Can there be any ‘wellness’ trend talked about more than cold-water swimming?
Everyone from the Princess of Wales to pop superstar Harry Styles and Fifty Shades Of Grey hunk Jamie Dornan has waxed lyrical about the supposed health benefits of a dip in Britain’s chilly waters.
Now, however, Harry Enfield has revealed that years of daily cold-water swimming in north London have left him with a serious health condition.
The comedian, best known for his memorable creations such as Kevin the Teenager and Loadsamoney, has extra bones growing inside his ears.
Harry Enfield has exostosis, better known as ‘surfer’s ear’, from cold-water swimming
Harry, 65, was diagnosed with the condition recently after going to be fitted for hearing aids. ‘I’m deaf, partially deaf,’ he explains. ‘And because I swim in Highgate Ponds, I’ve got stalactites in my ears.’
He explains: ‘They’ve got tiny little hearing aids you can get now and apparently they’re very good. They cost a fortune, but they’re worth having. So I went to get them fitted. They said, “No, you’ve got big bones – stalactites – that have grown in your ears. Do you do a lot of fresh water swimming?” I said, “Well, yeah”. They said, “Ah, that’s what it is.”‘
Speaking on the Off Menu podcast, he says: ‘You can have them chopped off, but it’s very painful and takes a long time. I’d sooner not hear what you’re saying.’
Exostosis, better known as ‘surfer’s ear’, occurs when repeated exposure to cold water and wind irritates the ear canal, triggering the body to grow new lumps of bone.
Princess Catherine said in 2023: ‘I love swimming, the colder the better. When it’s dark and it’s raining and I’ll go and seek out cold water – I love it.’
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and his second wife, Jo, appeared keen for their children to maintain the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.
‘One time I went into [son] Ty’s room and found a plastic bag of what looked like dried parsley,’ former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Jo tells the Suddenly Single podcast. ‘I said, “This isn’t what you think it is. This is terrible. If you want some grass I’ll get you some, but don’t be smoking that.”‘
Dame Prue Leith has some advice for Nigella Lawson, who takes over from her as a judge on The Great British Bake Off. Dame Prue would often joke that a contestant’s cake was ‘worth the calories’ if it was particularly delicious.
Nigella Lawson has taken over from Dame Prue Leith as a judge on The Great British Bake Off
‘Don’t say that,’ she warns ‘domestic goddess’ Nigella. ‘I got into a lot of trouble. Apparently, that was fat shaming.’
The chef adds: ‘She will obviously be great. She’s sassy and clever and she knows her onions.’ And her custard from her creme anglaise, hopefully.
Simon Le Pong: I didn’t wash jeans for 10 years
Simon Le Bon has confessed to a dirty little secret. The singer, 67, who is married to top model Yasmin Le Bon, says he’s so averse to washing his clothes that he once wore an unclean item for a decade.
‘I had a pair of jeans that I didn’t wash for over ten years,’ he admits. ‘I never got them really dirty, I didn’t really sweat in them that much, and I always turned them inside out and hung them up in the fresh air.’ He adds: ‘It was an experiment, because I’d read this article about not washing jeans. And if they do smell, you could put them in a freezer, and that kills off the bacteria.’
At least it meant the colours never Duran Duran…
Secret behind Liz’s shades at the cinema look
Liz Hurley caught the eye by wearing a pair of shades to the pictures.
Liz Hurley at the Murder Between Friends UK premiere at Curzon Mayfair in central London
‘I’ve got a stye, so I’m wearing sun glasses tonight,’ the actress and model explains at the premiere of A Murder Between Friends, at the Curzon Mayfair cinema.
‘I’m too lazy to put eye make-up on, and too vain not to go out without them on.’ Liz, 60, was supporting her friend Dame Joan Collins, 93, who plays the leading role in the Agatha Christie-style murder mystery film.
Spider-Man told to mind his language
Although Spider-Man star Tom Holland and American actress Zendaya often bounce between Britain and the US, he admits he’s still struggling to bridge the etiquette gap.
‘One of the things I find really difficult is a lot of Americans – New Yorkers, especially – when they’re ordering food, it’s very different to how we order food,’ explains London-born Tom, 30, who reportedly married Zendaya, 29, in secret earlier this year.
‘In England, we say, ‘Please may I have the burger with number two. Thank you so much, please. Thank you, thank you, thank you.’ And in America, it’s totally fine to be like, ‘I’ll have the number two’ and just leave it at that.’
He adds: ‘I would be doing [Spider-Man] scenes, and my dialect coach would come in and be like, ‘Stop saying, please. A kid from New York’s not gonna say “please” if you’re asking for a burger.”
King Crimson rock veteran Robert Fripp spent time in an Italian hospital last year after what turned out to have been a heart attack.
‘This dear man turned up and shaved my b****,’ recalls Fripp, 80, husband of punk star Toyah Willcox. ‘I thought, “Well, if this is something to do with my heart, why is he shaving my b****?” Very few of the staff spoke English, which led to one or two funny moments, like me taking my pants down for inspection by a matronly nurse who was actually asking what I wanted for lunch.’
Mamma mia!
