Why Stephen Fry Marrying a Younger Guy Shouldn't Matter

Stephen Fry at the London World Premiere of 'The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies' on December 1, 2014 | Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images

Actor and U.K. television presenter Stephen Fry is to marry Elliot Spencer, whom Fry started seeing last year. According to The Daily Mirror, the couple drew up a formal application to marry at the register office in Dereham, Norfolk on December 23. Norfolk is Fry's home county.

It's been reported that the 57-year-old QI host--who has talked openly about his struggles with bipolar disorder and depression and attempted suicide in 2012--has had a renewed joie de vivre since meeting the 30-year younger Spencer.

Back in November, theMirror quoted an unnamed source who said that meeting the 27-year-old writer and stand up comedian turned Fry's life around. "Stephen and Elliott get on brilliantly together. It's fantastic to see Stephen with a smile on his face again. He has been very, very open about his battles with drugs and depression. Elliott seems to have given him the confidence to live his life again. It's great to have the old Stephen back."

In 2013, Fry wrote a blog post about grappling to cope with loneliness and depression.

"It's not that I want a sexual partner, a long-term partner, someone to share a bed and a snuggle on the sofa with--although perhaps I do and in the past I have had and it has been joyful. But the fact is I value my privacy too. It's a lose-lose matter. I don't want to be alone, but I want to be left alone."

A photograph of the couple via 'The Guardian'

According to The Guardian, Fry has had only a single relationship since separating from his partner, David Cohen, in 2010. Fry credited Cohen with "saving" from during bouts of sever depression. Following Cohen, Stephen began seeing Steven Webb, who is 27 years his junior. Come 2013, he was single again, as evidenced by the aforementioned blog post on "loneliness."

After the Mirror broke the story, Fry went to twitter to confirm and comment. He tweeted: "Oh. It looks as though a certain cat is out of a certain bag. I'm very very happy of course but had hoped for a private wedding. Fat chance!"

He followed that up with, "Thank you all SO much for your kind congratulations. Deeply touched xxx"

His most recent tweets of the past few hours have been mostly complaints about the pack of journalists camping outside his home.

Apparently no date has been set for the wedding. Fry's personal assistant told The Guardian: "Stephen Fry is very happy and proud to say that he has set the wheels in motion for a wedding sometime in the future, but no date has been set due to a busy work schedule."