Hugh to welcome his fifth child in seven years

After previously ruling out having children, 57-year-old actor Hugh Grant is preparing to become a dad of five

heir outing T at the Golden Globes earlier this month sent fans into a flurry of speculation, as Hugh Grant’s Swedish girlfriend, Anna Eberstein, proudly displayed a baby bump.

Anna’s mother later confirmed the happy news, revealing she was “due rather soon” – making the 57-year-old actor a father for the fifth time in seven years.

This will be the couple’s third child together. They’re already parents to five-year-old son John Mungo and a twoyear-old daughter, whose name is yet to be revealed. Hugh also has two children with his ex, Tinglan Hong – six-year-old daughter Tabitha and four-yearold son Felix.

The actor has famously gone from having no children to being a father of four in just four years – with his second and third kids born just three months apart.

ENCHANTING U-TURN

Opening up about being a dad, the Paddington star said last week, “It was the nicest thing that’s ever happened to me, but it happens to be true. It’s just lovely to have all that love around. Suddenly you love someone more than yourself. It’s unheard of in my case, and they love you, and it’s all enchanting.”

The actor’s newfound love of fatherhood is in stark contrast to him previously ruling out children. Even his ex, model Liz Hurley – whose son, Damian, now 15, he’s godfather to – revealed he didn’t want to start a family during their 13-year romance.

Speaking after their split in 2000, she said, “He could have had five kids if he stayed with me. But there was never really a time when either of us wanted it.”

Soon after Tabitha’s birth, Hugh released a statement in which he admitted being her father after a “fleeting affair”.

But he told US chat show host Ellen Degeneres early the following year, “Now I have a child, it is life changing. I recommend it. Get some.”

NEW PERSPECTIVE

A source says, “Having children was never on the cards for Hugh, as he was never in the right place, and he spent his thirties and forties saying it just wasn’t for him – even though he doted on his friends’ children.

“As soon as he hit his fifties, his entire perspective shifted and he had a complete change

of heart and decided he was finally ready to become a father.

“After Tabitha was born, he was blown away with how much it changed his life for the better and how much he just wanted to have more.”

Friends close to the actor say his relationship with film producer Anna began when they met at a London party and she pitched a movie idea. The couple have been notoriously private about their family in a bid to keep their kids out of the spotlight. While they confirmed the birth of their second baby, little is publicly known about the child.

A source adds, “Hugh couldn’t be more excited about the new arrival and can’t wait to meet his new son or daughter in the next couple of months.”

❛HE WAS BLOWN AWAY WITH HOW MUCH IT CHANGED HIS LIFE FOR THE BETTER❜