal his suicide attempt:
Fry also attempted suicide in 1995 after walking out of the West End play Cell Mates. Jonathan Clark is the Director of Premier Mind and Soul.
He tells Premier's Marcus Jones how those suffering with depression get to the stage where they consider taking their own lives.
Bipolar disorder – known in the past as manic depression – is a condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another.