Hugh Grant reveals he had coronavirus, shares ‘strange’ symptoms

‘You want to sniff strangers’ armpits because you just can’t smell anything’, the actor revealed

British actor, Hugh Grant revealed that he and his wife had contracted coronavirus back in February this year. Getty Images

British actor Hugh Grant, 60, has revealed he contracted coronavirus earlier this year.

During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the star shared that he and his wife, Anna Eberstein had caught the virus back in February, and revealed the "strange" symptoms he experienced.

"It started as just a very strange syndrome where I kept breaking into a terrible sweat. It was like a poncho of sweat, embarrassing really," the Paddington 2 actor told Colbert. "Then my eyeballs felt about three sizes too big and this feeling as though some enormous man was sitting on my chest, sort of Harvey Weinstein or someone."

The actor revealed all about the "strange" symptoms he'd suffered on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'. The Late Show

Grant also admitted to suffering from a symptom that many others who have caught the virus, including Sons of Anarchy actor Charlie Hunnam, have shared.

"I thought: 'I don't know what this is,' and then I was walking down the street one day and I thought, 'I can't smell a thing,' and you start to panic," he revealed.

The actor, who is currently winning rave reviews for his role in HBO's The Undoing, starring as Jonathan Fraser opposite Nicole Kidman, added that he became obsessed with smelling things, including items that might have a strong stench, in order to reinvigorate his lost sense of smell.

“(I began) sniffing flowers, then advanced to garbage cans,” he told the talk show host. “You know, you want to sniff strangers’ armpits because you just can’t smell anything. I eventually went home and sprayed my wife’s Chanel No 5 directly into my face – couldn’t smell a thing, but I did go blind!”

Grant isn't the only big name to share his experience of having Covid-19. Tom Hanks, Idris Elba, Prince William, Khloe Kardashian and Cristian Ronaldo, are just a few famous faces who have also contracted the virus.