Stephen Fry is planning a fresh start in the US with his husband Elliott Spencer. The 58-year-old, who quit Twitter after receiving criticism for a joke he made at the BAFTAs, is hoping to relocate to Los Angeles later this year.
The couple are already said to be in talks to buy a house, and comedian Elliott told The Sun that he is hoping to find work when they move. "We're moving to Los Angeles and I'm applying for a green card," he said. "We're excited about having a new base."
Stephen Fry and Elliott Spencer are planning to move to LA
News of Stephen's transatlantic move comes just a day after he deactivated his Twitter account when a gag he made about costume designer Jenny Beavan's outfit was badly received by viewers. The 11-time BAFTA host quipped that Jenny had "come to the awards dressed like a bag lady," prompting viewers to demand he apologise.
While Stephen initially defended his comments by saying that Jenny was a "dear friend" and she wasn't offended by the joke, he later tweeted that he wanted to "leave the planet" before deleting his account completely.
Stephen received criticism for a joke he made at the BAFTAs
The former QI host has since explained his decision in a lengthy blog post saying that Twitter has become "a stalking ground for the sanctimoniously self-righteous who love to second-guess, to leap to conclusions and be offended – worse, to be offended on behalf of others they do not even know."
He added: "I don't feel anything today other than massive relief, like a boulder rolling off my chest. I am free, free at last."
It is not the first time Stephen has stepped away from social media; he closed his Instagram account in 2015 after telling fans he had been "hounded off" the photo sharing account. In November 2014 he stopped using Twitter because he said it was not safe, while he had previously said there was "too much aggression and unkindness around" on social media.