Everything you thought you knew about Q from James Bond is wrong

James Bond fans are familiar with the agent known as Q, a gadget inventor and technology expert who has always been portrayed in the movies as a man.

However, the real-life head of MI6 -- British Secret Intelligence Service -- has revealed that the real-life equivalent of Q is indeed a woman.

In delivering the keynote speech at the Women in IT Awards in London, Sir Alex Younger said: "The real-life Q is looking forward to meeting you and I'm pleased to report that the real-life Q is a woman."

Younger referred to Q, one of the most renowned James Bond characters, in a bid to appeal for more women to join the agency. But he also noted that one of his priorities is to "get over and see through the Bond thing".

While he recognised the importance of the fictional MI6 spy in giving the agency a global appeal (and a threatening profile), he also admitted that Bond could unwillingly contribute to certain stereotypes of "particular sort of person that will join MI6 - whether they're really posh or going to Oxford".

The intelligence community, he said, wants to reach to every community in Britain and make sure it recruits the best people regardless of their background.

“The more different people you have in the room, in these high-pressure circumstances in which we operate, the better the decisions," he said. "So success for me is a deeper, broader range of technological skills in MI6 and more diversity, in particular more women.”