#video #The Assembly S02E01 Stephen Fry
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00:00.
00:25Hi there, people.
00:26Hello, Steve.
00:27Nice to see you all.
00:28Where am I sitting?
00:29I thought so.
00:30Hello.
00:30Hello.
00:31Nice to see you.
00:32Good to see you all.
00:33Hello.
00:34Hello there.
00:35Good to see you all.
00:37I heard you went back in the palace and do drugs,
00:42making drugs and cocaine.
00:44I didn't go in order to do that.
00:46So why did you go in to back in the palace?
00:52I mean, I'm not going to justify it.
00:55Right.
00:58Do you not do that anymore?
00:59No.
01:00I'm a good boy now.
01:01Good.
01:06It's going to be hard.
01:07Oh, I know.
01:08I've seen it.
01:08I've seen you guys.
01:10Smiling assassins.
01:11I've seen people in the palace.
01:12My mind because of all the museums.
01:18Chardonnay, would you like to introduce us?
01:23Welcome to the assembly.
01:25Our collective of autistic neurodivergent and learning disabled interviews.
01:30We are delighted to have you today as rules are no subject is out of bounds
01:36No question is off the table and all might happen. Please tell us who you are
01:41Hello, I'm Stephen Fry
01:43I'm an actor and a writer busy myself around the world in different things, but mostly an actor and a
01:50writer
01:50Thank you, Stephen
01:51Now we have Cameron first question. Hello. Hello, Cameron
02:01My first question is a very serious one so just prepare yourself, okay?
02:07You tried to kill yourself a couple of times. Are you happy to be alive now? I
02:13Am Cameron I am happy to be alive, but it was a pretty pretty terrible experience. I
02:19Was in agony in my mind and didn't want to live but I can't bring back that feeling so it's
02:26a kind of alien
02:27I it's look like looking at myself as another person I
02:30Compare it to you've ever broken a leg or or had a really painful injury
02:35You know that you screamed in agony, but you can't make that pain come back to you now
02:40Can you can't make your leg hurt again, and it's a bit the same with the mind?
02:45So you're happy now? I I think so I'm like a lot of people I almost don't dare say I'm
02:51happy
02:51But that's stupid because if you are happy you should enjoy it
02:57Thank you very much Cameron, and do you know that your name is an anagram of romance?
03:02Oh
03:03I didn't know that actually isn't that there you go. Yeah
03:10Right we're coming to Thomas love now
03:17My first question is
03:19Can you help me meet my idol and icon and legend the amazing human being the queen of pop?
03:29Dame Celine Marie Claudette Dion
03:37I
03:37Wish I could help you there. I'm afraid I don't know Celine Dion
03:41I think I was once in the same room as her, but I didn't speak to her but she is
03:47a marvelous talent
03:48Yeah, and your admiration is focused on a very worthy worthy idol. I'm London that means I'm gay a pride
03:55LGBT
03:56What is your advice on finding a husband question mark?
04:00Well, I mean it's a different world now because so many
04:04Spouses are found online
04:07Found online yeah, but I guess put yourself out there in a safe and happy kind of
04:13Environment but but I'm I'm afraid I'm out of that game and I've been for 11 years since I found
04:19my husband
04:19I want to find a boyfriend and be a dad one day and have a son and daughter
04:23Oh, and you you deserve to be happy as everyone does. I'm sure you will
04:27Yeah, my thought last question final question is are you a top or a bottom?
04:35Another London question. I love it. It's bright question. Wow that is as direct as it gets
04:46I'm going to leave that a mystery for people to get yeah
04:49Thank you for raising it a very important point there is V in the middle of course versatile is there
04:56not?
04:56Yeah, that was a great moment Nicola will be next
05:04Hello, Steven hello, Nicola
05:09What order do you wash your body parts in what order do I wash my body parts?
05:17Yeah in a shower. I don't use shampoo shampoo. No
05:23Can I use shampoo just water in the hair? Yeah
05:29When I shampooed I do my hair first I would do my intimate areas with a with a with a
05:34sponge or a
05:35You know one of those little what do you call them?
05:38The shower shower scruncher
05:41So I think you're downstairs and and then upstairs
05:45How much have you spent on cocaine?
