‘Is this the man Christian Grey is based on?’ was the question on everyone’s lips this morning as Niall Leonard, husband of E L James, was interviewed on Lorraine Kelly’s Daybreak slot.

Well, the answer is no, apparently…

E L James’s hubby was pretty adamant that the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ character is all fantasy.  ’In fact perhaps being married to me helped her to fantasise about someone more interesting’, he quipped.

Fifty Shades fans may also be excited to know that Niall, who is also a writer, has recently published his own novel, ‘Crusher‘: a crime thriller.  Niall was quick to add to the interview that his novel is different to his wife’s series, although there are some ‘naughty bits’.

Image: Steve Meddle/ITV