Celebrity Traitors star Stephen Fry has been announced as one of the performers to appear at Leicester Comedy Festival 2026.  Stephen will be taking part in an exclusive interview with Festival founder Geoff Rowe, on Sunday 8th February, at De Montfort Hall, Leicester.  The event is being held in memory of Stephen’s friend, and Leicester Comedy Festival patron, Tony Slattery, who died in January 2025. 

The event will help raise money for the Festival, which is produced by a registered charity.  Tickets are now on sale and are available from www.comedy-festival.co.uk or www.demontforthall.co.uk

Stephen Fry initially rose to notoriety when appearing as part of the Cambridge Footlights Revue.  The group, which also included Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson and Tony Slattery, were the first ever winners of the Perrier Award, at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1981.  Stephen then went on to perform with Hugh Laurie as the comedy double act Fry and Laurie and they performed in TV shows including the Young Ones and Saturday Live before going on to have their own TV series A Bit Of Fry & Laurie.

Stephen was a regular in TV’s Blackadder alongside Rowan Atkinson. He was the long-running host of the BBC television quiz program QI (2003-16), during which time he was nominated for six British Academy Television Awards. He regularly appears on various BBC radio panel shows, such as Just a Minute and I‘m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue.

Stephen said “I am delighted to be coming to Leicester Comedy Festival to be interviewed by Geoff Rowe.  This special event is in memory of my dear friend Tony Slattery who was a patron of the festival since it started in 1994.  For one day I will be a ‘Leicesterian’ and I do hope you will be able to join us.”

Geoff Rowe, founder of Leicester Comedy Festival said “I am beyond thrilled that Stephen has agreed to come to the festival.  Stephen was a great friend of Tony Slattery and this exclusive event is being held in memory of Tony, who supported the festival back in 1994 when he agreed to be a patron, alongside Norman Wisdom.  The proceeds from the event will help support the festival, particularly projects and activities which engage with, and support, people living with poor mental health.”

Geoff Rowe has interviewed many comedians as part of previous Leicester Comedy Festivals.  The first festival interview was in 2014, when special guest Jason Manford was interviewed on stage at Curve.  Since then comedians and performers, including Tom Allen, Romesh Ranganathan, Nish Kumar, Nicholas Parsons, Johnny Vegas and Sarah Millican, have all visited the festival for interviews.  

Tony Slattery was known for his quick-witted improvisations on the popular Channel 4 show Whose Line Is It Anyway? from 1988 onwards.  He played alongside Stephen Fry in the film Peter's Friends as well as numerous other TV and film roles.  

Tony supported Leicester Comedy Festival when he agreed to be a patron of the festival when it launched in 1994.  Tony appeared on the front cover of the first brochure, wrote a personal message in the brochure, and appeared at Leicester’s Y Theatre in a special improvised comedy show.  In 1997 he performed at the festival with The Comedy Store Players and was also interviewed live on stage. 

He regularly appeared as part of Leicester Comedy Festival over the years and remained a patron until his death in 2025.  On hearing the news of Tony’s death, Geoff Rowe said “Tony was a wonderful, kind, generous, funny and clever man and an enormous supporter of the festival. I remember writing to him in 1993 asking him if he would become a patron and he rang me a few weeks later and said 'yes'.

"He gave up so much of his time coming to the festival, doing interviews and performing. It was amazing to have his active support. I can honestly say that without it, we may not have continued the festival in those early days. In recent years I saw him on a few occasions and was always struck by how much love there was for him from audiences. People loved Tony and I hope he will be remembered for his incredible contribution to British comedy.”

Geoff Rowe will also interview breakout star of Taskmaster and award winning comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri, as part of Leicester Comedy Festival 2026. The live Q&A with Fatiha, which will raise money to support the festival, will take place at Curve on Sunday 22nd February and tickets are now on sale from www.comedy-festival.co.uk