Normal People star Paul Mescal has admitted being bemused by the surge in popularity of his favourite pair of short shorts.

The 24-year-old has shot to fame over the last few months due to his role in the drama series, in which he plays Connell, a teenage boy who starts a relationship with a high school classmate.

Mescal moved to London just before the coronavirus lockdown and has been regularly photographed out and about wearing the same pair of shorts - made by Irish sportswear company O'Neills - that he was seen sporting in the show.

"It's hilarious. I'm aware that, sometimes on my way to the shops I'm being photographed," he told The Ryan Tubridy Show.

"But, to be honest, there's no better item to be photographed in than a pair of Maynooth GAA shorts."

Mescal's neck chain that he wore in the series has also become a hit with adoring fans and an Instagram account dedicated to pictures of him wearing the jewellery item has amassed more than 175,000 followers.