Idris Elba skips to keep fit.

The 43-year-old actor is currently training for his next blockbuster movie 'Bastille Day' and has revealed his go-to exercise for shedding fat is jumping rope.

He shared: ''My favourite way to break a sweat is to skip. I like skipping. 10 minutes of skipping is a lot of work believe it or not. You're whole body is going and you break a sweat very quickly.''

Despite being at the peak of his physical fitness, the chewy texture of a calorific chocolate bar proves too irresistible for the star when he's hungry in the midnight hours.

Asked what he eats if he's peckish at night, Elba confessed: ''My favourite midnight snack is... I shouldn't really say this but it's a Snickers bar. It goes down really well. The nougat, the caramel. You get rid of the wrapper really quickly so that no one has to know.''

And after months of hard work on set and in the gym, the 'Pacific Rim' actor likes to retire to his favourite ''getaway''.

He told People magazine: ''My favourite place to get away from it all is definitely Africa. Africa is the most beautiful place in the world. You know why I like Africa? Because at night time you can see the whole sky from there, to there, it's the wickedest horizon you've ever seen.''