Tom Hiddleston's relationship with Taylor Swift has apparently lost him a lucrative ad campaign. The British actor was in the running to become the face of Italian fashion brand Armani.

The 35-year-old's racy scenes in The Night Manager caught the public imagination and the sexy encounter with actress Elizabeth Debicki in the BBC spy drama saw him named the male winner of the Rear Of The Year 2016 award.

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The steamy performance also had him tipped as a favourite to model Armaani's winter underwear collection. But the actor's PDA with the Blank Space singer have been deemed "embarrassing", leading to a re-think of the fashion brand's marketing plan.

Not to mention the fact that he would be taking over the role from Taylor's spurned ex, DJ Calvin Harris, who was the face of Armani's underwear range ​in 2014 after he began dating Swift.

"Tom was on the shortlist as they examined who could take over from Calvin. Obviously with Tom now being Taylor's other half and the Calvin past deal, it would generate huge media coverage and headlines," a US fashion source said, according to Mirror Online.

"Armani would hate to be seen as getting PR for their brand by riding on Taylor Swift's coat tails, so Tom will not get the job. But Armani see themselves as classier than that and think that a rising sports star may suit their current needs better.

"While Tom is without doubt one of the sexiest actors of his generation, he may not be the right fit this time. The brand is looking at attracting 30-somethings and under, so Tom may be a little too old."'

Friends of the actor have said his public declarations of love for the singer have been distinctly out of character. After first becoming acquainted at the Met Gala, where a video of them in a dance-off went viral, the unlikely couple began a whirlwind romance and embarked on a "love tour" as they holidayed together in the UK, US, Italy and Australia.

The Thor star famously sported a vest emblazoned with the words "I [heart] T.S." as the pair celebrated 4 July with friends, and after suggestions that it was all a publicity stunt, he went public, confirming his relationship with the Love Story singer.

Speaking at a recent Comic Con event he said the relationship was entirely "authentic." Hiddleston added: "Everything you do you have to make sure you truly believe in it and as long as you know that, it doesn't matter what anyone else says about it because the nature of being a public figure is that everyone will have an opinion about anything you do, and as long as you know why you've done something and you've committed to it with authenticity then you're OK."

While he might have missed out on the underwear deal, the actor doesn't seem too disappointed. At least he got the girl.

Taylor Swift