Aidan Turner is convinced 'Poldark' will end "next year."

Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark

Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark

The 34-year-old actor - who has played the titular character Ross Poldark in the drama series since 2015 - has crushed hearts across the nation after he said that the programme probably won't get another instalment after the fifth series in 2019.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror newspaper, he said: "I think next year might be the last one, certainly for a while. There's a huge gap in the books, about 15 years."

And the handsome star has no interest in "ageing up" to move the story along faster, but he'd be willing to revisit it in 10 years' time when he's a decade older.

He added: "I wouldn't age up, I'd come back in 10 years. I'd revisit it the right way."

However, his co-star Eleanor Tomlinson - who portrays his on-screen wife Demelza Poldark - may not be as willing to return in 2028 as she recently found out that Aidan is paid more than her after she expressed how "upset" she'd be if he was on higher.

When asked if she and the Irish actor were paid the same, the 26-year-old actress said: "My guess is no. And while at the beginning that might have been OK - he was a bigger star than me - now I don't think so.

"We're equal leads of the show, so I'd be pretty upset if the gap hadn't closed."

However, Mammoth Screen have insisted Aidan is on a higher wage because his character appears on screen "significantly more" than her alter ego.

A spokeswoman for Mammoth Screen said: "Whilst we can't and won't disclose the details, we do pay Aidan Turner more for playing Ross Poldark as throughout all series Ross has significantly more screen time than any other character."