Ed Sheeran has said he’d already “started writing” the theme song for No Time To Die when he was replaced by Billie Eilish.

Back in 2019, Sheeran’s manager revealed that the star had met James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli two years prior to discuss penning the official track for the most recent film in the hit spy franchise.

Danny Boyle, who worked with Sheeran on Richard Curtis’ Yesterday (2019), was lined up to direct the 25th Bond movie at the time (he later quit due to “creative differences”, with Cary Joji Fukunaga taking over the role).

“Obviously they changed directors but we’re still open to it,” Stuart Camp explained. “But they’re not even having those conversations yet.”

He added: “It’s certainly something [Sheeran would] want to do though, it’s a box that’s still to be ticked, for sure.”

But the No Time To Die theme ended up going to Billie Eilish, who went on to win her first Oscar for the song.

During an appearance on That Peter Crouch Podcast this week, Sheeran explained: “I was within a fucking gnat’s pube of doing one [a Bond theme], but then they changed directors, changed scripts and that was it all done.

“I had started writing it. I’m not gonna pretend it didn’t hurt not doing it.”

Sheeran went on to say that his Bond dream isn’t over yet, however: “I think eventually as an English singer you’ve got to eventually do a Bond song. If they come back I’ll be like, ‘Yeah yeah, of course’.”

Sheeran had talked about potentially writing a track for a James Bond film during an interview in 2014, but admitted that he may not be the right artist.

“I’d love to do a James Bond song, but can you imagine it?” he said. “I just wasn’t born with the James Bond voice. You never know – I’m not ruling it out. Maybe in 10 years time, when my balls drop…”

He added: “I think the James Bond theme tune should be ballsy. I feel like if I was going to do it, it would sound a bit wet.”

Sheeran recently opened up, meanwhile, about the impact that Queen Elizabeth II‘s Golden Jubilee had on his career.