Sydney hospital denies Barry Humphries is in ‘unresponsive’ state
By Mike Bedigan, PA Los Angeles Correspondent
A Sydney hospital where Australian entertainer Barry Humphries is currently being treated has denied reports that his is in an “unresponsive” state.
St Vincent’s Hospital said that reports on Thursday by multiple local media outlets were incorrect, and that Humphries was “stable” and “in the best hands”.
The 89-year-old, best known for his character Dame Edna Everage, is being treated at the hospital after suffering “health issues” following hip surgery.
According to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, he was readmitted after suffering complications.
On Thursday it was further reported by multiple local outlets that Humphries had gone into an “unresponsive state” and had been given morphine by doctors.
But a spokesperson for the hospital later told the PA news agency the reports were “not accurate”.
“Reports that he is unresponsive are not accurate,” a hospital spokesperson said.
“He remains stable in the hospital in the best hands.”
A family statement previously issued to the Sydney Morning Herald thanked fans and hospital staff for their “support and good wishes”.
Humphries has been a staple of the British comedy circuit since moving to London in 1959, appearing in West End shows such as Maggie May and Oliver!.
He was among the leading members of the British comedy scene, alongside Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Spike Milligan.
Alongside his Dame Edna Everage alter ego, he also appeared as the lecherous Sir Les Patterson and Sandy Stone, an elderly, childless man living in the suburbs.
