Stephen Fry quits Twitter after BAFTA controversy

For many of you, Stephen Fry will have been one of the first celebrities you followed on Twitter.

But now the QI host is quitting the social network, after he came in for criticism online over a comment he made while presenting Sunday night's BAFTA awards.

Fry accused an award winner of looking like a "bag lady". Though he later posted a photo of himself with the woman in question, costume designer Jenny Beavan, the damage had been done.

My objection to Stephen Fry: if you've got a little in joke, lovely. FIVE MILLION PEOPLE WATCHING DON'T KNOW THAT.

— Scott (@merseytart) February 15, 2016

I know this is a massively unpopular opinion, but I find Stephen Fry an extremely precious wanker. Amongst other things, he waxes lyrical...

— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) February 14, 2016

After a long back-and-forth with supporters and opponents, the 58-year-old decided to hang up his Twitter boots.

Some of Fry's celebrity friends were quick to leap to his defence.

@stephenfry Didn't you get the memo? No-one is allowed to do jokes anymore.

— Matt Lucas HQ (@RealMattLucas) February 14, 2016

But the knives were still out in some circles.

Fry has, of course, left Twitter in the past...only to later return.

With that in mind, we might not have seen the end of this.