Northern Ireland’s Jamie Dornan in the top 10 contenders to be next James Bond

Dornan has long been linked to the role, steadily keeping the rumour mill turning.

The Belfast actor recently told Esquire magazine: “it’s a fun and cool thing to be in the mix” .

However, the 39-year-old has also admitted he is apprehensive about fans’ reactions to his casting to such an iconic role, noting the backlash that English friend Robert Pattinson faced: “Look at the reaction that Rob got cast as Batman. It was like 90% negative.”

With a varied career under his belt, from BBC series The Tourist to Kenneth Branagh’s Oscar-winning Belfast, Dornan could well be an attractive prospect for Barbara Broccoli and her team, who run the Bond franchise.

The frontrunner remains Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page, priced at 5/2 by William Hill, though he is at risk of being overtaken by other contenders.

These include Man of Steel and Witcher star Henry Cavill, who currently resides as second favourite, tipped at 7/2.

Also amongst the favourites is Londoner Idris Elba, former star of cops-and-drug-dealers drama The Wire – one of the most acclaimed TV series in history; his odds stand at 7/1.