James Norton ‘splits’ from fiancée Imogen Poots as he’s tipped to be next James Bond

Happy Valley star James Norton and his fiancée Imogen Poots have reportedly split up after six years together, with it claimed the former couple simply grew apart

Happy Valley’s James Norton ‘splits’ from fiancée Imogen Poots after six years

Happy Valley star James Norton and his fiancée Imogen Poots have reportedly split up after six years together.

The pair have been together for six years and it was first revealed in February 2022 that he had proposed to his girlfriend. At the beginning of their romance, the two had to navigate a long-distance relationship between New York and London. The two enjoyed a quiet life in a south-east London suburb over the years.

James – who is in the running to be the next actor to play James Bond – and Imogen met each other on the set of War and Peace back in 2017 and fell head over heels for each other. They went on to star in Belleville together at the Donmar Warehouse. And now, it has been reported that the two split up before Christmas after ‘growing apart.’

James and Imogen have reportedly split

She was last pictured with him after the opening night of the stage adaptation of the intense Hanya Yanagihara novel, A Little Life, in March 2023. It was reported to MailOnline that the duo broke up and it was noticed that the two no longer follow each other on social media.

Imogen previously opened up about navigating their relationship when they worked far apart. “It’s all I’ve ever known, I’ve never known something to fall apart because of distance,” she once said to Evening Standard. “Sharing a bathroom, however, is quite another matter!”

Meanwhile, James recently explained how Happy Valley changed his entire career. The actor said last year that he was almost destined to a lifetime of playing ‘foppish poshos’ but his role as Tommy Lee Royce in the BBC series allowed him the opportunity to explore darker roles.

James recalled how being Cambridge educated and speaking with a specific accent meant some felt he might not be ‘quite right’ to play the part of a murderous villain, but he jumped at the chance to prove his range. Ahead of Happy Valley’s nail-biting conclusion in January 2023, James’ odds to become the next James Bond shortened – with bookies revealing the star stands a real chance of taking over from Daniel Craig.

In a recent interview, James talked about the James Bond rumours and reminisced about the first series of Happy Valley airing almost a decade ago. He said: “Britain is obsessed with class, and our industry is obsessed with pigeonholes. Having been to Cambridge and speaking with a [specific] accent I did run that risk. When Happy Valley came out I had people ringing my agent saying ‘We have this part, but it’s a bit posh, I’m not sure James is right for it.’” Continuing in his interview with Vera magazine, James continues: “My agent was punching the air. It’s a perfect part, a hand of aces, and you don’t get many of those throughout your career.” Mirror Online has contacted James’ representatives for comment.

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