`Billy Elliot' takes three awards at Baftas

Teenager Jamie Bell was yesterday celebrating winning the best-actor title at the UK's answer to the Oscars as his film Billy…

Teenager Jamie Bell was yesterday celebrating winning the best-actor title at the UK's answer to the Oscars as his film Billy Elliot took three top titles.

Bell, who is 14, was given the biggest cheer of the night and confessed he thought he had no chance of winning. "To be nominated with all these guys - Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush and Michael Douglas - I was kind of thinking of not bothering coming because I thought, what's the point?"

Co-star Julie Walters won best supporting actress and the film itself took best British film at the Orange British Academy Film Awards, better known as Baftas.

The Roman epic, Gladiator, took five prizes including best movie title and it was also the cinemagoers' choice by taking the Orange Audience Award.

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Subtitled martial arts fantasy Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was another major success with four wins, including best foreign film and best director for Ang Lee.

Julia Roberts's title role in Erin Brockovich, as a single mother who uncovers an environmental scandal, won her the best-actress title.

Former James Bond star Roger Moore almost bungled the best newcomer prize by reading out the winner before the nominees had been announced, although he realised his mistake before it was too late.

The audience at the event included Russell Crowe, who flew in from Australia for the event, Goldie Hawn and her daughter Kate Hudson, who attended with new husband Chris Robinson from rock band The Black Crowes.

Movie veteran and five-time Oscar nominee Albert Finney, who missed out on a best supporting actor prize for Erin Brockovich, was rewarded with an Academy Fellowship - the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award.