Tom Hiddleston is desperate to see the UK theatre industry bounce back

He said: "My heart goes out to everybody who works in the theatre and in the cinema.

"My great hope is that it will be back - with even more celebration and positivity. I can't wait."

Tom has reprised the role of Loki, from the Marvel movies, for a new TV series on Disney+ and he admits that landing the role in 2011 was a life-changing moment.

He told BBC Radio 1: "I absolutely love playing him. He is such a fun, complex character."

Recently, Loki was confirmed as gender fluid in a promotional clip and Tom is pleased to have addressed the issue in the new TV series.

He explained: "Loki has always been fluid - someone who crosses boundaries and is unpredictable and mercurial.

"I was really pleased we got to touch on that in this series.

"It's an amazing privilege to get to explore who he is in different ways."

The new Disney+ series stopped filming for five months due to the coronavirus pandemic, and he admits that the ongoing health crisis has posed a huge challenge for the industry.

The London-born actor is also grateful to the people behind the scenes, who worked diligently to ensure the set was a safe working space.

He said: "There were many people behind the scenes who spent a great part of those months trying to create an environment which was safe, in which we could all return to work and finish this thing we started."