Stephen Fry backs SafeCall to protect missing children

Published: 10 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

Renowned actor, broadcaster, and mental health advocate Sir Stephen Fry has thrown his support behind The Independent’s SafeCall campaign, joining forces with the charity Missing People to raise funds and provide vital safety and support services for missing children across the UK. The campaign aims to ensure that children in crisis have a reliable, confidential service they can turn to at any time.

Sir Stephen Fry has long been a vocal advocate for mental health and young people’s welfare, speaking openly about his own experiences living with bipolar disorder and the importance of timely access to care and understanding. The SafeCall initiative resonates with him on a personal level: in 1995, during a theatre run in London, he went missing for three days after feeling overwhelmed and struggling to cope with the pressures of his life and career.

In his documentary Stephen Fry: A Life on Screen, he reflected on the incident, saying: “I just couldn’t take being in the play, or being in London. I got in my car and drove to one of the Channel ports. I saw rows of newspaper headlines, ‘Fears for Fry’ type thing. That’s the awful thing. I can’t believe I made people worry so much. When you feel you can’t go on, it’s not just a phrase, it’s a reality. I could not go on, and I would have killed myself if I didn’t have the option of disappearing.”

Drawing on this experience, Fry emphasised the need for services like SafeCall, which aim to provide immediate, empathetic support to vulnerable children. “I am delighted to see The Independent join forces with the charity to be there for the 70,000 children and young people who are reported missing each year in the UK – young people who are so often the target of exploitation and harm,” he said. “Together, we’ll be raising vital funds to build and launch a cutting-edge service for our times, and it’s called SafeCall. Most importantly, SafeCall will be designed by young people, so that it’s truly informed by their needs.”

SafeCall will operate as a free, confidential service offering guidance, emotional support, and practical advice for children who go missing, whether due to family breakdown, exploitation, or other forms of distress. With a child reported missing every two and a half minutes in the UK, the need for such a service is critical. The Independent has set a target of raising £165,000 to launch the initiative, with the hope of reaching thousands of vulnerable young people each year.

“Together we can create a legacy – help available whenever young people need it, and no matter what,” Fry added. His involvement aims not only to raise funds but also to raise awareness about the risks and challenges facing children who go missing and to promote a culture of early intervention and support.

Sir Stephen Fry’s career has spanned decades, from early television appearances in Alfresco and A Bit of Fry and Laurie to the much-loved Blackadder series and his long-standing role as host of the quiz show QI. Beyond his work in entertainment, Fry has been a committed advocate for mental health and charitable causes, becoming president of the mental health charity Mind in 2011. In this role, he has championed public understanding, advocacy, and access to support services for those in crisis, particularly young people.

Through his own experiences and public advocacy, Fry has become one of the UK’s most trusted voices on compassion, mental health, and crisis intervention. His involvement in SafeCall highlights the importance of combining celebrity influence with practical support, ensuring that children receive immediate, accessible help when they are most at risk.

Parents, guardians, and community members are encouraged to support the campaign through donations and awareness, ensuring that SafeCall can reach its full potential. Children and young people in crisis can contact Missing People confidentially at any time by calling or texting 116 000, a free service available across the UK. Additional support is also available through organisations such as the Samaritans, who can be reached on 116 123 or via email at jo@samaritans.org.

The campaign also emphasises that no young person should feel alone or helpless. Services like SafeCall not only provide practical advice and routes to safety but also offer emotional support and reassurance, helping children to navigate difficult and often frightening situations. By involving young people in the design and implementation of the service, SafeCall aims to ensure that it meets their specific needs and remains accessible, engaging, and responsive.

Sir Stephen Fry’s support of SafeCall underscores the critical role of public figures in championing social causes and lending their voices to vulnerable communities. By sharing his own personal story, Fry has highlighted the real human consequences of mental health crises and the importance of having services in place that can respond immediately to those in danger.

As the campaign progresses, The Independent and Missing People hope to expand the reach of SafeCall across the UK, raising awareness and funds to ensure that no child is left without support. Fry’s involvement is expected to boost both visibility and credibility, encouraging more people to engage with and support this vital initiative.