Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger, Russell Crowe and a host of other A-listers were working the red carpet in London's West End, waving to fans, chatting with the press and dragging a trail through an inch of white foam. Torrential rain had reacted with a fire-retardant chemical in the carpet, making it froth up like bubble bath. As countless pairs of Jimmy Choos were ruined, their owners could only turn for the camera and smile.
A surreal moment for the visiting Hollywood élite, and an embarrassing one for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts ( bafta )...