Get off my dress! Anne Hathaway and Sarah Jessica Parker dazzle in stage-worthy gowns at New York City Ballet Gala

Their beautiful elaborate gowns were worthy of the stage itself.
But that didn't stop their clumsy fellow guests from walking all over them.
Both Anne Hathaway and Victoria's Secret Angel Kurkova were caught out by wrong footed men who were overwhelmed by the occasion as they arrived for the New York City Ballet's grand gala tonight.
But it didn't do anything to ruin the star-studded occasion.

Whoops! Anne doesn't seem to miss a beat as another guests steps on her dress train as she arrives

Danger of the train: Victoria's Secret Angel Kurkova takes a humorous stance on her fashion conundrum

Well before she became a famous actress, Sarah Jessica Parker was a ballet dancer at the American Ballet Theater in the Seventies.
As a current board member of the New York City Ballet, the actress was in her element on Thursday at the event at the Lincoln Center.
The 47-year-old star looked stunning in a grey floor-length dress of sheer fabric, which was gathered at the waist with a gold belt.

Another fashion victory: Sarah Jessica Parker arriving at Lincoln Center for the New York City Ballet Gala

Once a ballerina: The 47-year-old actress has definitely still got it when it comes to bringing her fashion best

Her hair piled ballerina-style on top of her head, the ever fashionable actress wore a head-turning gold necklace, and purple stilettos which featured a pretty bow at the toe.
She also wore a purple flower in her hair, setting off her shoes perfectly.
Parker was later seen with a regal brocade jacket over her shoulders, with wing-like square shoulders.

Floral wins the night: Anne Hathaway dazzled as she doubled down on the flowing floral theme of the night

Exquisite choice: Hathaway's sheer dress showed more than a hint of her cleavage

Also turning heads was fellow actress and style icon Anne Hathaway, whose gorgeous floral gown was also sheer, and so long that it formed a train around her feet.
Her long train was not without its pitfalls, however. At least one male guest walked right over the dress as Anne was arriving at the event.
The 29-year-old beauty was bereft of jewellery, save a pair of simple diamond studs in her ears, and she carried a gorgeous gold-studded clutch.

Man of the moment: Valentino designed the costumes for four dance works performed at the gala

They got the memo: Floor-length flowing gowns were the order of the night for the exclusive gala

Parker, meanwhile, had a huge hand in organising Thursday night's gala event.
The Sex And The City star was responsible for bringing on board legendary designer Valentino Garavani, who designed the costumes for four dance works performed at the gala.
In an interview earlier this week with The New York Times, Parker explained the genesis of the collaboration:
'I started thinking about the future of the company, and what was most important was building the audience of the next generation of ticket buyers,' she said.
' ...I know that fashion tends to have a younger audience, if we could somehow marry the two ideas.'

Fashion provocateur: Daphne Guinness turned plenty of heads (but not her own) with a coiled neck piece

Glimpse inside: Martha Stewart tweeted this picture of her place at the gala

Man of the moment, 80-year-old Valentino himself, appeared on the red carpet looking dashing in a tuxedo and sporting his trademark suntan.
Other notables included British fashion collector and provocateur Daphne Guinness, who is known for her unusual and edgy wardrobe choices.
The 44-year-old heir to the Guinness beer fortune did not disappoint on Thursday, showing up in a long black dress with a silver neck coil that resembled the traditional jewellery work by the Kayan tribe in Burma.

That's a wrap: Barbara Walters rose to the occasion in black taffeta and a huge white bow

   

All the pretty dresses: Diane Von Furstenberg and Olivia Palermo strut their stuff

Also getting the memo for 'long flowing gown' was Victoria's Secret Angel Karolina Kurkova, looking stunning in red.

Both Kurkova and Hathaway felt the humorous wrath of the fashion gods, when male guests stepped on each of their dresses at different times during the evening.
Angelica Huston attended the event, looking striking with her iconic page-boy haircut, distinctive red lipstick and an elegant black off-the-shoulder evening gown.

