LADIES the wait is over!

After the much-anticipated announcement, finally we get to see who will play Mr Christian Grey in the raunchy film version of Fifty Shades of Grey, adapted from one of the best-selling novels of all time.

British actor Charlie Hunman is the lucky man, who has been cast as the billionaire CEO alongside Dakota Johnson, who will play college student, Anastasia Steele.

But reaction so far to one of the biggest film castings of the year, seems to be disappointment in the choice of leading man.

Anita Stevenson, manager of Ann Summers in Blackburn, credits the Fifty Shades phenomenon for booming sales at the store, which stocks the Fifty Shades collection of adult items inspired by the book – including The Grey Tie – which is just as popular with male customers.

The 41-year-old says both men and women have been discussing the latest casting.

“There’s been mixed reactions – customers say Charlie is nothing like Christian and they’re very disappointed,” adds Anita.

“Everybody raves about the books and all the products inspired by these two characters sell really well. Up until now, Mr Grey has been a fantasy, but now he is ‘real’ so when the film comes out, I am sure sales will boom again.”

Author EL James revealed the news on Twitter, ending months of speculation over who would play Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.

Charlie Hunnam, is best known for his work in TV shows Queer as Folk and US biker drama Sons of Anarchy.

Fifty Shades of Grey follows the sexually-charged relationship between Christian and Anastasia. The novel and its two sequels – Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed – have become a literary phenomenon, earning their author a reported £61.5m last year.

Anita – who has read all three books – adds: “Male customers are also intrigued by him and want to be like him. Women also have an image of Mr Grey in their minds and all the reactions prove that there’s a different Mr Grey in everybody’s mind.

“In the book, Anna thinks she is plain and not really that attractive. That’s the case for most women, too. They feel that they aren’t that special, but after reading the book they think to themselves ‘I could be like her’. Although he is fictional, Mr Grey has made a huge impact on both men and women.”

Jade Skeels, a 23-year-old retail assistant at Ann Summers, says Charlie Hunman doesn’t live up to her expectations of Mr Grey.

“He isn’t dark enough for me,” comments Jade. “I had imagined somebody with darker features, like Jesse Metcalfe from Desperate Housewives. It just goes to show that women have very different images of what Mr Grey will look like.”

Courtney Brown, an 18-year-old student from Darwen reckons Hunman will have to change ‘dramatically’. “I was expecting somebody a bit more rough and ready,” says Courtney, who has read all three of the books.

“He is not what I imagined, but as an actor I am sure he can change and adapt to the role.”

Dubbed ‘mummy porn’, the erotic novel features sado-masochistic sex and became the fastest-selling paperback of all time – with the film version set to be released at the beginning of August next year.

But Blackburn’s Katie Cowell, who has also read the trilogy, thinks the decision is ‘a good one.’ “I think women will be surprised with how well he adapts,” she says.