Stephen Fry would hate to live past 100 because he would "hate to be that lonely".

The 66-year-old star - who married partner Elliott Spencer, 36, in January 2015 - insisted it would be "deeply upsetting" to live in a world without his loved ones.

Speaking to comedian David Walliams on the 'Brave New World' podcast: "Personally, I'm not particularly interested in longevity for myself.

"I'm interested, as I think most people are, in the idea of an old age that is as pain-free as possible and where there isn't too much cognitive loss...

"If everybody – my family and friends – lived into their 120s, then maybe I'd be quite happy to pass 100.

"But as it is, I would hate to be that lonely Flying Dutchman figure so beloved of history...

"The survivor, all of whose dependents and acquaintances have since died. I would find that deeply upsetting."

The former 'Blackadder' star also voiced concern over people in California being easily influenced by health fads.

He argued: "The trouble is, there are so many snake oil salesmen out there, and those of us who follow health trends can see that they go in different directions.

"At the moment, there's a great deal of interest in the human microbiome, so people are insisting on fermented foods and probiotics, none of which I think are entirely proven to help in any way – except perhaps for those with specific conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, or Crohn's disease.

"But nonetheless, I know lots of people, particularly in California – where I am at the moment and which is always what you might call a leader in this kind of thing – who drink nothing but kombucha and eat lots of sauerkraut because they've read somewhere that it will somehow help them live longer and cleaner – that strange word, 'clean' eating."