The dress is bigger than she is: Publisher and businesswoman Chiu-Ti Jansen makes a grand entrance

Ladies in red: Beauty entrepreneur Lauren Remington Platt and Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon

Huston has been filming her TV show Smash in New York, where she has been spotted regularly in recent weeks on set with co-stars Katherine McPhee, Jack Davenport and Megan Hilty, among others.

Other notable faces on the red carpet were Barbara Walters, who wore a black long-sleeved top over black taffeta, and sported a large white bow on her left shoulder.
Fashion icon Diane Von Furstenberg also joined the party in a sleeveless blue-and-white dress with a black hem, while model and socialite Olivia Palermo looked stunning in an off-the-shoulder layered black-and-cream dress.

They know their threads: Money manager Pamela Joyner dazzled in yellow, while Iman went for classic black

The 26-year-old pulled off a bold look in the accessories department, pairing her dress with a chunky  gold necklace and carrying a bright purple tasselled purse.
Also in the fabulous dress department, was Chiu Ti-Jansen, the publisher of YUE magazine.
Her strapless black-and-white dress was a crowd pleaser, but left the diminutive entrepreneur somewhat swamped by its sheer volume.

Classic black, with a twist: Comedienne Amy Sedaris took a feminine turn in a full-skirted dress, while Tori Burch took some inspiration from India

Opting for pants instead of a dress was Lauren Remington Platt, founder of Vênsette, a members-only booking service that sends make-up artists directly to a client's home or office.
Best-dressed magazine page regular, Platt looked stunning strapless red top and pantsuit, matched with exquisite red heels.
Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon also looked terrific in head-to-toe red, her hair tied back in a simple pony tail.

New York's high society: 'Jacob the Jeweler' and his guests

San Fransisco money manager Pamela Joyner, meanwhile, dazzled in a floaty canary yellow dress and diamonds, while 57-year-old Iman - a.k.a. Mrs. David Bowie - turned heads in a figure-hugging black dress. 
Author and comedienne Amy Sedaris took a feminine turn in a full-skirted tan and black dress.
Designer Tori Burch put her own twist on the classic black evening gown with an Indian-inspired jewel patterned fabric.

Differing style: Home goddess Martha Stewart was one of the rare guests to wear trousers while model Elettra Wiedemann chose a black dress

I had to print money even though pensioners suffered, says King: Bank governor's admission as incomes tumble

The Bank of England governor yesterday insisted he had no choice but to pump £375billion into the economy and slash interest rates, despite the crippling effect this has on pensioners.
Sir Mervyn King said the economy would have gone into ‘freefall’ if these steps had not been taken.
This would have had a far more devastating effect on old people, he pointed out.

Governor of the Bank of England Sir Mervyn King at his first-ever live television interview, hinted that the longest double-dip recession for more than 50 years was finally over

In his first live television interview, he hinted that the longest double-dip recession for more than 50 years was finally over – but warned the recovery will be ‘slow’.
The governor retires next summer, and one of the biggest controversies of his time at the Bank’s helm is the decision to slash the base rate to an historic low of 0.5 per cent and undertake the radical money-printing experiment, known as ‘quantitative easing’.

 

QE has the effect of lowering annuity rates, which dictate how much a newly-retired person receives from their pension, to an all-time low.

The Governor, who is due to retire at the end of next summer, said the economy was finally growing again following nine months of contraction

