Jekyll and Hyde star Tom Bateman says Poldark comparison is ‘hilarious’

Tom Bateman – star of ITV drama Jekyll and Hyde – has revealed that he found being dubbed the new Poldark, because of his good looks, “hilarious”.

The 26-year-old actor has set pulses racing since taking the lead role and has been hailed as ITV's answer to Poldark's Aidan Turner - who sent Twitter into meltdown when he went topless scything.

Speaking about the comparison on This Morning Bateman said: “That’s hilarious! Shock and absolute surprise were my first reaction… I don’t know.

“Those are things we don’t really think about.”

The actor – who was “very eager” to do his own stunts in the Sunday night series – which also stars Natalie Gumede and Richard E Grant, said he was intially drawn to playing Hyde.

"As it started off I did prefer playing Hyde, he got all the best lines and I got to smash things up and he was the one that when we were filming everyone was having a bit more fun because the stunt guy came on board and it was a bit more exciting," he said.

"But actually, as an actor, as it went on, the stuff with Jekyll and him coming to terms with it, and to embrace this side, and that actually became very interesting to play."

Written by Charlie Higson, the adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Victorian novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was criticised for being too scary for its 6:30pm time slot and Ofcom received 459 complaints.

Speaking about the reaction Bateman said: "I think we set out to make something that was very exciting, and scary is part of it.

"I remember when I was younger, we used to read the Goosebumps books that were absolutely terrifying. I think people do like being scared and I hope it doesn't offend too many people."

Jekyll and Hyde is on ITV on Sunday at 7pm.