Hugh Grant insists he was in a "no-win situation" when he gave a public statement confirming the birth of his baby.

The British actor is currently giving evidence at the Leveson Inquiry in London, which is looking into allegations of phone hacking against several UK newspapers.

Hugh recently became a father for the first time. He welcomed a baby girl in early October with Chinese actress Tinglan Hong.

Hugh's publicist confirmed the news at the beginning of this month, and said he had a "fleeting affair" with the mother who was not at first revealed.

His publicist went on to say that "while this was not planned, Hugh could not be happier or more supportive. He and the mother have discussed everything and are on very friendly terms".

American magazine Us Weekly first broke the story, and Hugh has explained his reasoning behind giving a public statement about the state of his relationship to the press and public, for fear of a "twisted spin" of the story spreading.

"In the end having held off from all these enquiries from the British papers, US magazine seemed to have got hold of the story and published. I was in a no-win situation and decided it was the best thing to do, because the story in hours would go everywhere especially the British tabloids. I was very anxious that they'd give it a twisted spin," he explained.

"I wanted to be as honest as possible. I said I was delighted at the birth, but I didn't want the papers to write a twisted version that suggested Tinglan was a jilted girlfriend. I tried to find the words that she was a friend and not a former girlfriend and that therefore there was no question that she's been jilted as a pregnant mother."

Hugh was probed into the nature of his statement, and asked whether it was the words of him or his publicist. He was asked why he even commented on the nature of his relationship with Tinglan when he could have just refused to remark on their association.

"We [him and his publicist] had a hasty conversation on the phone while I was filming in Germany. It was not ideal circumstances, I was dressed as a cannibal at the time," he smiled, which garnered laughs from inside the room.

"I have been given a hard time for using those words which is ironic seeing as it's actually the truth but it doesn't seem that popular."

Hugh has also been discussing the lengths photographers and journalists have been going to in order to gain information and take photographs of him and his loved ones.

The 51-year-old says Tinglan and her family have also been treated badly by photographers.

"At the house where the mother of my child and my child were besieged and surrounded by these paparazzi," he said.

"I asked my lawyer what could possibly be done. He said Well maybe if we get pictures of these people, we can have a chance of calling it off.' The 61-year-old grandmother of my child went out into the street and took a picture of a man sitting in a car with a great big camera.

"He turned round, took a lot of pictures of her, wound the window down and shouted a lot of abuse at her and then as she crossed the road, he menaced her with his car, drove at her very fast and made her jump out of the way. Then at the end of the road, he did a U-turn, came back and menaces her again with the car." (C) Cover Media