Alan Davies has claimed Stephen Fry quit his hosting role on QI due to budget cuts that made him feel "overworked".

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Davies, who appeared with Fry on the BBC show for 13 years, said that Fry had begun doing "three shows in 24 hours".

"Sometimes he'd go upstairs and have a vodka and tonic and a lie down then come back and say: 'I don't want to do this'." Davies said.

"It's absolutely right he's stepped down. He didn't want to do it any more. It's a new era. We have a really good replacement.

"There's a good atmosphere around the show. Sandi Toksvig is really good at it. I had a great time making the show. I was funny. I actually have a bit more room."

Fry announced that he would step down as host of the BBC Two comedy quiz in October 2015.

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"For 13 years I had one of the best jobs on television," he said in a statement at the time.

"Behind the camera squadrons of quite extraordinarily brilliant researchers, programme makers and uniquely curious (in both senses of the word) people making that job so much easier.

(BBC (BBC)

"In front of the camera, generations of lively minds and above all of course the wonder of nature that is Alan Davies."

Toksvig was announced as the new presenter, with show creator John Lloyd calling her the "perfect person to occupy his [Fry's] giant shoes".

"Sandi will be the first female host of a mainstream comedy panel on British television - an appointment that is well overdue," he added.