Julia Roberts may be on Hollywood's A-list, but it was the girlfriend of her Notting Hill co-star Hugh Grant who stole the show at the film's world premiere in London.

BBC Arts Correspondent Rosie Millard goes star-gazing at the premiere

Liz Hurley - the face of Estee Lauder and Grant's long-term partner - donned a backless Versace outfit to repeat the trick she pulled five years ago at the launch of Four Weddings And A Funeral.

The black Versace dress she wore then propelled her to international stardom.

Julia Roberts flew to Britain specially for the charity premiere

By contrast Roberts, who kept her distance from Hurley at the Odeon in Leicester Square, wore a more demure, knee-length pink affair designed by Vivienne Tam.

Stars were out in force for the charity screening, which also drew Earl Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, who arrived with Caroline Freud, wife of PR guru Matthew Freud.

Also at the screening were Sir Elton John, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels star Nick Moran, comedian Harry Enfield and Bob Geldof.

Boyzone's Ronan Keating, and Elvis Costello, who both feature in the film's soundtrack, were also spotted.

The film's two stars were full of mutual praise. Roberts said of Grant: "He's really funny and charming and easy to tease and a really good teaser himself. He works really hard, which was the thing I responded to the most."

Grant said: "She was rather silly and nice. There was lot's of messing around and giving me Chinese burns."

Asked if his long-time partner Hurley had been upset by him kissing his co-star, he said: "She's not in any position to be jealous. She's always off snogging some film star."

Julia Roberts plays Anna Scott, the world's most famous movie star

The film is not a sequel to Four Weddings, although it is made by the same team and is a romantic comedy.

Grant plays William Thacker, the divorced owner of a quiet travel bookshop in Notting Hill, a trendy area of West London.

Thacker is swept off his feet one day when the most famous film star in the world Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) happens to walk into his bookshop and kiss him.

Emma Chambers plays Hugh Grant's dizzy sister Honey

Confusion and complications ensue in a plot that involves Thacker's wacky sister Honey (Emma Chambers), his slobbish Welsh flatmate Spike (Rhys Ifans), and an assortment of friends attempting to resolve his turbulent love-life.

Its producers hope it will beat the £250m taken worldwide by Four Weddings.

But the stakes are higher this time because it cost £30m to make, compared with the £3m of its predecessor.

Written by Richard Curtis and produced by Duncan Kenworthy, it opens in the UK on 28 May.

Curtis is also famous for being a successful comedy writer, his credits including such classics as Not the Nine O'Clock News, Blackadder, Mr Bean and The Vicar of Dibley.