Aidan Turner admits he is to blame for the hysteria surrounding his much-discussed scything scene in 'Poldark'.

Aidan Turner

Aidan Turner

The 33-year-old hunk became something of a sex symbol after he appeared shirtless in the BBC series, and has now confessed it was his idea to shoot the scene bare-chested.

He said: "It was my idea to take my top off.

"It was probably a huge mistake. But Poldark's out in the fields, it's a really hot day, there's a lot of work and it wouldn't have made sense with a top on.

"It was never supposed to be sexually provocative.

"So when the show came out and it all kicked off, I was a bit surprised. But it kind of put the show on the map."

Aidan admits he has since received some rather curious attention from fans after shooting the now-iconic scene, including one who has written a book called 'Stalking Aidan' - but the Irish star has taken the situation in his stride.

He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I thought that was a bit odd but it didn't scare me. I find it quite endearing.

"I get a lot of things sent to me, too. A lot of music, and I must have told people I was into sweets, because I get a lot of those. And chocolate. Weird."

In recent months, Aidan has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Daniel Craig as James Bond. However, he is refusing to get carried away by the speculation.

He said: "I'd rather not say anything. It seems like it's the Judas kiss - once you comment on it, it disappears. It's hugely coveted. Let's see how it goes."