Three days to the Oscars and bookmakers William Hill have already started paying out on Dame Helen Mirren winning best actress - but the star of The Queen is getting more than a little nervous.

"I worry people must be getting fed up with me," said Dame Helen, 61, who has already won awards at the Venice Film Festival and Golden Globes for her performance in Stephen Frears's movie.

"I'm not weary of awards yet. I'm happy to see this through," she said. "But I'm nervous about the Oscars because I'm representing myself, the film, my country... and my monarch! I hope I don't make a fool of myself."

She is pictured here at the Miramax pre-Oscar party with a man who cannot be said to suffer the same problem: Peter O'Toole, 74, who is up for best actor for Venus. He has famously been nominated eight times but never won.

Such is the certainty surrounding Dame Helen that, for the first time in over 20 years of Oscars betting, William Hill has paid out before the announcement has been made.

Hill's will pay more than £50,000 to punters who have been backing her since Oscars betting opened. By the close she was the 1/66 favourite with Meryl Streep 12/1 second favourite.

"If Helen fails to win it will be the biggest upset in Oscar betting history," said Hill's Rupert Adams.

In the other categories Hill rates Forest Whitaker 1/5 to win best actor, Martin Scorsese 2/9 to win best director.

Other British hopefuls include Dame Judi Dench for her performance in Notes On A Scandal and Kate Winslet for Little Children.