05:49Oh
05:51Yeah, yeah, you well you've got me there there was a period when when I was a an addict to
05:57the to the stuff and and it was in those days
06:0060 pounds a gram and I probably
06:05Wasted thousands why did I get the cocaine from where you get a dealer a dealer? Yeah
06:10They're there Wow, I do you got that way to get the dealer from where so a friend offers you
06:15some on one occasion when you know
06:17I can remember the first time I was offered that they call it a line of cocaine
06:21And and you snorted up your nose
06:24Okay, you know he said oh, I got this guy so-and-so and he gives you the number of
06:28the guy and then you know the guy
06:29I've been drinking on crack cocaine and putting it up, you know
06:34Yeah, up your nose. Yeah, not crack cocaine. That's you smoke. I think don't I've never had that yet. I
06:40haven't. No, don't say yes
06:42Honestly, I know it's terrible because no, I couldn't inject myself either. Okay. No, no
06:48Maybe I wait a weight loss drug. Maybe
06:51Not doing it no more. Oh, no, no, and I wouldn't recommend anybody to it obviously and
06:56But I would also recommend we're all very grown up about it. We understand why people seem to want to
07:01do it and
07:03And and and maybe find a better answer than simply condemning everybody for doing it
07:07Because in the world the most important thing is to be effective not to be right
07:10But to find a way to solve a problem. Thank you, Nicola. Yeah, thank you. Nice to meet you
07:18You can't do this in back in the palace. No, I know it's not it's not you shouldn't do it
07:22anywhere
07:24Right we're coming to Harry now
07:29Hello, sir, Steven, how are you a very well? Thank you. I
07:34Read that you are bipolar. Yes
07:37One of my family has that yeah, how can I help them, please? Oh, that's such a good question. It
07:43really is
07:45it's
07:46The first thing to realize is that it's it's an illness. It's not something could be wished away
07:51It's it's it is a real thing
07:55It's worth thinking of it as being like the weather
07:58Now the weather is real. You can't pretend it's not raining when it's raining. You can't say no, it's not
08:05raining
08:05It's ridiculous. You're getting wet. It's really raining. Yes, but on the other hand. It's also true that you didn't
08:11make it rain
08:13The rain happens you didn't it's not your fault that it's raining
08:18You shouldn't beat yourself up and say why am I depressed?
08:21I shouldn't be that's like saying it shouldn't be raining. It's not something in your control
08:27It will eventually stop it always has and it always will stop and the Sun will come out at some
08:33point and and so that's
08:35What it's like with with the mood disorder like bipolar and it's difficult, but it
08:44It's worth remembering that it's not their personality
08:47It's the weather inside them and it will change
08:52Yeah
08:57We're gonna come to Luca now and he's got something he'd like to show you
09:01Hey Luca
09:04The world is too much for us by William Wordsworth my favorite poems
09:11The world is too much with us late and soon getting and spending we lay waste our powers
09:20Little we know of nature that is ours. We have given our hearts away a sordid boon
09:28This sea that bears her bosom to the moon the winds that will be howling at all hours and are
09:35up gathered now like sleeping flowers
09:38For this for everything we are out of tune
09:42It moves us not great. God. I'd rather be a pagan suckered in a creed out worn
09:50So my tie
09:53Standing on this pleasantly
09:55Have glimpses that will make me less forlorn
09:58Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea or hear old Triton blow his reefed horn
10:08My dear fellow, that's absolutely wonderful
10:12I love that and you delivered it with such passion and power
10:17We are out of tune. Don't you agree?
10:20Yes
10:20It's it's it's getting and spending it meant a huge amount to me Luca
10:25I'm beautifully done as you can see I'm very moved by it. I love poetry and and that is one
10:30of my favorite poems and
10:32Beautifully done. It's wonderful
10:35Right we've got Jacob up now
10:38Hi
10:40You've done adverts for Heineken
10:43Alliance and Leicester
10:45Twining's tea
10:46Okay
10:47Pioneer Hi-Fi
10:49Walker's crisps
10:51Marks and Spencers
10:53Honda
10:55Virgin Media
10:58Extra Strong Mints
11:01After Eight Mints
11:03Sainsbury's
11:05Heathrow Airport
11:07Direct Line
11:09EE
11:10And finally Whitbread
11:12Is there anything you wouldn't do for money?
11:16LAUGHTER
11:18Oh my gosh
11:20Wow you pinned me there
11:22Nice
11:23I am a tart
11:25Um
11:26You know
11:27Yes
11:29Thanks for reminding me
11:33My next question is
11:35Why did you go on Channel 4 in 2022 saying you were proud to be a Jew if you are
11:42an atheist?
