Taron Egerton looked Bond-ready as he strode out of the sea with his stunning younger girlfriend Brooks Nader on his arm amid his apparent bid to be named the next 007.
Those close to the typically private actor, 36, were left puzzled by his recent PDA-packed display with Brooks, 29, which was revealed by the Daily Mail last month.
Insiders questioned whether the amorous make-out session in California was in fact a ploy to increase his chances of being picked for the role by being snapped with the model, after it was claimed he’s on the shortlist to replace Daniel Craig.
While some even suggested his new relationship was a ‘showmance’, Taron and Brooks have now doubled down with another romantic display.
Taron was pictured walking out of the water in Bondi, Sydney, holding hands with Brooks – just like Daniel in his memorable Casino Royale beach scene.
Taron opted for navy swimming shorts rather than tight briefs, showing off his incredibly ripped torso as he went shirtless for the dip.
His muscular physique and Bond girl ready partner make him a shoe-in for the coveted role, which has been in contention since Daniel announced his departure.
Taron Egerton looked Bond-ready as he strode out of the sea with his stunning girlfriend Brooks Nader on his arm amid his apparent bid to be named the next 007
Those close to the typically private star were left puzzled by his recent PDA-packed display with Brooks, which was revealed by the Daily Mail last month
Brooks, who is currently filming a £30million Baywatch remake, playing a lifeguard called Selene, is being touted as the next Pamela Anderson after being spotted shooting in a red swimsuit.
This week, she was sporting an equally sexy plunging black swimsuit with studded detailing for her frolic in the sea with Taron.
Brooks’ hair was wet from the swim, slicked back off her make-up free face, while sporting a pair of black shades and earrings.
Brooks is an unabashed self-promoter whose mantra is ‘Naked Ambition’, with 1.8million followers and counting.
The images of them kissing last month left many asking whether Taron may have unwittingly found himself at the centre of LaLaLand’s latest ‘showmance’ – a term coined in the early days of Hollywood referring to two stars who use a romantic entanglement to boost both their profiles.
It emerged at the time that the possible matchmaker for the couple was none other than Lauren Sanchez, who introduced the pair at her star-studded wedding in Venice to Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos last June.
Lauren then set them up on a ‘proper date’ at the end of March.
A source told the Mail On Sunday: ‘Brooks has been wanting to meet a celebrity for a very long time. She wanted to be in a power couple.’
The candid snaps were taken over the course of three days.
The pair went to the cinema to see America’s No1 film, Project Hail Mary, on Friday night, followed by dinner at Giorgio Baldi, a celebrity restaurant in Santa Monica beloved of stars such as Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins.
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Taron was pictured walking out of the water in Bondi, Sydney, holding hands with Brooks, 29 – just like Daniel in his memorable Casino Royale beach scene
Taron had a sun-kissed tan during his beach appearance
Insiders questioned whether his amorous moment was in fact a ploy to increase his chances of being picked for the role by being snapped with the model, after it was claimed he’s on the shortlist to replace Daniel Craig
While some even suggested his new relationship was a ‘showmance’, Taron and Brooks have now doubled down against the talk with another romantic display
Taron was pictured walking out of the water in Bondi, Sydney, holding hands with Brooks, 29 – just like Daniel in his memorable Casino Royale beach scene
They looked every inch the hot Hollywood couple
Brooks (pictured) is currently filming a £30million Baywatch remake, playing a lifeguard called Selene who, in her iconic red swimsuit, is being touted as the new Pamela Anderson
Taron owns a house in the seaside suburb, which he is believed to have bought when the Kingsman movies took off.
Last month, the couple were spotted at Shutters On The Beach, a luxury five-star hotel overlooking the ocean where rooms start at £750 a night.
A witness said: ‘What was funny was they sat out on the balcony drinking cocktails.
‘They were kissing and hugging and then a random fan came up to her to get a picture, and handed the camera to Taron to take the photograph.
‘The person didn’t know who he was, but she’s all over social media so she was the one they wanted a picture of, even though he’s far more famous and successful.
A source said: ‘She’s been everywhere in her red swimsuit so it didn’t surprise me that the person recognised her, not him. They came outside and kissed outside the hotel.
‘It was a bit strange. You never see people acting like that. Either they were in their own world and genuinely didn’t care or maybe they knew there was a photographer there.’
The pair then walked to Capo steak restaurant near the hotel.
One producer who has worked with Taron told the MoS: ‘Warning bells went off for me when I heard they walked to dinner. No one walks in LA. Ever.
‘You only walk on a treadmill in the gym. If you leave a place and it’s a block to the next place you take a car.’
Taron opted for navy swimming shorts rather than tight briefs, showing off his incredibly ripped torso as he went shirtless for the dip
This week, she was sporting an equally sexy plunging black swimsuit with studded detailing for her frolic in the sea with Taron
Brooks’ hair was wet from the swim, slicked back off her make-up free face, while sporting a pair of black shades and earrings
Calls to representatives for the couple went unanswered at the time, however it certainly wouldn’t be the first time two gorgeous Hollywood stars have used a ‘romance’ to bolster their profiles.
Taron’s macho display of virility certainly wouldn’t harm his chances of becoming the next 007.
He also has a movie coming out on Netflix on April 24 – a survival thriller called Apex in which he plays a serial killer hunting a rock climber (Charlize Theron) through the Australian outback.
Meanwhile, Brooks’ social media profile has exploded since the pictures emerged – she even became one of the most searched-for names on X among Americans.
The one-time beauty queen from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has always been open about using the media – and social media – to get maximum coverage.
Her long climb to fame took off back in 2019 when she beat 10,000 women to feature in Sports Illustrated, appearing in the magazine regularly before becoming its swimsuit cover star in 2023.
Nowadays she is the star of Love Thy Nader, a D-list reality TV show on the streaming platform Hulu, which also stars her equally pneumatic sisters Mary Holland, Sarah Jane and Grace Ann.
The foursome live in a townhouse in New York and the show has recently been renewed for a second season, which will be screened later this year to the dismay of critics who have dubbed it ‘the poor man’s Kardashians.’
Whether her liaison with Taron makes the edit remains to be seen, but her overt display of affection with him will not have harmed the show’s publicity.
