Norfolk-born actress Olivia Colman has defied the odds to win Best Actress at the Oscars, beating the firm favourite Glenn Close.

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The Favourite actress, who attended Gresham’s School in Holt, was nominated for her role as a cantankerous Queen Anne in the prickly period drama, which was in the running for 10 prizes at the glittering ceremony.

Colman, who recently picked up a Bafta for her stunning performance, competed against Glenn Close who was nominated for her role in The Wife.

She was also up against Lady Gaga for A Star Is Born, Melissa McCarthy for Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Yalitza Aparicio for Roma.

The gong makes Colman the first British woman to win the prize since Kate Winslet in 2009.

%image(15287554, type="article-full", alt="Olivia Colman, Mahershala Ali and Regina King in the press room at the 91st Academy Awards. Picture: Alberto Rodriguez/PA Wire")

In an emotional speech, the actress who is also known for starring in TV Sitcom Peep Show, spoke of her delight at winning the award.

She said: “It’s genuinely quite stressful. This is hilarious. I’ve got an Oscar! Any little girl who’s practising their speech on the telly - you never know!”

The biggest winner of the night was Bohemian Rhapsody which scooped four awards. The film, which looks into the life of Freddie Mercury, the legendary lead singer of Queen, won Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Film Editing with lead actor, Rami Malek, receiving his first award in the prestigious Best Actor category.

Perhaps the surprise winner of the night was Green Book, an American film which looks into the relationship between a classical jazz musician and his driver.

%image(15287556, type="article-full", alt="Olivia Colman, winner of the Best Actress In A Leading Role Award for The Favourite. Picture: Alberto Rodriguez/PA Wire")

The feature won three awards including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, with Mahershala Ali winning Best Supporting Actor for his role as Don Shirley.

MORE: A look at Olivia Colman’s glittering career as she scoops second Golden GlobeColman’s co-stars Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone were both nominated in the supporting actress category but lost out to If Beale Street Could Talk star Regina King.

Elsewhere, Brit Christian Bale was nominated in the best actor category for his role as Dick Cheney in Vice, but lost out to the Bohemian Rhapsody leading man.

MORE: East Anglian links to the Oscars and who did we think would win?

A total of eight films were nominated for the best picture prize – Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Green Book, Roma, A Star Is Born and Vice.

The ceremony was without a host for the first time in three decades after Kevin Hart stepped down amid a row over homophobic tweets.

Instead the show relied on an array of celebrity presenters including Daniel Craig, Jennifer Lopez and Chadwick Boseman, while the films in contention for best picture were introduced by famous faces including Serena Williams, Queen Latifah and Barbra Streisand.

The 91st Academy Awards were handed out at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 24.