Pierce Brosnan has admitted to being "angry" when he learned he had been dropped as James Bond.

"I was gutted because I was set up to do a fifth," he tells Jonathan Ross tonight. "They invited me back, and they changed their minds half-way through negotiations. It's hard to find the truth.

"If you get uptight it just does your head in so you've got to let it go. When they told me I was angry and the conversation was pretty short and sweet, then I felt this great sense of liberation. I thought they did me a favour, really... leave while you're on top."

Colin Farrell, Jude Law and Hugh Jackman are among the contenders to replace Brosnan in the role.