The London-born actress returns to our screens in a brand new Friday night comedy series on BBC. The Cleaner airs tonight on BBC One at 9:30pm, and airs weekly. Written by, and starring Inbetweeners legend Greg Davies as ‘Wicky’, the series follows a “crime-scene cleaner” who goes to come in and clean up once forensic investigators have finished.

       Inspired by German comedy Crime Scene Cleaner, Wicky visits a new crime scene each week with his trademark bucket, cleaning products and hazmat suit.

       A star-studded cast includes Helena, David Mitchell, Stephanie Cole and Layton Williams, best known for playing Stephen in Bad Education.

       Helena plays the role of Sheila, a character she described as “one of the eclectic and sometimes murderous mix of characters that Wicky comes across during his gruesome but necessary work.”

       Helena has played numerous other roles, including that of Princess Margaret in hit Netflix series The Crown, and she later spoke of an unforgettable trip to see a psychic prior to accepting the role.

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       Helena claimed the princess’ ghost spoke to her in the meeting.

       Helena said she asked the spirit of Margaret how she would feel if she played her, to which Margaret said she was a better idea “than the other actor”.

       She told the Graham Norton Show: “I did meet a psychic who is a friend of mine and I was seeing her ？ she has lots and lots of different strings to her bow, she does healing and she does other things ？ but she also has a talent for mediumship.

       “And as I was seeing her for something else, she said ‘Oh, Margaret is here, does that mean anything to you?’

       “And I said ‘yes it does’.”

       Helena told Graham and the studio audience that at the time she had not decided whether to accept the role or not.

       She continued: “I said ‘yeah’ ？ no actually, if you’ve got the horse’s mouth, it’s in the room, you’re not going to say ‘no actually’ so, so I said ‘yeah’.

       “And I said ‘would you mind if I played you?’ and she said ‘well I think you’re a better idea than the other actor, the other idea.”

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       She was joined on the sofa by fellow star of The Crown Olivia Colman, actor Chadwick Boseman and comedian Richard Ayoade.

       Chadwick asked her if she ever found out who the other actor was, but she said she was never told.

       Helena revealed she also received an acting tip later in the session.

       She said: “Then she [the psychic] came through with another note which was useful.

       “Whether it was true because the psychic was fantastically intuitive or there really was the ghost of Margaret telling me, I don’t know.

       “But the note was good, and it said ‘get the smoking right’.

       “I smoked in a particular way and always remember that the cigarette holder is as much a weapon for expression as anything else ？ that was a good note.”

       Margaret was a heavy smoker for many years, and was often pictured with a cigarette in hand.

       Helena explained how she believes royals are “walking icons” and Margaret would have been very conscious about her silhouette and what she did with her hands.

       The actress said it was “very typical” of Margaret, having known her personally through her uncle Mark.

       She explained: “She had a way of complimenting you and putting you down at the same time.

       “And the fact that she said, ‘Yeah I think you’re better than the other actor’, it was like you never knew where you were with her.”

       The Cleaner airs on BBC One tonight at 9:30pm. It will also be available on BBC iPlayer.