Sir Roger Moore is delighted that Daniel Craig has become a successful James Bond - as he couldn't believe the pressure the actor was under when he first got the part.
The national press appeared to be in uproar when Craig was unveiled as the first ever blonde Bond - with several websites also attacking the Bond bosses' choice of actor.
However, Craig had the last laugh after wowing the critics and audiences in 2006's Casino Royale. Now expectations are at an all time high for his second outing in the forthcoming Quantum of Solace.
And Moore couldn't be happier. He told us, "Everyone was attacking him, weren't they? Which I thought was grossly unfair.
"It was typical of the English press. In the old days they used to build people up and then knock them down. This time they didn't even build him up, they knocked him from day one.
"I often said to the press at the time that they should just shut up and see what he can do because I had seen him in Munich and that Capote film (Infamous) and he is a hell of a fine actor."
Moore was talking at the launch of six classic James Bond films released on Blu-ray.