Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba come head to head in the battle to become the next Bond

THE race to become the new James Bond just got interesting.

Just when Idris Elba seemed a shoo-in for the 007 role, Tom Hiddleston’s shock romance with US pop superstar Taylor Swift has sent his international profile rocketing.

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Now he’s not just the posh bloke from The Night Manager, prone to getting his bum out on telly.

He’s the smooth-talking, suave British hunk who has managed to prise away America’s singing sweetheart from Calvin Harris, the coolest and richest DJ in the world.

BOND AMBITION

Hiddleston, 35, has truly laid his marker down to become the next 007.

Now it’s over to the other frontrunner, Elba, to hit back.

The British actors are good pals but there is a healthy rivalry between them as they strive to secure the biggest parts in Hollywood.

I’m very aware of the physicality of the job. I would not take it lightly.

TOM HIDDLESTON

The ultimate job, especially for British actors, will soon be available for the first time in a decade if Daniel Craig keeps good his promise to quit the James Bond role.

Both parties have declared their interest in typically contrasting styles.

Theatrical Hiddleston made no secret of his ambitions when he heaped praise on the hit spy franchise earlier this year.

He said: “I simply love the theme tune, the tropes and the mythology. I love the whole thing.

“If it ever came knocking, it would be an extraordinary opportunity. I’m very aware of the physicality of the job. I would not take it lightly.”

But Elba, whose link with the iconic role has caused a huge cultural debate for a number of years because he would be the first black Bond, was more bullish.

He said: “If human beings want to know if there’s any connectivity between all of us, the one thing I’ve heard around the world universally is, ‘You’ll be great as James Bond’.

“So if it was to happen, there you go — it’s the will of the nation.”

And now, as the race for the part hots up, the pair are orchestrating shrewd PR campaigns to prove their 007 credentials.

WOMEN

Hiddleston’s snaring of a female A-lister is a tactic Elba, 43, has already deployed.

The Luther actor, who just like Hiddleston was missing a big name from his dating CV, romanced British supermodel Naomi Campbell earlier this year.

It proves he can hold his own with the most desired women in the world — just like a certain fictional spy.

He was pictured with catwalk legend Naomi just as bookies started to tip him as favourite for the Bond job.

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Now he is back with make-up artist Naiyana Garth, the mother of his young son Winston. But his point had been firmly made.

Hiddleston’s romantic history makes for quick reading.

His only confirmed relationship was a low-profile romance with actress Susannah Fielding in 2008, who he met on the set of BBC detective series Wallander.

There have been rumours linking him to co-stars Jessica Chastain and Elizabeth Olsen, which he has been happy to let circulate.

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But it is his romance with Taylor that launches him into the big league.

Conveniently, she arrived on the scene just weeks after Hiddleston was spotted meeting up with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli.

Yet both men know becoming 007 is not just down to luring their very own Bond Girls.

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STARDOM

You have also got to be thoroughly British and both already have links with the “Establishment”.

Hiddleston is a former Eton student and Elba a holder of an OBE.

SEX APPEAL

But perhaps just as importantly, you need to be a handsome bruiser — the sort that is going to look convincing tearing into a burning building.

The one thing I’ve heard around the world universally is, ‘You’ll be great as James Bond’.

IDRIS ELBA

Over the past few years both Elba and ­Hiddleston have carefully made the transition from serious actors to big-time heartthrobs thanks to hours spent bulking up in the gym.

Elba has led the way, posing topless on Instagram and landing the cover of fitness bible Men’s Health.

Plus, he’s no stranger to getting his kit off in TV’s Luther.

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He is a regular on global Sexiest Men Alive lists and was even publicly courted by Australian actress Rebel Wilson at the Baftas in February.

She said: “Sorry Idris Elba — you’re making me a bit nervous, I’m just psychologically programmed to want chocolate on Valentine’s Day.”

Hiddleston, meanwhile, was a latecomer to the art of looking buffed.

The former public schoolboy got into shape for his role on The Night Manager, knowing his body parts, and not just his backside, would be on show during sex scenes.

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BOND CREDENTIALS

Tom’s casting as Jonathan Pine in the BBC1 drama was a clever one.

What better way of proving you can play a spy than by playing a spy very well?

With exotic locations, glamorous women, high-octane action scenes and even a moment where he ordered an iconic vodka martini in a foreign casino, critics agreed the show felt like a licence fee-funded, six-part James Bond audition.

The series also elevated Hiddleston’s international profile — vital for a major film franchise to succeed.

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Rival Elba is already established globally thanks to roles in acclaimed US drama The Wire and Luther, plus the critically acclaimed Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom.

His portrayal of DCI John Luther in particular proved he is more than macho enough to fill 007’s shoes.

Indeed, if the BBC1 series is ­anything to go by, he could prove the toughest Bond in history.

But given the increased physical demands on a 21st Century Bond — something 48-year-old Craig has ­complained about in his advancing years — that might not be a bad thing.

Elba has not only shown he can smash up bad guys, he can also ­handle driving supercars at top speed, another key Bond skill.

He is a self-confessed adrenaline junkie who has already put himself through Bond-style stunts such as ­flying a plane and competing in a motorsports rally for his Discovery Channel show, Idris Elba: No Limits.

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Last year, Elba broke the “Flying Mile” UK land speed record of 89 years by driving a Bentley at a top speed of 180.361mph.

Imagine the damage he could do to one of Q’s Aston Martins.

Hiddleston, meanwhile, signed up for a series of lucrative ads for Jaguar in which he dressed in a sharp suit and tore around in a supercar.

That’s another two boxes ticked by the Bond wannabes.

STYLE

But there’s no point being able to drive a car when you are not looking good behind the wheel.

Elba, a keen nightclub DJ and musician, has transformed himself into a dapper English country gentlemen.

Gone are the hoodies and club ­clobber. He is now more often seen in Savile Row threads smart enough to grace M’s wood-panelled office.

It is a sophisticated style Hiddleston has favoured throughout his career.

He is rarely seen without a blazer, catching Swift’s eye in New York at the Met Gala after-party when he was wearing a black tux.

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Director Sam Mendes, who recently revealed he would not take charge of the next 007 movie, says the identity of the new James Bond will not go down to a “public vote” — meaning fans will not get to choose their man.

That job belongs to Broccoli, who will no doubt be closely monitoring Hiddleston and Elba’s moves.

But are these two really the only names left in the frame? This week, Poldark star Aidan Turner became the bookies’ favourite to seize the role.

He could yet prove to be the dark horse who will out-Bond them both.