TV host says he downloaded show starring his former comedy partner Hugh Laurie because he could not get a legal copy

Stephen Fry has admitted illegally downloading House, the hit US show that stars his former comedy partner Hugh Laurie.

The QI host told an audience in London that he had used the bittorrent system to get a copy of Laurie’s show House.

Speaking at the iTunes Festival in London’s Roundhouse, Fry said: “The last thing I illegally downloaded. Was it a gay sex romp? … It was the season finale of House.”

The website stuff.tv said Fry pointed out he had legally downloaded the entire series but was in Indonesia and unable to download a legitimate copy of the final episode.

Asked how he felt about his own work being pirated, Fry, who has written about technology for the Guardian, said: “I’m against cynical bootlegging but I work in a very mollycoddled, overpaid business.”

Fry was invited to speak about copyright and the future of music as part of the free festival, sharing a bill with bands such as The Temper Trap and Mumford & Sons.

After his speech, he said he was not suggesting people should simply help themselves to downloads. On Twitter, he said: “Hope I’m not misunderstood. Such a pity if I get misrepresented as a ‘help yourself and be a pirate’ advocate …”