11:44Um because being a Jew and an atheist is not a contradiction
11:48But plenty of Jews like me are atheists Sigmund Freud Albert Einstein were Jews
11:53And they if they had stayed in Germany and Austria they would have been gassed and killed like any other
11:59Jew
12:00But I went on Channel 4 to give that alternative Christmas message because there had been a disturbing rise in
12:07anti-Semitism
12:08You know desecration of Jewish shops and you know swastikas on Jewish gravestones and all these sort of things
12:14Yeah it's terrible
12:15I thought of my mother in particular just I think you know she's still alive
12:19And uh she always had and as her parents did a faith in coming to Britain was a place of
12:24openness for Jews
12:25And that they would be as welcomed as as all immigrants uh were
12:30Um and they would be just horrified
12:32Uh all these you know terrible things happening in the world
12:35But we've got to stop
12:37Yeah
12:37Making them reduced to racial hatred because that's never going to solve anything
12:43Yeah
12:46Ben you're up
12:49All right
12:50So my first question is a bit of a touchy one
12:55All right so
12:57You attended a funeral and you were sat next to Paul McCartney
13:04How did you feel when Paul McCartney said to you shut up you can't sing
13:10I actually felt justified because I know I can't sing
13:14We had this mutual friend John Schlesinger film director and it was his funeral and
13:18Uh during the singing I did what I always did I mimed
13:21Yeah
13:24Um and Paul turned to me and said Stephen you're not singing
13:27Why aren't you singing you should be singing
13:30I said Paul I can't sing he said everybody can sing sing
13:33So the next one I started singing and he said you're right you can't sing shut up
13:39So I wasn't the least bit offended I thought yes it's now official
13:44Yeah
13:44Do you know and I'll tell you I'll tell you a story
13:46Yeah
13:47I used to do this program called Saturday Live and Hugh
13:49Hugh Laurie and I would uh would do sketches together
13:52And in one of them we were doing this thing and I suddenly realized on like Thursday
13:56Hugh if we're doing the sketches the way we've written it it means I've got to sing that song
14:01I said you know I can't he said no I've heard you can sing if you're relaxed
14:05Have you considered hypnotism?
14:08And I'd never considered it
14:09And I found one who was in central London and I called up his office and he was Hungarian
14:14Which somehow made it rather wonderful the thick Hungarian accent
14:17So he said what is it you want of me?
14:21I want you to put your hands on your knees and now you feel I am lowering you down a
14:27well
14:27All right okay
14:29So it gets darker and darker and darker into the well
14:33And you see the little little disk of light at the top is getting smaller and smaller
14:40And my voice is the rope that keeps you safe as you go down into the dark
14:45And I was going down and it really worked I was hypnotized
14:47So he said um now when you're doing this program tomorrow
14:51What is the uh the line that your friend gives you before you have to sing?
14:57And I said well actually he says hit it bitch
14:59Um which is which is what he says
15:02And he said hit it bitch is what he said
15:05He said all right all right this is what he says
15:10That is a good cue
15:11When you hear the words hit it bitch
15:15You will be completely relaxed
15:18And you will be able to sing as if alone in the shower
15:23And now I pull on the rope and you come up the well
15:26Yeah
15:26And we did the sketch and I did sing I was relaxed
15:29I wonder if it would still work for like any future sketches
15:32I don't know I shall have to find out
15:34All right thank you
15:35Thank you
15:35It was a pleasure chatting to you
15:36Thank you very much Ben that was great
15:39Can I come to Claire now?
15:41Hello Stephen I'm Claire
15:43Hello Claire
15:44You're 30 years older than your husband
15:49Me and my girlfriend have an age gap
15:51I'm 38 and she's 21
15:53What do you say to people who don't like age gap relationships?
15:59Um I feel a bit sorry for them
16:02I don't see why they should have such an opinion about things
16:06But the only thing that matters in a relationship is love
16:11And if you feel it and it's felt on both sides
16:14And it's not an exploitative relationship
16:16I mean I would say to people that in our relationship
16:20Elliot has all the power really
16:23He makes a lot of the decisions about things
16:26Because I trust him too
16:27It just it works for us extremely well
16:31And if people don't like it well
16:33Sod them
16:35I find age is just a number at the end of the day
16:37It is just a number isn't it
16:37As long as you're happy that's the main thing
16:39You're right Claire absolutely right
16:40Yeah
16:41Yeah
16:42Thank you very much
16:44That was lovely
16:45Okay next we're going to hear from Jin
16:47Good job
16:48Thank you
16:48Hi Stephen
16:49My name is Jin like to drink
16:52Oh wonderful
16:53Who's your favourite world wrestling entertainment superstar?
