Robbie Williams has playfully removed himself from the running to be the next James Bond

And, amid continued speculation about who will take over the reins from Daniel Craig in the next iteration of the money-spinning franchise, the former Take That star has jokingly ruled himself out of taking on the iconic role of 007.

He posted to X on Monday (20.10.25): "I appreciate the interest but I'm officially removing myself from the running to be the next James Bond. Thank you for your understanding."

The 51-year-old star previously dismissed the idea in 2003, after then-Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams and producer Barbara Broccoli reportedly attended one of his performances at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

He said during a press conference in Japan at the time: "The makers of the franchise did not want me to play Bond. I did the Millennium video as a pastiche of James Bond and I left it there."

He also admitted his idea of Bond may not fit today's standards, adding: "I love James Bond but I preferred him when he was sexist and he can't be now because everything is so PC [politically correct]."

The 26th Bond film, directed by Denis Villeneuve, is set to head into production at Pinewood Studios in the UK in April next year and the story - which is being written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight - will centre on the threat posed by artificial intelligence (AI).

A source recently told The Sun on Sunday newspaper's Bizarre column: "This is the first Bond of the AI era and the plot is going to reflect that. Writers are going to have some fun.

"This next Bond movie has to feel bold, fresh and relevant - especially after such a long break.

"There's a sense of cautious excitement behind the scenes. They want to modernise Bond without losing that classic swagger - and that's a tricky balance.

"Denis isn't coming in to make a safe Bond film - he's coming into redefine what Bond can be. Think scale, style and substance."

The new movie will mark a new era for the franchise after Amazon MGM took creative control from long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson earlier this year, but Villeneuve vowed to "honour the tradition" of the iconic spy when he was announced as the director of the latest movie.

The 58-year-old filmmaker said: "Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery.

"To me, he's sacred territory. I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come."

Amazon MGM Studios chief Mike Hopkins added: "Denis has delivered compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, complex characters, and - most importantly - the immersive storytelling that global audiences yearn to experience in theatres.

"James Bond is in the hands of one of today's greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007's next adventure."

The likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, James Norton, Harris Dickinson, Tom Holland, Callum Turner, and Jacob Elordi are among the actors who have been tipped to lead the first film since 2021's No Time To Die.