Strictly Come Dancing might be appointment telly for millions of us every weekend, but not so for Stephen Fry.
The actor and writer has revealed he “cannot even look at” the BBC dance show, and it’s not just Strictly that makes him switch off, it’s “anything to do with dancing”.
During an appearance on Radio Times’ View From My Sofa podcast, Stephen explains that his feelings have got nothing to do with TV snobbery either.
“Anything to do with dancing, I absolutely cannot bear it,” he tells the podcast.
“I know people think I’m being snobbish or looking down on it – I’m not.
“Most of my friends are very fond of Strictly. I cannot look at it – it reminds me of the possibility that, in a horrible world, I could wake up and be forced to take part in something like that.”
He adds: “It takes me back to school – being asked to climb a rope or join a team or do something physical. I think it goes back to an embarrassment with my body.”
During the same podcast appearance, the 65-year-old also said how special it was to appear in the award-winning It’s a Sin and Netflix’s Heartstopper – two dramas centred around the LGBTQ+ community.
“It’s A Sin is a magnificent piece of writing which deliberately wants to open up that world [of the 80s Aids epidemic] and have the full discussion that we never really had at that time,” he said.
“When I saw the script for Heartstopper I thought, ‘My God, if that had been available when I was 13, 14, 15, what an unbelievable difference that would have made.’ It gives special pleasure to think maybe someone could watch it and feel vindicated at least a little.”
The new issue of Radio Times is out now.