Actor Hugh Grant has become something of a campaigner in favour of privacy for celebrities and has spoken out against the pernicious influence of the tabloid press in recent weeks. 

 But he used to have a very different opinion. Here is an extract from an interview he gave to the BBC in 2003 to promote the film Two Weeks Notice:

 Interviewer: How frustrating is it for you that people are more interested in your love life than your films?
Grant: I do get frustrated, but I understand where the instinct comes from. When I think about actors I know, I’d much rather hear about who they’re shagging than what film they’re doing next.

And in a 1994 interview with GQ Grant said: “I love the News of the World and avidly read dirt on other people.”