Legendary Australian comedian Barry Humphries continues to recover in a Sydney hospital, contrary to reports he is in an unresponsive state.
The 89-year-old behind characters such as Dame Edna has suffered complications from hip replacement surgery in recent months, with his health worsening in the past week.
There were reports on Friday morning that Humphries’ family had rushed to his bedside as he had become “non-responsive”
Entertainment reporter Peter Ford told the Seven Network that doctors began increasing morphine levels late on Thursday as Humphries’ pain worsened, which he speculated could have led to him becoming unresponsive.
“It does tally up with information I was given yesterday that Barry’s pain was beginning to increase so in turn they began to give him more morphine, which certainly keeps you comfortable, is a nice way of putting it,” Ford said.
“As we have been reporting all week, Barry has been in an increasingly perilous state of health, all these complications from the fall, the hip replacement.
“His children were told in the beginning of the week it would be advisable if they wanted to come see him to do so … and they are all there right now along with his wife, Lizzie [Spender].”
Sons Oscar and Rupert reportedly flew in from London to be with Humphries. His daughter, Emily, from who he has been estranged for years, was also reported to be there,.
However, Humphries’ publicist, Wendy Day, denied the reports later on Friday. She said the comedian’s condition was unchanged since Thursday, and he was resting as doctors continue to look after him.
St Vincent’s Hospital also publicly confirmed on Friday that Humphries was “stable and responsive”.
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Barry Humphries' family gives health update
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Humphries was admitted to St Vincent’s on Wednesday, due to complications from hip surgery. When reports emerged, his family confirmed his admission, with a statement thanking the hospital’s medical staff.
“Barry Humphries is currently in hospital receiving treatment for health issues,” they said.
“Barry would like to thank everybody for the support and good wishes he’s received but would like more and more.”
Born and raised in Melbourne, Humphries has delighted and outraged audiences for decades as an entertainer and man of a million masks – his most famous being Dame Edna and Sir Les Patterson.
Last year, he toured Britain with his show The Man Behind the Mask. He was also due to tour Australia in 2023.
He broke his hip in a fall on holiday in Australia over summer, telling the Nine newspapers he was “in agony”.
“It was the most ridiculous thing, like all domestic incidents are. I was reaching for a book, my foot got caught on a rug or something, and down I went,” he said.
– with AAP
