Olivia Colman starts work on The Crown in July – and she's already speaking to Claire Foy

And she's as much in the dark as we are, confirming at the Radio Times Covers Party: "I don't start until July so I know nothing about it yet apart from they said I could do it so I'm holding them to that."

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With six months still to go before shooting begins, Colman is the only actor to be confirmed – although Helena Bonham Carter has been heavily rumoured to play Princess Margaret, a role she would inherit from Vanessa Kirby. "I've heard that, I am so excited about that!" said Colman.

In the meantime, she's been in touch with Foy, who won a Golden Globe for the role. "They – the people, the grown ups – put us in touch so I could ask her about it and she was just lovely – she's one of the sweetest people ever and she's brilliant.

"She's f***ing amazing and it's a very hard act to follow."

But Colman isn't the only one enamoured by Foy – it turns out her husband, Ed Sinclair, is also a big fan. "We are completely obsessed with The Crown anyway but whenever Claire Foy comes on he goes, 'Oh, she's amazing'.

"Watching the first series was blissful because I had no idea. With the second series I now know I've got to follow in her footsteps."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eME8tDc6DyY