News | Entertainment
13 Jan 2026 11:51
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Idris Elba feels "very fortunate to be alive" after his COVID-19 battle

    The 'Luther' star was one of the first celebrities to reveal he was battling coronavirus and he feels lucky that his struggle with the virus was "mild" compared to others


    Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, he said: "The COVID was mild, compared with how others have gone. I’m very fortunate to be alive, and every day I’m thankful."

    Meanwhile, Idris previously admitted having coronavirus was "very sobering".

    The 'Mountain Between Us' actor said: "Facing my mortality, being diagnosed with Covid and not knowing what it was at the time - going through that was very sobering."

    The couple were subjected to "stupid" conspiracy theories that they were being paid to lie about the virus and Idris and Sabrina admitted it only made their recovery harder.

    He added: “The aftermath was really soul-destroying.

    "The last year has been a travesty. We feel very lucky we came out with our health and our beating hearts but there was a real recovery process that was difficult ...

    "I’m really lucky though because I had my partner with me who was there for every second."

    Idris feels "incredibly lucky" to have fully recovered from the virus after catching it in March last year.

    She said: "I don’t suffer any residual effects and during my time with COVID, I was asymptomatic. But I guess I feel incredibly lucky to have not gone down the worst route and thus it’s given me a slightly different perspective on life, a little bit more of a new lease on life.

    There are things that I’ve always wanted to do and haven’t done that I’m doing and want to do and pursuing. Personal things, small goals, things that I just put aside, things that I just said, ‘Oh, I’ll do that one day,’ but now I’m doing."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     13 Jan: Ella Hunt has married her longtime partner Thomas Bartlett
     13 Jan: Sarah Michelle Gellar stepped away from acting because she felt "directionless" after Robin Williams' death
     13 Jan: Kelsea Ballerini's dog has died
     13 Jan: Kate Hudson doesn't even think about ageing
     13 Jan: Justin Bieber could play a huge comeback show in the UK in 2026
     13 Jan: Amanda Seyfried felt "so liberated" while making The Housemaid
     13 Jan: Khloe Kardashian "always had really bad therapists"
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    New Zealand Rugby's high performance boss Mike Anthony is moving on to join Premier League football side Brighton More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    The US company trying to takeover Kiwi tech firm Rakon plans to keep its presence here More...



     Today's News

    Accident and Emergency:
    A second body has been recovered from the Waikato River - believed to be a 25-year-old swept downstream on Saturday 11:47

    Entertainment:
    Ella Hunt has married her longtime partner Thomas Bartlett 11:23

    National:
    Bob Weir: the Grateful Dead co-founder reinvented rhythm guitar and the art of the jam 11:17

    Cricket:
    Alyssa Healy, the captain of the Australian women's cricket team, will retire in March after the series with India 11:07

    Law and Order:
    Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka is returning to the PGA Tour after four years away 11:07

    Entertainment:
    Sarah Michelle Gellar stepped away from acting because she felt "directionless" after Robin Williams' death 10:53

    Environment:
    A sewer leak at a popular Christchurch swimming spot has been traced to bottles being flushed down toilets, blocking the septic system 10:47

    Politics:
    Why are people protesting in Iran? Mass anti-government demonstrations continue 10:37

    Motoring:
    Yes, those big touchscreens in cars are dangerous and buttons are coming back 10:37

    National:
    Venezuela’s leader may be gone, but his regime remains – with a new chief in Washington 10:27


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd