Mel Gibson, 60, claims to be very happy with girlfriend Rosealind Ross – who is now pregnant with his ninth child – but he occasionally worries that the 34-year age gap might one day be an issue.

He explained to the Daily Mirror newspaper: “Regarding age and relationships, it’s just a number.

We dig each other. She is an adult and we dig each other. It might cause a problem and one has a trepidation about these things, but it’s working out great. She is a really special person. I dig her. So there you go. That’s it. What more can one ask?”

The star was the subject of much controversy in 2006 after being arrested for driving under the influence. He was subsequently recorded giving a questionable rant which made even bigger headlines.

Gibson was once again in trouble after his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, claimed he was physically abusing her. This has led the actor to focus more on himself and family life.

Speaking about his past issues, he shared: “Well, the last ten years have been interesting. I don’t feel like this is some kind of comeback for me, I just feel like it’s good. It’s the first time for a long time that I’ve stepped back into the saddle as a director, and it’s kind of like riding a bike.

I worked on myself and I feel great. And I am glad to be back and I am fortunate. I feel pretty cooled out and stuff doesn’t matter the way it used to. So I feel good and healthy, I have done the work and I feel pretty fit…

I dabbled in acting here and there, so it wasn’t all bad. And I also got a chance to perfect my fly fishing technique, be a pretty hands-on dad and work on myself. You have got to try to progress.”