This, it was hoped, would make audiences wish for the original beastly Beast back – and it definitely worked on him, as Keane said: “I wish he could have stayed the Beast.

“In fact, I did have us record a line at the end of the movie where Beast and Belle, the prince – who knows what his name is. I mean you know his name was Beast – were dancing. And I knew that the audience was going to be disappointed that here was – what happened to our Beast?

“So I had them record Belle saying, 'do you think you could grow a beard?' See? You’re laughing. It was a good idea. It’s not in the movie. We should have put it in there. Yes.”

Beauty and the Beast is due to hit cinemas 17 March 2017.

Beauty and the Beast fans, here’s what the Beast looks like as a human