Some of the world’s most delicious pairings are a little unexpected. Chocolate and chilli. Topshop and Wedgewood. Run DMC and Aerosmith. Helen Mirren and… 50 Cent?

The pair were recently spotted living it up at the Monte Carlo TV Festival, and it seems as though the man formerly known as Curtis Jackson was left smitten. And really, who can blame him?

The rapper and drinks entrepreneur, 41, posted a photo on Instagram showing himself hanging out backstage at the festival with the 71-year-old actress.

“Me and the queen, @Helenmirren chilling,” he wrote. “Taking over Monaco for tonight.”

Later, when a newspaper published photos of the pair insinuating that Mirren might have a crush on 50 Cent, the musician posted another Instagram – stating that the admiration was all his.

Read more: Helen Mirren’s 5 rules for a happy life

“Yeah,” he captioned the photo of the newspaper article, “I think I love her man, I’m trying not to stare at her. She know she turns me on. She just has that thing, you know I can’t describe it. LOL.”

50 Cent was at the Monte Carle TV Festival to promote his TV show Power, a crime drama that he produces and stars in. Mirren was there to receive the Crystal Nymph award, a lifetime honour recognising her contribution to the world of television.

Read more: Helen Mirren’s Instagram account is here to make your life better

In an interview before collecting her award, Mirren said that she thought the tide was turning in terms of female representation on the small screen. The actress became a household name in the early nineties, thanks to her BAFTA-winning turn as detective Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect.

“In the last 10 years – or really in the last three or four years – things have changed substantially [for women in television],” Mirren told The Hollywood Reporter. “There is a pressure mounting behind a dam, and I hope that dam is finally bursting in terms of women directors and women-led dramas.”

Watch: Helen Mirren’s greatest moments

Given that Mirren often speaks effusively about her love for her husband of almost 20 years, American director Taylor Hackford, it seems unlikely that true romance will blossom between her and 50 Cent – but that doesn’t mean that we should lose hope.

Here at stylist.co.uk, we’re holding out for a film starring Mirren and 50 Cent as a pair of crime-fighting detectives thrown together in unexpected circumstances, who nevertheless discover that their very different skillsets complement one another perfectly.

Hollywood producers, if you’re reading: you know it makes sense. Call us.

Images: Rex Features