Some 20 years ago a £100,000 pension pot bought £15,650 a year for life - today it’s just £5,800.
This, combined with low interest rates on savings and the rising cost of living, has hit pensioners especially hard.
Sir Mervyn expressed ‘great sympathy’ for their plight and said he found the impact on their lives ‘deeply upsetting.’
Millions of the elderly have seen the income on their savings accounts disappear with many accounts paying close to zero per cent.
One pensioner, Denise Watson, told Channel 4 News how she battles to cope with higher food and energy bills while trying to keep warm at home. She said: ‘The message to us from the Bank of England is more or less “You had better just get on with it. It is not going to change”.’
Mrs Watson said she feels as if there is ‘absolutely no prospect of it [interest rates] improving.’
Sir Mervyn, who was speaking to Channel 4 News, said the economy was finally growing again following nine months of contraction, but refused to use the words ‘green shoots’.
He also appeared to pave the way for George Osborne to abandon his debt reduction target as the downturn blows budget plans off course.
Sir Mervyn, who insisted he has never considered resigning throughout the crisis, said it would be ‘acceptable’ for the national debt to be rising as a percentage of national income if the global economy was still in crisis.
The comments follow speculation the Chancellor will have to rip up the debt target at the Autumn Statement in December in what would be a crushing blow to his credibility. The target – set by Mr Osborne after he was handed the keys to the Treasury in May 2010 – was for debt to be falling as a percentage of GDP in 2015/16.

Governor of the Bank of England Sir Mervyn King told Jon Snow he has never considered resigning throughout the crisis

Sir Mervyn said: ‘It would not be acceptable to miss the debt target if there was no excuse for it.’  
But, crucially, he added that ‘it would be acceptable’ if it was ‘because the world economy has grown slowly and we have grown slowly’.
Despite offering a get-out clause to Mr Osborne on the debt target, he urged ministers to implement the radical banking reforms outlined by Sir John Vickers in full.
He made clear that any attempt to dilute the changes, such as the amount of money that banks are allowed to borrow, would be unwise.
Asked about the ‘stress’ of the job, Sir Mervyn said it is nothing compared to the nightmare faced by workers who have been hit by redundancy during the recession. He said: ‘What I would find stressful is, if I had a family to support, and if I had been made redundant.’
After nearly a decade as the Bank’s governor, Sir Mervyn described his job as ‘all-consuming’ and one which ‘takes up all my time.’

Nicole Richie plays at soldiers as she recreates Goldie Hawn's iconic Private Benjamin role in new photoshoot

She wasn't even born when Private Benjamin was released.
But Nicole Richie is such a fan of the hit 1980 movie that she chose to recreate it for a new photoshoot.
The 30-year-old played at soldiers as she dressed in a military coat and leather boots for the shots, inspired by Goldie Hawn's classic role.

 

Going military: Nicole Richie poses in front of an old U.S. army jeep for the October cover of Du Jour magazine Many hats: Nicole says her main challenges, as with many women today, is that she juggles multiple roles
In the October issue of Du Jourmagazine, The Simple Life star poses in a dark wool tailored jacket, double-breasted and belted at the waist.
The jacket is paired with almost crotch-high lace-up boots, in a sexy twist on the military theme.

Nicole poses against the backdrop of an old army jeep.
Her brown hair is loose and she wears a generous collection of tasteful jewellery.
'I’m a huge fan of Goldie,' Nicole tells the magazine.
'But besides that, I gravitated toward the movie because you see her character faced with challenges—she has a choice to go back to what she’s comfortable in or face new challenges.
'So that concept kind of speaks to me.'
In another photograph for the spread, The Truth About Diamonds author stands between a pair of models dressed as red beret military police.
She wears another dark tailored jacket, this time with brass-coloured buttons and military-style hat.
In the hit movie, Goldie Hawn starred as Private Judy Benjamin, a sheltered girl from a wealthy socialite family, who joins the U.S. army on a whim.
Like Private Benjamin, Nicole also grew up in a wealthy family - the adopted daughter of music legend Lionel Richie and his then-wife Brenda.
Nicole didn't join the army, but suffered through challenges of a different kind in her early twenties - a very public struggle with substance abuse and stint in a rehabilitation facility.
It was just 10 days after coming out of rehab that she started filming The Simple Life with friend Paris Hilton, the hit reality TV show that made them both household names.

 

 

In charge: The successful designer has parlayed her reality TV career into two thriving fashion lines

 

These days, Nicole says her challenges - like those of so many women - is that she wears so many 'hats'.

