James Norton is now the most hotly tipped actor to replace Daniel Craig as the legendary secret agent James Bond.

According to the Metro, the Happy Valley star is now at 1/3 odds to play 007 in the Paddy Power betting stakes.

This puts him ahead of former favourites Tom Hiddleston (now 9/2) and Irish actor Aiden Turner (7/4) whose position in the Bond running has dropped after the BBC announced another series of Poldark in which he stars.

Norton has shot to the top of the potential Bond list – which also includes Idris Elba, Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender – after being 33/1 just six weeks ago.

The 30-year-old British actor has previously appeared in Dr Who, War & Peace and the movie An Education.

A Paddy Power spokesperson told the Metro: “We’ve barely had any bets on Norton to be the next Bond…We thought the first this morning was like a hopeful roulette spin in Casino Royale.”

“However, after a sudden sequence of follow-up punts, we’re starting to suspect that we’re dealing with a Dr In The Know – so the odds have Skyfall-en.”

So many Bond puns, so little time.

Feat image: Getty