If there’s an art to decoding the red carpet, you can be sure the celebrities are praying we get it right. And that their latest ‘message’ comes over loud and clear.
Knowing all eyes are upon them, the stars have around 100 metres to smile, wave at the flurry of cameras – and perfect the hoped-for image.
How they hold themselves, who they speak to… these things are meticulously planned with the publicists. And each decision tells a different story.
A solo appearance can never be mere happenstance. It’s a conscious decision not to bring a partner, which signifies a break-up, of course.
That short walk from the limousine might, on the other hand, be the moment to show off a new relationship. As for the celebrities seen jabbering to the waiting press, it’s odds-on they need a quick career boost.
Yet, as a showbusiness journalist at last night’s National Television Awards, I learned a great deal more about the stars in a few brief moments away from the cameras.
I watched as Cat Deeley stepped out of her car in private, moments before hitting the red carpet at London’s 02 arena – and saw she was visibly nervous.
‘I watched as Cat Deeley stepped out of her car in private, moments before hitting the red carpet at London’s 02 arena – and saw she was visibly nervous’
‘There’s a lot going on,’ she remarked to an organiser as she tried smoothing down her £5,160 emerald-green gown from Oscar de la Renta. Her eyes darted up and down the line of photographers and interviewers waiting to pounce.
Seeing that ‘rabbit-in-the-headlights’ look and sensing her distress, Cat’s This Morning co-host Ben Shephard discreetly took her hand to give a little comfort.
‘Obviously it was a big deal for Cat,’ said my source. ‘She knew that everyone would be looking at her, seeing how she would handle her first red carpet since the split. But the brief was clear, just keep smiling and she did it.’
In July, the 48-year-old announced she would be parting from her husband, RTE presenter Patrick Kielty, after 13 years of marriage and two children.
The source continued: ‘Patrick is usually a fixture at these events, either on the carpet or in the background. She always knew he would be watching. But this time she was alone.
‘Cat spent the rest of the evening behind her 50-year-old co-star’s velvet-suited shoulder, even when they collected the gong for the best Daytime Programme’. Pictured: Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard
‘Ben really knew the assignment and stepped up to support his “work wife”.’
Cat spent the rest of the evening behind her 50-year-old co-star’s velvet-suited shoulder, even when they collected the gong for the best Daytime Programme. The ITV darling smiled but remained firmly in the background, letting her colleagues do the talking.
These events can be a pain for industry old-timers. Who wants to spend an hour wandering down a red carpet speaking to different news outlets about exactly the same subject?
Yet for those just starting out, these events are essential if they want to establish themselves in the showbiz sphere.
That’s why Love Island stars are such key players on the red carpet. It’s vital they attend if they want to build a lucrative career on the back of sunning themselves for six weeks in a Mallorcan villa.
Yet last night was perhaps something of a minefield for two of the ITV show’s newest stars: fan favourites Yasmin Pettet, 24, and Jamie Rhodes, 26, who placed third as a couple in last month’s public vote.
The National Television Awards might have seemed the perfect occasion to put their relationship back in the spotlight… if it weren’t that the pair – it appears – have secretly broken up.
They arrived separately and spoke to no reporters. Was that for fear they’d be found out?
ITV show’s newest stars: Love Island fan favourites Yasmin Pettet, 24, and Jamie Rhodes, 26
Later in the evening, Yasmin was seen leading Traitors star Freddie Fraser, 21, into a dark corner of the after-party
My sources tell me that Yasmin and Jamie were apart much of the evening. The Persian beauty spent her time hanging out in a box with her fellow Love Island besties Toni Laites and Shakira Khan with their respective boyfriends.
Later in the evening, Yasmin was seen leading Traitors star Freddie Fraser, 21, into a dark corner of the after-party.
Bobby Brazier and his EastEnders co-star, Aaliyah James were among those who kept their distance from the red carpet.
My spies saw the 22-year-old son of the late Jade Goody holding hands with 25-year-old Aaliyah at the sweaty after-party.
‘They were quite openly walking around holding hands with each other,’ said the source. ‘If anything is happening with them, it must be an open secret on EastEnders – because the place was crammed with actors from the soap.
‘Maybe that’s why they felt so comfortable doing it.’
Brazier, who also starred on Strictly, revealed last night that he would be leaving EastEnders for good. But he also told me that, ‘I’ve enjoyed it more in the last three months than I have done previously’.
Might Aaliyah have something to do with this?
EastEnders lead actor Steve McFadden won the Serial Drama Performance award after 35 years on the soap playing Phil Mitchell
It was a big night for the cast of EastEnders. The stars celebrated into the early hours after scooping the award for best Serial Drama. Lead actor Steve McFadden, meanwhile, won the Serial Drama Performance award after 35 years on the soap playing Phil Mitchell.
But it wasn’t all Champagne and celebrations at the O2. Sources tell me that NTA bosses were ‘incredibly disappointed’ with the cast and crew of Strictly Come Dancing for – as they saw it – snubbing the event.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman were unable to attend because they were busy hosting the Strictly launch show.
My sources told me: ‘It really annoyed the executives because the NTAs land on the same day every year. Strictly knows this, and yet they still went ahead and scheduled the launch for the same day.
‘Everyone is joking upstairs that the BBC did it on purpose because Strictly is afraid it won’t win after the year it’s had.’ That’s a reference to the scandals plaguing the show, including singer Wynne Evans’s sexual slur on the Strictly tour and Amanda Abbington’s accusations that she had been bullied.
Earlier this week, controversial signing Thomas Skinner dramatically stormed out of the show’s first press event when he was infuriated by a female journalist recording him and snatched the phone from her.
Perhaps, in light of this, it would have been wise for the Strictly gang to learn an old-style showbiz trick: to spend a bit of time wandering down the red carpet in front of the Great British Public – and try to rebuild the show’s sadly dwindling reputation.
