Olivia Dean and Raye are tipped as the favourites to record the next James Bond theme as the drawn-out search for 007 goes on

Olivia Dean has soared to the top of the odds as a favourite to record the next James Bond theme, after her triumphant night at the BRIT Awards.

The singer has joined Raye as a frontrunner as the latest star to record a track for the franchise.

In recent weeks the Bond franchise has faced questions over its future due to the drawn-out search to find the next star to play 007 since Daniel Craig departed the role in 2021.

But even without any concrete plans for the next Bond film, the latest odds show that it looks set to be another big music star to record the next theme.

Both Olivia and Raye are 2/1 to release the next Bond hit, joining stars including Billie Eilish, Adele and Paul McCartney. 

Harry Styles has also soared up the betting odds after his own performance at the BRIT Awards, and is now 6/1, close behind Dua Lipa and Lana Del Rey.

Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps said: 'Olivia Dean's BRIT Awards haul initially put clear daylight between her and the field of contenders to perform the next James Bond theme, but the growing buzz around RAYE and her recent interviews speculating about an involvement in the 007 franchise means we can't split them anymore – so they're now 2/1 joint-favourites to sing the opening song to the next film.

'Dua Lipa (7/2) and Lana Del Rey (4/1) remain serious contenders just behind the front two, followed by Harry Styles, who has shortened into 6/1 from 10/1 after his BRITs performance and new album launch. 

'Oasis are 10/1 for a shock appearance in the opening credits, Miley Cyrus is 16/1, with Chappell Roan and Charli XCX both 18/1, but right now the betting suggests the next 007 theme is most likely to come from one of the UK's two standout female stars of the moment.'

Olivia was the big winner at February's BRIT Awards, scooping four gongs including Artist Of The Year and Album Of The Year.  

It seems that at one point or another any major actor has been in the running to play the new spy, with Jessie Buckley, who has never been linked with the franchise, even tipped to be the next Bond Girl after her Oscar win earlier this month.

Bookies' predictions on who will play Bond are changing by the day, with Jacob Elordi the most recent favourite, simply due to his smouldering role in the romance Wuthering Heights.

Other names have included Callum Turner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Theo James, Jonathan Bailey, James Norton, Jack Lowden and Henry Cavill.

But it seems that simply starring in another role has led some names to suddenly be the new favourite for a Bond role, even if they haven't even mentioned the franchise publicly.

On that note, Margot Robbie was tipped to play a Bond Girl with 6/1 odds last month after her role in Wuthering Heights, while Sydney Sweeney has also been touted by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.

Jessie also found herself in the Bond Girl odds after she won a Leading Actress Oscar, and the actress was quick to offer a witty response to such claims ahead of the ceremony last month.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, she said: 'Yes please. As long as I can be the Bond girl and we can set it in Ireland.'

As of now, only a director has been linked to the upcoming Bond project, with Dune's Denis Villeneuve signed on for the movie.

The French-Canadian filmmaker will also serve as executive producer of the project alongside Tanya Lapointe. 

Since Amazon announced they'd acquired the rights to 007, its plan to expand the franchise with an array of shows and films has sparked concern.

The iconic British mainstay has previously been limited to its big-budget blockbusters, with producing roles kept within the Broccoli family since the first film in 1962.

But last year the Broccoli family have handed over creative control over to Amazon MGM Studios - which was formed when Amazon bought Bond's parent studio in 2022 - after 30 years. 

A source told The Sun that this is a 'bad day for Bond' amid the Broccoli family having reportedly 'cut their losses' as they're unable to 'work amicably' with Amazon.

The insider shared: 'Ultimately, it's a bad day for Bond. The siblings have always been very protective of Bond's image and would never have wanted it diluted or exploited like Amazon hopes to do.

'This is absolutely terrible news. I don't have high hopes. Amazon will want to exploit the name without putting in real quality, and the first thing to emerge will likely be a terrible TV series.'

With reports of tensions among the Broccoli family and Amazon bosses, the publication notes that it remains 'unclear' just how 'heavily their presence will be felt' in future Bond projects.