Sir Stephen Fry has made an unexpected comment on how the 30-year age difference with his husband Elliott Spencer has affected his life.
A Decade of Surprises
Fry, 67, married Spencer, 38, in January 2015 after meeting at a house party in 2012. The couple, who have kept their relationship largely private, recently celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary.
In a rare interview on Rylan Clark’s podcast, Rylan: How to Be in Love, Fry shared insights into their dynamic.
“He teaches me things I just didn't know,” Fry said. “He introduced me to Kendrick Lamar, which was a great thing to do because Kendrick Lamar I've decided is a great poetical spirit, a really remarkable figure.”
Fry also revealed his newfound appreciation for professional wrestling, thanks to Spencer's influence. “But that, plus, now you're really going to laugh here because I thought, is he insane? He has a great affection for, and I guess you could call it ironic, but it's real—for WWE...”
When asked if he's now a fan of WWE, Fry admitted: “I kind of am yeah, and I just don't know whether I can reveal this extraordinary truth, but I have bought a couple of tickets for WrestleMania in Las Vegas.”
The Secret to Their Relationship
Discussing the key to their successful relationship, Fry emphasized the importance of cheerfulness and understanding each other's moods. “I can tell you how to have a successful relationship with Elliot, but that's probably not very helpful,” he said. “But I guess it’s all the normal human virtues—some of which are forgotten virtues—but one of the most important human virtues, I think, isn't even really considered a virtue.”
He elaborated: “But it is one that changes the world. And it's not kindness, which obviously is important, but it's a subset of kindness, perhaps. And it's cheerfulness.”
Fry noted how their differing morning routines required mutual adjustments. “When you're in the presence of a cheerful person, it makes everything better. They're like their own sunshine. So that's one of the things. If one is down to help the other come up...
“And understand each other's differences as emotional human beings. For example, I had to understand, and he had to understand, that I am extremely energetic and bouncy and chatty in the mornings at breakfast and he is not.
“So I had to find ways of just calming myself and he had to come up a little bit and not be quite so kind of, ‘Will you shut up Stephen!’”