Comedy legend Harry Enfield has revealed he is gradually losing his hearing as he opened up with rare honesty about the realities — and surprising upsides — of getting older.
The 64-year-old star, best known for iconic characters including Kevin the Teenager, Loadsamoney and Tim Nice-But-Dim, admitted that his hearing has deteriorated so badly he now struggles in busy public places.
Speaking on The Third Act podcast, Harry said candidly: “I’m deaf. I’m getting very deaf and I just cannot hear in restaurants.”
He went on to reveal that his growing hearing problems have led him to ask venues to turn off background music — something he joked is now easier than ever in today’s culture.
“These days, of course, you’re allowed to say, ‘I’m deaf, could you turn the music off?’” he said.
“And then they’re almost infringing on your human rights if they don’t, aren’t they? Because you’ve said you’ve got a disability.”
Despite the challenges, Harry admitted that ageing does have its advantages — including what he cheekily described as “pensioner perks,” even though he is still two years away from officially qualifying.
The multi-millionaire revealed that he swims daily at Highgate Ponds in north London and often secures free entry by casually announcing himself as a pensioner.
“I take my cap off and go, ‘old age pensioner,’ put it back on, and that means I go in free until nine o’clock,” he said.
“If I’m late, I pay £2.90, whereas young people have to pay £4.50. That really pleases me.”
The famous Hampstead Heath ponds remain a magnet for celebrities, year-round swimmers and north London’s most eccentric locals — with Harry now a regular face among them.
The comedian also reflected on how much the entertainment industry has changed since his 1990s heyday, admitting that he has intentionally stepped away from the relentless grind that once defined his career.
“What’s so nice is not feeling you have to be driven,” he explained.
“I remember someone once saying success is 10% talent and 90% drive. That felt true at the time.”
“As soon as my drive went, and I was no longer pushing to do things, it wasn’t that I wasn’t funny anymore,” he continued. “I just wasn’t particularly interested in fighting for it or pitching constantly.”
Harry also paid tribute to late BBC executive Alan Yentob, who commissioned many of his biggest hits during what is now seen as the golden age of British comedy.
“When Alan Yentob was the head of BBC One and Two, which is when I did my big shows, he was like the curator of an art museum,” Harry recalled.
“He’d simply say, ‘I want this, Harry — will you make me a show?’ And then no one interfered.”
By contrast, he noted that today’s process feels far more restrictive.
“Now people say, ‘Would you do us a show and here are all our notes, and what is this, and what is that?’”
He compared modern commissioning to an art gallery attempting to micromanage Damien Hirst.
“It’s like saying, ‘Those spots should be a little longer, and those butterflies should be a different shape.’”
Reflecting on that change, Harry admitted simply:
“That’s when I thought — I can’t be bothered anymore.”
Source: Daily Mail
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