George Clooney, Michelle Williams, Meryl Streep and Berenice Bejo were among the names that walked down the red carpet ahead of the ceremony at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, central London.

Bejo, nominated for Leading Actress for her role in silent film The Artist, joked that she felt "frozen and very lucky" to be on the red carpet.

Her co-star Jean Dujardin said the film, heavily tipped to sweep the board at the Oscars, was "a simple story, a love story".

Other names posing for photographers and signing autographs for fans included Birdsong actor Eddie Redmayne, who is nominated for the Rising Star award which is voted for by the public, Michael Fassbender and Gary Oldman.

Also on the red carpet was Brad Pitt who said it was "an honour" to be recognised in the "land of Olivier".

The awards, officially known as the Orange British Academy Film Awards, is the biggest movie bash of the year in the UK and is seen as an accurate pointer for Oscar success.

George Clooney dismissed any rivalry with fellow best actor nominee Brad, saying: "We don't have any rivalry, we're really good friends. People do like to think of it as a rivalry but it isn't.

When asked if he preferred being nominated for his acting or his filmmaking he said: They're all nice - when people like the films it makes you feel good, these are films that require good reviews to help us keep making these films so it's nice."