Happy Valley sensation James Norton is currently the talk of the town as he dazzles once again in a "superb" drama that's discreetly dropped on .

After recently grabbing headlines with standout performances in Joy and Playing Nice, fans are now lauding the actor as "brilliant" for his portrayal in the gripping real life story premiering on Netflix, where he nabbed one of the pivotal roles.

The captivating series The Trial of Christine Keeler, which was shown on the BBC in 2019 and has now dropped on Netflix, delves into one of the 60s' most explosive scandals, infamously tagged the Profumo Affair.

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The tumultuous tale spotlights Christine's illicit affair with John Profumo, the Secretary of State, while simultaneously being embroiled in allegations of posing a national security threat due to her connections with a Soviet naval attaché, thus stirring a national uproar.

In the drama, James embodies Stephen Ward, an osteopath among London's elite and a close confidante of Christine's, whose tragic end comes by suicide after facing charges for immorality offences linked to his role in orchestrating Christine’s controversial liaisons, reports .

Discussing his part in this enthralling Netflix feature with the , James revealed: "Playing Stephen and having the opportunity to delve into this man's mind was the key draw for me for this project."

With evident fascination, he added: "There are extraordinary people involved in this story and I think if you were to meet Stephen Ward now you would be entirely seduced by him and want more of his company. Being in Stephen's presence was a treat, and something his friends really hankered after once they'd had a taste of it."

He added to the conversation with the broadcaster: "One can't escape the fact that he did groom young women, and that is inexcusable. But why did he do that, and what it did for him is also what's interesting..

"His voyeurism and peculiar sexual appetite are the things that make him this fascinating, and unique man. His was a fascination with femininity."

Post-launch, the series set social media alight with fans expressing their exhilaration. One particularly impressed viewer exclaimed on X: "#TrialofChristineKeeler Great acting in the true story of Christine Keeler by @CooksonSophie. The events and trial were topic of the day in homes and working places all over Britain in the 60's."

Another was full of acclaim, posting: "Late to the party, as always, but just finished CHRISTINE KEELER. Fantastic drama, with superb performances from both @CooksonSophie and @jginorton. And if that wasn't enough, the fantastic Peter Davison shows up too! Well done all."

While a third enthusiast shared their review online: "What a brilliant series the #trialofchristinekeeler was. Superb writing and acting."

The true story of The Trial of Christine Keeler is available to stream on Netflix now.