Original 007 Sean Connery voted best-ever James Bond – but Daniel Craig flops

ORIGINAL 007 star Sean Connery has been voted the best-ever James Bond — 58 years after his debut.

The Scot, famed for pronouncing an “S” as “Sh”, won a thrilling head-to-head shoot-out.

Corbis - Getty

Sean Connery topped the Radio Times’ best James Bond poll[/caption]

Timothy Dalton was second despite starring in only two films. Pierce Brosnan came third — with current Bond Daniel Craig firing blanks.

The online poll, run by the Radio Times, is bound to leave fans shaken and stirred.

It was organised as a knock-out tournament with the six actors from the official Bond series split into pairs.

Readers voted for their favourite, then chose the winner from their final three. Connery was given a showdown with Craig in the first round, and came out on top by 56 per cent to 43.

Getty - Contributor

Timothy Dalton came second in a Radio Times poll[/caption]

Getty - Contributor

Piers Brosnan completes the top three Bond stars of all time[/caption]

Kobal Collection - Rex Features

Current James Bond actor Daniel Craig lost in the first round of voting[/caption]

George Lazenby was heavily defeated by Brosnan while, in the biggest upset, Roger Moore lost to his successor Dalton. More than 14,000 fans voted in total with Connery, now 89, getting 44 per cent in the final.

He debuted in 1962’s Dr No and he went on to star in classics including Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice.

But despite making an estimated £230million fortune, he said in 2004: “I’ve always hated that damned James Bond. I’d like to kill him.”

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