Red Carpets, Pouting Spice

Check out Victoria Beckham pouting like Nicolette Sheridan at the Swarovski Fashion Rocks show. Her photo is gracing the cover of today's dailies. Also check out Debbie Harry who is looking fabulous, as always, and especially at 60.

I always thought that red carpet photos were candid shots, quickly taken by professionals as the subject slowly moved along the carpet. I've since learned otherwise. Five weeks ago, on the afternoon of my job interview, I decided to destress by walking up to Soho for a pre-dinner coffee. I got as far as the Royal Opera House, about 50 metres away, which was showered in floodlights for a special event. At the entrance was a red carpet, flanked by about fifty press photographers, all clamouring for a clear shot of the carpet. Behind the photographers, and across Bow Street where I stood, were several hundred spectators waiting to see who would arrive. Now I have to admit there were many "celebrities" that I didn't recognise, presumably from sports and local television. But I did see Eva Herzigova, Jerry Hall, Dannii Minogue, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, Bob Geldof, Bryan Ferry, and S Club 7's Rachel Stevens. Most arrived in chauffered Audis. Simon Cowell turned up in a huge and brand new Rolls Royce with opaque rear windows. The limousine purred at the entrance for a minute or two, generating palpable suspense, before Cowell stepped out. But the biggest surprise of the evening was when one bearded and greying 55 year old man stepped out of his car. The crowd erupted with simultaneous screaming and cheering, as the street showered with thousands of camera flashes, fired off in quick succession like lightning. All for a very calm and bemused Pierce Brosnan.

After each guest stepped from their car, they walked on to the red carpet and posed for about 15 seconds for each set of photographers, standing so-very-still and barely blinking. It seemed so artifical. (What am I saying? It's marketing.) I wondered if these people take red-carpet courses, or just stumble through the first few times. Camera whore Paula Abdul spent about five minutes on the red carpet. I wonder how, if every, they'd get her off it. She did look good, though. It was all a lot of fun. I have photos, which I'll post as soon as I have broadband at home.

On the subject of red carpets, the Odeon cinema at Leicester Square is host to many UK film premieres. Sometimes they close down part of the square and/or decorate it for a premiere, as was the case with War of the Worlds. Check out these photos, snapped by one of my neighbours.