Josh O’Connor’s portrayal of Prince Charles in The Crown may have just bagged him a Golden Globe, but he actually came close to not taking on the role. 

The actor has revealed he nearly passed on appearing in the hit Netflix series, something he is embarrassed about given the huge critical acclaim it has brought him. 

Speaking to E! News ahead of Sunday night’s Golden Globes ceremony – where Josh won Best Actor In A TV Series or Drama – Josh said: “It’s kind of embarrassing, really.

“I think I was working another job and I got a phone call saying, ‘Would I want to come in and read for Charles?’ I mean, it was a terrible mistake!”

Explaining his initial reaction to the offer of an audition, Josh continued: “Partly, I hadn’t seen the show and then I watched the show and realised it’s incredible and what Claire [Foy] and Matt [Smith] did in the first two series was magic. 

“I don’t know where I’d been, I don’t know how I missed this magical show. And then I fell in love with the show, so I met with the guys and they convinced me and just said, ‘This is a great part.’ And they told me the story and the journey we were going to go on and it was just a no-brainer.”

Sunday night’s Golden Globes also saw Josh’s co-star Emma Corrin honoured for her role as Princess Diana in The Crown. 

In their respective acceptance speeches, Emma and Josh both thanked each other for helping bring their performances of the former royal couple to life. 

Emma also told reporters after her win that she was “incredibly moved” by Prince Harry’s recent comments about the show.