16:57WWE
17:00Let me know now Stephen
17:02Please
17:02Well this is all due to my husband
17:04My husband
17:05When he was a teenager
17:06Was very fond of
17:07WWE
17:08WWE
17:09WWE
17:10His favourite was Shawn Michaels
17:12The Heartbreak Kid
17:13I like The Undertaker
17:15And Roman Reigns is very fine
17:17Brock
17:17He's in Smashing Machine
17:18Brock Lesnar's a stone-cold
17:20Steve Austin
17:23People think Stephen you can't like wrestling
17:25But I actually do
17:26So I would say probably The Undertaker is my favourite
17:29Hey Steve
17:29Thank you very much Jin
17:32We're going to hear from Huey now
17:34Good morning
17:35Huey hi
17:37Um
17:38As a humanist do you think you'd believe in no life after death
17:41Because you think God would hate you?
17:44Well not
17:45I just
17:47I would call myself a humanist
17:49I think it's a good word
17:50That's to say humanists put humans at the centre of our own destiny
17:54We make our own lives
17:56You know we're not told what to think
17:58By a group that claims to have secret answers written in a book
18:03Our holy text is experience
18:05What we see in the world
18:07What we understand from evidence
18:10My belief is anybody who tells you they know what happens to a human being after they're dead
18:14Is either a liar or a fool
18:16Because nobody knows
18:18You just don't
18:20And personally I think if you believe there is no life after death
18:25It means you value life so completely because this is it
18:29And the idea that it's not enough is extraordinary to me
18:33People say oh this can't be all there is
18:35What?
18:36It isn't enough for you that there's Africa and Iceland
18:39And that there's waterfalls and fields and deserts
18:43And more animals than you can count
18:45More species of beetle alone than can be catalogued
18:48There is such richness, diversity, beauty and astonishing variety in this world
18:54The idea of saying oh there's got to be more than this
18:56It just seems to me so arrogant and stupid
18:58To embrace everything we have
19:01Because this is it
19:03Our life and it's precious
19:07That was so nice
19:08Thank you
19:14This is quite something
19:15Yeah
19:17Do you need water or anything?
19:19I'm fine thanks
19:21Here we go
19:25I wish I knew how
19:31It would feel
19:35To be free
19:40I wish I could break
19:47All the chains holding me
19:56Hit it bitch
19:58Hit it bitch
19:58I wish I could sing
20:02All the things that I should say
20:06Say a loud, say a clear
20:10For the whole round world to hear
20:14I wish I could share
20:19I wish I could share
20:20All the love that's in my heart
20:23Remove all the thoughts
20:27That keep us apart
20:31Oh I wish you'd go
20:35Oh I wish you'd go
20:36What it means to be me
20:40Then you'd see
20:42And agree
20:44That everyone should be free
21:06I wish I could give
21:09All I'm longing to give
21:12I wish I could live
21:17Like I'm longing to live
21:21Here we go
21:22Here we go
21:22Oh I wish I could
21:25All the things that I can do
21:29Well now
21:29Though I'm way over with you
21:34What you break me to do
21:36And love you
21:37Well I wish I could be
21:42Like a bird in the sky
21:47How sweet it would be
21:51If I found out
21:53I could cry
21:55Oh I saw to the sun
21:59And looked down at the sea
22:03That I'd say
22:05That I'd say
22:09Cause I know
22:11Yeah
22:11That I'd say
22:11That I'd say
22:14Cause I know
22:21How it feels
22:25To be
22:31Free
22:34Free
22:36Free
22:37Thank you
22:43Gorgeous
22:48Brilliant stuff
22:49And cracking song choice
22:50And Nicholas Sturgeon
22:52Is in the hot seat next
22:53This Friday
22:54At 10 o'clock
22:55And if you've been affected
22:56By the issues raised
22:57In tonight's programme
22:58You can find details
22:59Of organisations
23:00Offering support
23:01On our website
23:03stv.tv
23:04Slash advice
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