She juggles two successful clothing lines, her role as a mentor on the reality show Fashion Star, and her role as a wife to musician husband Joel Madden and mother to daughter Harlow and son Sparrow.

 

'It’s an interesting time right now, because women aren’t doing just one thing,' she says.
'We’re wearing many hats, taking on different roles. That’s just how the modern American woman is today.'

 

A few crosses to bear: Richie says in the interview that she was too indulged as a child

In the driver's seat: The 30-year-old business woman has come a lot way from her wayward bad-girl reputation

 

Now a successful business woman in her own right, Nicole is reluctant to discuss her family life at length, but did have this to offer: 
'One of the biggest differences in the way I’m raising my kids versus the way I was raised is that I was on tour a lot,' Richie says.
'I don’t really do that with my kids. It’s important to me that they have stability. I like them to be home.'

She adds: 'I was taken out of school, and had tutors. By the time my father went onstage, I was asleep.'

Feminine: The fashionista eases up on the military theme for this shot, in which she wears a blue dress

Despite her young age, Nicole also has some advice to share.
'Always be open to criticism,' she says. Criticism is the best thing you can ever get because it’s someone’s honest opinion—you need to hear it. What’s the point of hearing how great you are all the time?'
The celebrity was seen outside her home earlier this week, heading to her workout gym in Studio City in a pair of black leggings and a ripped singlet top.

 

 

Ready to work out: Richie heads to her home gym in Studio City ready to burn some calories

I wouldn't swap one of my golds to change any of it: Cycling champion Sarah Storey reveals how jealous school bullies spurred her on to Paralympic glory

She’s become a household name since picking up four medals at this year's Paralympics, and cycling champion Sarah Storey says her phenomenal success was inspired by the bullies who tormented her at school.
The 35-year-old, who now has 11 Paralympic gold medals, has revealed that the constant taunts from her classmates helped spur on to glory.
‘All the name-calling and loneliness toughened me up and made me strong enough to achieve all I have,’ she says during an interview with The Sun. ‘I wouldn’t swap one of my golds to change any of it.

Bullying torment: Sarah Storey poses with all four of her Paralympic gold medals from the London 2012 games

Golden girl: Sarah pictured with fellow champion David Weir during the Closing Ceremony

‘When I was at my lowest, my parents told me to keep looking to the future - that everything would be all right. I managed to believe them and do just that.
‘It was the best lesson anyone could have taught me.’

Sarah, who was born without a functioning left hand after her arm failed to form properly when she was in the womb, begun her career as a swimmer and won two golds, three silvers and a bronze at the 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona when she was just 14.
However her success made her an outcast at school and she was alienated by the other girls, who would follow her into the toilet and shout abuse at her as she hid inside the cubicle.

Proud auntie: Celebrating with her nephew Gethin after winning the women's individual C4-5 Road Race

‘They’d call me weird, and accuse me of being big-headed when I couldn’t have kept a lower profile,’ she says.
‘They even hated me for coming to school with wet hair after training. It was horrible.’
Sarah eventually began skipping lunch at school in order to avoid the bullies and her weight decreased dramatically.
Her concerned mother took the teenager to see a doctor, who warned her to ‘sort herself out’.
Sarah, who grew up in Cheshire, slowly regained the weight and left her tormentors behind when she went to college.

In it to win it: She now has 11 Paralympics gold medals

She continued to compete and won three golds at Atlanta in 1996. But her swimming career finally came to end due to persistent ear infections.
Sarah decided to switch to cycling and has never looked back.
‘As long as I was successful I didn’t mind what sport it was in,’ she said.
She went on to win two gold medals at Beijing in 2008, and added four more titles to her collection during this year’s competition.
The athlete, who is married to fellow cycling gold medallist Barney Storey, is now looking forward to spending some quality time with her husband.
‘I’m looking forward to sitting down with our cat, Alfie, on my knee, and chatting about it with Barney.
‘But I’ll miss all this - it’s been one of the most incredible experiences of my life.’

