Russell Tovey apologises for making men faint with his body

English actor Russell Tovey has spoken out about recently making an audience member faint after he appeared shirtless on stage.

The gorgeous, openly gay thespian has been starring in the Broadway play The View From The Bridge, in which he shows off his buff chest.

During a performance at the end of January, a man in the audience collapsed and had to be hospitalised upon seeing Russell in all his pectoral glory.

And while it’s not clear what actually caused the man – who has since recovered – to faint, it was widely suggested that the actor was to blame.

Now, Russell’s told Heat magazine that he’s really sorry for all the fuss.

“On behalf of my arms and nipples, I feel the need to publicly apologise for the effects felt by one of our audience members on a dark winter night in New York City,” he said tongue in cheek.

Russell, 34, is best known for his roles in the supernatural drama series Being Human, the film The History Boys, and the recent gay mini-series Looking.

He will next feature in the new film The Pass in which he plays a closeted gay Premier League footballer. This one’s definitely on our “to watch” list…

Yes, we admit, this story is really an excuse to show you pictures of Russell with his clothes off. And yes, we also admit, we could well faint ourselves if we saw all this in the flesh.