Stephen Fry has revealed that his guest role on US show Bones came as an "accident".

The British actor told Parkinson that he was offered a part after flying out to Los Angeles to discuss a screen play he is writing for 2008 film Dambusters.

"That was a sort of an accident really. I had to be in America for a meeting with Peter Jackson, the director, who lives in Wellington New Zealand and Los Angeles is more or less half way between Wellington and London," Fry explained.

"He was asking me to write a screen play for a film, the Dambusters, a new film on the Dam Busters - the great ray of the 6 month 7 squadron and all that. And the man has gone and the unfortunate code word and the music and all the wonderful things about that story which I was greatly looking forward to.

"But my agent in America asked if I would do an episode of this series Bones, which I have to confess I haven’t heard of, but they sent round a DVD and I watched it and it seemed very charming."

Parkinson airs at 10.30pm tonight on ITV1.