Team Storey: Sarah with her cycling champion husband Barney

She's a winner all round! Corrie's Michelle Keegan looks stunning in white as she wins Best Soap Actress at the TV Choice Awards

She's won Sexiest Female at another awards ceremony four years a row, so it was only right that Michelle Keegan was recognised for her acting as well.
The 25-year-old scooped the Best Soap Actress gong at the TV choice Awards tonight (Monday) and she certainly looked good when she made her way up onto the stage.
Dressed in a simple white dress, the Coronation Street star is known for never getting it wrong when it comes to her style, and tonight was no different.

Angelic lady: Michelle Keegan looked stunning as she arrived at the TV Choice Awards wearing a simple white dress, and walked away with the Best Soap Actress Award

Michelle looked stunning in the fitted knee-length garment, which she teamed with silver peep-toe heels as she collected her award for her portrayal of Tina McIntyre.
She wore her dark hair down in a loose wave and accessorised her dress with lots of rings and statement earrings.
Someone who doesn't always get it right, but looked glamorous tonight was Chelsee Healey.

 

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• If there was an award for Best Dressed... TOWIE's Lydia Bright and Chloe Sims dazzle at the TV Choice Awards along with MIC's Millie Mackintosh

It may seem like Chelsee spent a lot of time choosing her outfit carefully, but she admitted that she'd had no time whatsoever to actually get ready for the London event.
'Presenting an award tonight! I've had like 10 mins to get Ready! Mortified :( #tvchoiceawards' she tweeted earlier today, after admitting she had 'had the worst day.'
Chelsee teamed her black sleeved dress with a gold glittery waist belt and big hair as she posed for the cameras.
She was joined by Andrea McLean who also wore a floor-length black number.

Ladies in black: Chelsee Healey (L) and Andrea McLean arrive at the TV Choice Awards wearing floor-length dresses

Hollywood glamour: Jorgie Porter tried her hand at the old-school look with a long satin dress and a beehive

Feeling better now? Chelsee tweeted that she had 'had the worst day' today and only had ten minutes to get ready

However, the TV presenter kept things a little racy with her sheer neckline.
She was sporting a glowing tan and a huge smile before she made her way inside the Dorchester Hotel.
Someone else who decided to steer clear of black, but did cover up her legs in a floor-length dress as well as Jorgie Porter.
The Hollyoaks star tried working the Hollywood glamour look with her hair in a beehive and wearing a cream satin dress.
The blonde actress teamed the embellished dress with a glittery clutch bag and a huge grin as she posed on the red carpet.

Showing off: EastEnders star Shona McGarty (L) and Emmerdale actress Charley Webb revealed their legs in black outfits

However, there were some soap stars who decided to show off their legs at the annual event.
EastEnders star Shona McGarty proved she's somewhat of a rock chick as she arrived wearing a black strapless leather-esque dress.
The brunette teamed the short garment with black ankle boots, a printed clutch bag and a statement necklace.
Someone else who chose the most flattering colour was Emmerdale star Charley Webb.
The 24-year-old modelled her slender pins in a pair of tailored shorts, a lace top and black boots.

Katherine Kelly (L) looks girly in florals while Gillian Taylforth wore a one-shoulder floor-length gown

Going to the prom? Claire Richards arrived in a black Fifties-style dress and peep-toe heels

Steps singer Claire Richards also showed off some leg, but not as much, in a black prom-style dress.
She paired it with some peep-toe heels, matching nail varnish and smoky eye make-up as she beamed for the photographers.
Coronation Street star, Georgia May Foote, brought some glamour to the red carpet as she turned heads in a purple lace dress.
The 21-year-old looked very grown-up as she teamed the sleeveless dress with nude heels, a matching clutch bag and bright red lipstick.

