Stephen Fry reveals the one thing that gives him stage fright
The QI host confessed singing makes his throat close up with terror and he has always sworn he would never do it.
What did you miss?
Stephen Fry has revealed the one thing that gives him stage fright - singing.
The QI host confessed singing makes his throat close up with terror and he has always sworn: "Stephen will never sing." But he admitted that he was finally persuaded to change his mind in his latest film Treasure - in which he sings karaoke.
Comedian, actor, TV presenter and writer Fry, 66, appeared on The One Show to discuss his role in the new movie - co-starring Lena Dunham - in which he plays the Polish father of a New York journalist who accompanies her on holiday to Poland to retrace her family roots.
What, how, and why?
Fry was asked by hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp about singing karaoke in new film Treasure. He revealed: "I have always sworn there are certain things Stephen will never do. Like Tigger- Tigger doesn't eat thistles. And Stephens don't do singing, ever. If on a script it ever says 'He sings', I say to my agent, they do know I don't sing, don't they?
"I just have to forget anyone is there. If I feel anyone is in the same postcode as me, my voice tightens. A lot of people with public speaking feel very nervous and their voice tightens. For some reason I could stand up in Wembley stadium and speak to the whole crowd without being nervous. But if I had to sing three notes to 10 people or even just the lovely crew here the same thing would happen."
The actor - also learnt Polish for the film - and called it a "fiendishly" difficult language.
He revealed: "Yes that's right I was in America guesting on The Morning Show and in my time off a wonderful woman called Magda in Warsaw took me through the Polish language. which is a fiendish language. Any Poles - apologies if you're watching, but most of you will admit that it is a difficult language. You have words that begin with P-R-Z [pronounces sound in Polish]."
He added: "Nie mówi? po polsku - I don't speak Polish but I learnt the speeches I had with enormous pleasure."
Fry - whose maternal grandparents were Hungarian Jews and lost relatives in Auschwitz, as did Dunham - admitted it was difficult to visit the site of the Holocaust and that the tragicomedy had very dark sides. But he added: "I've always loved any project that shows the fact that all humanity is a reflection of all things at once, history, poetry, sadness, madness, love, hate, revenge, fear, hope, all these things in one not parcelled out onto separate genres."
What else happened on The One Show?
Rita Ora shared her new single on the show, saying: "It's not that deep, it's a summer banger, and it feels good."
The singer also discussed starring in the new Descendants movie Descendants: The Rise of Red. She said: "It's out in July and I play the Queen of Hearts, it's a villain, and I loved every minute of it."
The One Show airs on BBC One at 7pm Monday to Friday.
Treasure is released in cinemas on Friday 14th June.
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