Olivia Colman felt "horrendous" after replacing Claire Foy on The Crown

Colman plays the British monarch in the third series of Netflix hit The Crown, a gig she described as the “worst job” owing to taking over from fan favourite Claire Foy.

“It’s horrendous,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “Everyone loves Claire Foy, so I have got the worst job in the world at the moment.”

Colman said she was so nervous about taking over the role that she tried to impersonate the actress.

“The first week, I did feel myself trying to do Claire impressions," she said. "‘What would she have done?’ It’s the same as any classical play you do — everyone will have already played that part before.”

One person who had absolute faith in Colman’s ability to take over from Foy was screen writer Peter Morgan who revealed the Fleabag actress was the only name on his list.

“Olivia Colman was a list of one,” he said. “I think I wanted to know [she would play the part] even before negotiations were done for seasons 3 and 4.”

Tobias Menzies (Prince Philip) and Helena Bonham Carter (Princess Margaret) are among the new cast. The series is expected to cover Elizabeth's reign between 1964 and 1970.

The Crown lands on Netflix on Sunday 17th August