Hugh Grant speaks about his and Tinglan Hong’s child at Ellen DeGeneres Show

Hugh Grant became a father for the first time last year when his ex-girlfriend Tinglan Hong gave birth to his daughter Tabitha.

However, while the world exhaled a gasp of shock, no one was more surprised than Hugh Grant himself.

Speaking on the Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday, Hugh Grant admitted that becoming a dad has been “life changing” and he would highly recommend it to everyone.

Hugh Grant said: “Everyone was right all these years, saying, <<Hugh, why don’t you have some children? It changes your life>>.

“Now that I have a child, it is life changing. I recommend it. Get some!”

Hugh Grant said it came as a surprise when his former flame Tinglan Hong gave birth to Tabitha, who is now six months old.

He added: “I can’t pretend it wasn’t a little bit of a surprise. But it’s a very nice surprise. In fact, the baby’s name in Chinese, because the mother is Chinese, means Happy Surprise.”

When Ellen DeGeneres asked what the name is, Hugh Grant revealed: “Jingxi. It’s one of the baby’s names.”

Hugh Grant has certainly changed his tune from a few months ago when he said Tabitha had yet to change his life.

He said: “[People] said never let anyone know, but the baby period is not that exciting. But I am excited, actually.

“I thought, well, I’ll bluff through – but very little bluffing has been required. I like my daughter very much. Fantastic.

“Has she changed my life? I’m not sure. Not yet. Not massively, no. But I’m absolutely thrilled to have had her, I really am.”

While on Ellen’s show, Hugh Grant met Sophie Grace and Rosie, the two little girls from Essex who shot to fame when they became You Tube sensations with their memorable interpretation of Nicki Minaj song Super Bass last year, and stopped for a chat and some afternoon tea.

While in the US to promote his new film The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Hugh Grant also revealed that a third installment of Bridget Jones, in which he played the dastardly Daniel Cleaver, is being planned.

Speaking to MTV, Hugh Grant said: “I’ve seen some scripts. They haven’t quite hit the nail yet, but they will. They’re working on it.”