Barry Humphries, 89, gives fans a health update after an accidental fall left him in ‘agony’ with a broken hip
Aussie comedian Barry Humphries has given fans a health update after a fall last month left him in ‘agony’ with a broken hip.
He recently underwent surgery and is now recovering well with the help of physiotherapy, the 89-year-old international stage star told The Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday.
Dubbing himself ‘Bionic Bazza’ after receiving a titanium hip as a result of his accident, Barry says he is convalescing in a clinic in Sydney‘s eastern suburbs.
Famous for his characters Dame Edna Everage and Les Patterson, Barry said he needs to be fit for another ‘one man show’ later in the year.
‘I sit a lot in the show, and there’s a bit of pacing… I don’t think it’s going to be a problem, but I do have to get on with my physio,’ he said.
Famed Australian comedian Barry Humphries has given fans a health update after a fall last month left him in ‘agony’ with a broken hip. Pictured: Barry in London in 2022
Barry, who lives in London with his wife Lizzie Spender, hurt his hip while on a visit to Sydney.
Describing his accident as ‘ridiculous’, Barry said the injury to his hip occurred when he tripped on a rug while reaching for a book.
Elsewhere in the chat, the famously cheeky comedian said he wanted to assure fans that he was ‘on the mend’, but advised them to avoid breaking their hip.
Barry recently underwent surgery and is now recovering well with the help of physiotherapy, the 89-year-old international stage star told The Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday. Pictured: Barry as perhaps his most famous character Dame Edna Everage
‘The medical bills,’ he said, ‘were bloody enormous’.
Throughout his career, Barry – and his alter ego Edna – has met and charmed most of the Royal Family, from the late Queen Mother to King Charles III.
The Melbourne native has played the much-loved character Dame Edna since 1955.
He was just 21, a university dropout and aspiring artist when he created the persona for which he would later become world-famous.
The Melbourne native has played the much-loved character Dame Edna since 1955. Pictured: Barry as Edna in the hit Australian film The Adventures of Barry McKenzie from 1972
In 2022 he toured the UK with his show Barry Humphries: The Man Behind the Mask.
His other notable character is Barry McKenzie, an outrageous creation skewering the ‘average’ Aussie bloke, who debuted as a cartoon in the satirical magazine Private Eye in the 1960s.
Actor Barry Crocker starred as McKenzie in The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972). The film became one of most successful Australian movies ever made.
He has been married four times and has four children, including actress Tessa and journalist Oscar.
Dubbing himself ‘Bionic Bazza’ after receiving a titanium hip as a result of his accident, Barry says he is convalescing in a clinic in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and is doing well