New Poll see's fan vote Idris Elba as new James Bond actor | MarkMeets | Celebrity News, Music, Movies, TV, London Film Premieres

Daniel Craig retiring as the lead JAMES BOND left favourite Tom Hardy at the frontrunner though UK movie fans do not agree.

A new British poll is packed with plenty of surprises, including three Americans and one absolutely impossible choice. Plus, there is a clear divide between how women and men voted.

Whilst ‘Hardy’ is not the UK’s No 1 choice to replace Daniel Craig after No Time To Die, it seems Idris Elba is!

It has appeared that Venom star Tom Hardy was odds on having dominated the bookies’ predictions to be the Next James Bond, even before Daniel Craig signed on for No Time To Die. Now a new poll of Brits have have given their verdict in a new poll which sees the 44-year-old unceremoniously ditched from top place.

Hardy received an impressive 17 per cent of the vote. However, another Bond favourite, Idris Elba, who currently has best odds of 6-1 at the age of 49, is the UK’s favourite to replace Craig on 19 per cent.

Incredibly, the outgoing Bond himself was in third place, with 12 per cent wanting the No Time To Die star to return to the franchise like Sean Connery did in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. This would be seemingly impossible since Craig’s secret agent actually dies at the end of his fifth and final outing.

Connery on the other hand left the franchise after 1969’s You Only Live Twice, frustrated with producer Cubby Broccoli and his salary. But when he was offered a record $1.25 million and two films of his choice to return two years later, the Scottish star agreed.

Scroll down for the full top 10 of Britain’s choice for the next Bond, which features three Americans, plus some former favourites who have slipped out of contention.

1. Idris Elba 19%
2. Tom Hardy 17%
3. Daniel Craig 12%
4. Tom Hiddleston 7%
5. James Norton 5%
6. Henry Cavill 5%
7. Brad Pitt 5%
8. Richard Madden 5%
9. Leonardo DiCaprio 4%
10. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson 3%

Among those names who just missed out on the Top 10 were the likes of Peaky Blinders’ Cillian Murphy, Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington and Bridgeton heartthrob Regé-Jean Page.

Additionally, two women featured in the list of contenders: Margot Robbie with 22 votes and No Time To Die’s 007 Lashana Lynch with six.

Across the sexes, 23 per of women voted for Elba, which was more than any other actor, and 20 per cent of men voted for Hardy. The Luther star polled highest among residents of Bristol with 27 per cent of the vote there, while Hardy took 24 per cent in Norwich.

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Mark Boardman

Mark Boardman is an established showbiz journalist and freelance copywriter whose work has been published in Business Insider, Daily Mail, Bloomberg, MTV, Buzzfeed, and The New York Post, amongst other media. Often spotted on the red carpet at celebrity events and film screenings, Mark is a regular guest on BBC Radio London and in demand for his opinions on media outlets such as Newsweek, Daily Express, and OK! Magazine, as well as Heart radio, Capital FM, LBC, and Radio 2. His TV credits include ITV News, This Morning, BBC News, The One Show, Sky News, GB News, and Channel T4. Mark is a keen traveller having visited 40+ countries, and a devout sports fan who also attends as many gigs as he can across the capital when not rubbing shoulders with the stars. Email Mark@MarkMeets.com