Stephen Fry ‘not looking where he was going’ before stage fall, companies say

Sir Stephen Fry was “not looking where he was going” when he fell off the stage at the O2 Arena, companies defending against his legal claim at the High Court have said.

The actor and presenter, 69, broke his leg, hip, pelvis and ribs after falling off a stage following a talk at the arena during the CogX festival in September 2023.

Sir Stephen is suing organiser CogX Festival Limited, production agency Blonstein Events and staff provider Sourced Global Ltd – seeking damages of up to £100,000.

In High Court documents, his lawyers claimed he fell two metres on to a concrete floor due to the companies’ “negligence” by failing to ensure that the stage and backstage area were safe, adequately lit and properly protected.

In a defence to the claim, John Brown, for Cogx Festival Limited, said the company had no involvement in the design and construction of the stage, and said Sir Stephen should have to prove to the court the edge of the stage was not visible to him.

Sir Stephen Fry attends the Royal Variety Performance (Yui Mok/PA)

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He said: ”The first defendant contends that it would have been entirely obvious to the claimant whilst on the stage that there would have been some drop to the venue floor beyond the edge of the stage.“

He said Sir Stephen failed to look where he was going and was not acting with “due care and attention”.

In a defence for Blonstein Events, Daniel Tobin said Sir Stephen is “highly experienced in the simple process of getting on and off a stage”.

He said Sir Stephen had passed the stage’s exit point and attempted to “force his way between a small gap” at the rear of the stage.

Tom Bourne-Arton, defending Sourced Global Ltd, said Sir Stephen had failed to follow the briefing and exit instructions given by the stage manager.

They said: “The briefing was short, succinct and easily understandable.”