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18 Feb 2026 19:07
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  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Idris Elba feels like he "dodged a bullet" after recovering from Covid-19

    Both the 47-year-old actor and his wife Sabrina Dhowre, 31, contracted the virus in April and Idris says they are thankful to be alive


    In an interview with BAFTA, he said: "I do feel like I dodged a bullet – I’m very thankful to be alive."

    Meanwhile, Idris previously admitted the "mental impact" of Covid-19 was "pretty traumatic" on him and Sabrina.

    He explained: "I was asymptomatic so I didn't get the major symptoms everyone else got. Mentally, it hit me very bad, because a lot was unknown about it.

    "I felt very compelled to speak about it, just because it was such an unknown. So the mental impact of that on both myself and my wife was pretty traumatic."

    The former star of 'The Wire' added that he was grateful for lockdown because it gave him the time to recover from the virus.

    He admitted: "I needed the lockdown to try to get over it. And it turns out the world actually probably needed the lockdown, too."

    Idris has said it felt the right thing to do to share his diagnosis as it "opened up a lot of conversation around it".

    He said: "My wife and I felt like it was the right thing to do, to share it with you guys. Right now though, I am feeling okay. Woke up this morning, didn't have any symptoms. My voice is a little tired ... checking my fever twice a day. Feel good, feel okay. Been doing a lot of reading about it. You know, asymptomatic is what comes up."

    Several celebrities were struck down with Covid-19, including Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, pop star Pink and Britain's Prince Charles.

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

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     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    Ted Danson has revealed Cheers was almost cancelled during its first season 18:57

    Business:
    The Reserve Bank says inflation's too high, but it's actually worried it could soon end up too low 18:57

    Health & Safety:
    Pharmac's being urged to give blood cancer patients assurance on what treatments are being funded in the coming years 18:37

    Entertainment:
    Savannah Guthrie dec lared "it's never too late to do the next right thing" as she made a fresh appeal for her mother's safe return 18:27

    International:
    Equal time rule leads CBS to pull Stephen Colbert's James Talarico interview 18:17

    Rugby League:
    Tiger Woods could be a contender for the US Ryder Cup golf captaincy next year 18:07

    Entertainment:
    Wiz Khalifa has been left devastated by his father's "sudden" death after he "decided not to wake up" 17:57

    Business:
    The Reserve Bank's kept the OCR unchanged at 2.25 percent - and expects it'll stay there for most of this year 17:27

    Entertainment:
    Glen Powell and Joe Jonas faked an arrest to prank his sister Leslie 17:27

    Business:
    Disagreement within the Reserve Bank, on how soon to again raise the Official Cash Rate 16:57


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