Stephen Fry was 'not looking where he was going' when he fell off stage at O2 Arena, according to High Court defence papers

Published: 09:30 EDT, 8 November 2026 | Updated: 10:00 EDT, 8 November 2026 Sir Stephen Fry has been accused of ‘not looking where he was going’ when he fell two metres from a stage at the O2 Arena, according to defence submissions.The actor and presenter is suing two companies seeking damages of up to £100,000 over the fall, in which he broke his leg, hip, pelvis and ribs.The accident happened backstage after he gave a talk at the arena, formerly the Millennium Dome in North Greenwich, London, during the CogX Festival in September 2023.The annual festival is an international gathering which focuses on the role of artificial intelligence and technology in the future of society.He is suing CogX Festival Limited, the company behind the festival, along with production agency Blonstein Events and staff provider Sourced Global Ltd.Sir Stephen launched his legal bid in April, accusing the companies of ‘negligence by failing to ensure the stage and backstage area were safe and adequately lit’.Recounting the fall on BBC Radio 2’s Claudia Winkleman Show three months later in December 2023, he said: ‘I did my bow after delivering this lecture, turned to go off stage and didn't realise that I was walking off the part of the stage where there was nothing - just a 6ft drop on to concrete.‘So I broke my right leg in a couple of places and my hip and pelvis in four places and a bunch of ribs.’ Sir Stephen Fry pictured in Cannes, France, while attending an event last month Fry talking at the CogX artificial intelligence event at London's O2 Arena prior to fallHe said that at the time, he ‘praised my lucky stars’ he did not injure his spine or skull.But, in submissions responding to his claims, John Brown, for Cogx Festival Limited, said the company had no involvement in the design and building of the stage.Mr Brown said Fry should have to prove to the court that the edge of the stage was not visible, adding that Fry was not acting with ‘due care and attention’ and had failed to look where he was going.The festival company ‘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’.Separately, Tom Bourne-Arton, for Sourced Global Ltd, said Fry had failed to follow the briefing and exit instructions given by the stage manager – despite the briefing being ‘short, succinct and easily understandable’.Daniel Tobin, representing Blonstein Events, said Sir Stephen had attempted to ‘force his way between a small gap’ backstage - having passed the stage's exit point.He said that Sir Stephen should have been ‘highly experienced in the simple process of getting on and off a stage’.Sir Stephen’s claim states: ‘The incident was caused by the negligence and/or breach of statutory duty of the Defendants, its servants or agents, in failing to ensure that the stage and backstage area were safe, adequately lit and properly protected to prevent a fall from height.’In April, when the claim was launched, Sir Stephen’s lawyer Keith Barrett, of Fieldfisher, said: ‘It's very unfortunate that court proceedings were necessary, but the Defendants do not accept Sir Stephen's account of events, and we have had to ask the court to determine who is responsible for his injury and losses.’A date has yet to be set for the case to be heard in court.