Adding some colour: Georgia May Foote looked stunning in a purple lace dress and nude heels

Look at me! Natalie Anderson stood out in a bright pink bodycon dress and matching heels

The brunette certainly had some competition from Emmerdale actress, Natalie Anderson, who made the most of her slim figure in a bright pink bodycon dress and matching heels.
It was in stark comparison to former Emmerdale star, Claire King, who wore a plain black dress, matching heels and a studded clutch bag.
Coronation Street star, Paul Lane, also wore the safe colour but certainly stood out from the stars looking masculine yet stylish in tailored jumpsuit that feature gold embellishment.

Super stylish: Paula Lane looked stunning in a black embellished jumpsuit with her hair slicked back

Rock chick! Natalie Gumede shows her edgy side in a black studded dress and matching accessories

The pretty actress wore her hair slicked back and teamed her outfit with a green clutch bag and black suede heels.
Her co-star, Natalie Gumede, also chose a bit more of an edgy look opting for a one-shoulder studded dress, a matching cuff bracelet and a clutch bag.
The actress is obviously a fan of the rock chick look and teamed her dangerous-looking dress with a pair of silver stilettos.

Shameless star Rebecca Atkinson (L) and Claire King both wore fairly plain dresses to the annual event

Waterloo Road star, Jaye Jacobs, brightened things up in an orange satin dress which she wore with black heels, while EastEnders star Jasmyn Banks wore a teal-coloured knee-length dress with burnt orange heels and a vintage-looking bag.
Actress Perdita Weeks showed off her slim frame in an unusual striped dress.
The TV star showed her patriotic side by wearing bright red heels and a Union Jack clutch bag as she posed for photos.

Clashing colours: Waterloo Road star Jaye Jacobs (L) opted for an orange dress while Jasmyn Banks wore teal

She was followed by Emmerdale star, Gemma Oaten, who modelled her enviable figure in a silvery gold strapless dress and nude patent heels.

The redhead was also sporting a glowing tan and carried a light-coloured clutch bag as she posed with her hand on her hip.

Different looks: Emmerdale star Gemma Oaten (L) looked glitzy in her strapless dress while Perdita Weeks went patriotic with a Union Jack clutch bag

The cast of Emmerdale found themselves all on the stage together when they ITV1 soap was given the Outstanding Contribution Award.
However, they lost out to the Best Soap Award, which went to BBC1's EastEnders.
Two of the soap's stars also picked up individual awards, with Shane Richie getting Best Soap Actor for his portrayal of Alfie Moon, and Tony Discipline being awarded Best Newcomer for his role as Tyler Moon.

He's a winner! EastEnders star Shane Ritchie won Best Soap Actor for his role as Alfie Moon and his co-star Jake Wood came along to support him (R)

Hard work pays off! Jeremy Kyle won the award for Best Daytime Show

Meanwhile, the Best Actor accolade went to Benedict Cumberbatch for his role in Sherlock, and Miranda Hart won Best Actress for Call The Midwife.
The stars of The Only Way Is Essex and Made In Chelsea were left disappointed when their shows missed out on Best Reality Show, with the award going to I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here.
Keith Lemon was pleased when his popular ITV2 show, Celebrity Juice, scooped Best Entertainment Show, while Jeremy Kyle won Best Daytime Show.

Still smiling: Made In Chelsea's Francesca Hull and Louise Thompson were in good spirits even though their show didn't win an award

Feeling feminine: Millie Mackintosh looked pretty in an embellished dress and strapped heels

Doctor Who took home the gong for Best Family Drama, and Call The Midwife won another award in the Best New Drama Category.
Best Drama Series went to Sherlock while the Best Factual Entertainment Show went to Top Gear.
Channel Four's Supersize Vs Superskinny won the Best Lifestyle Show award, and Best Comedy went to Mrs Brown's Boys.
X Factor lost out on the Best Talent Show award to Britain's Got Talent, and last but not least, Best Food Show went to The Hairy Bikers' Bakeation.

Big smiles: Vernon Kay (L) wore black, as did Keith Lemon, whose show Celebrity Juice won the Best Entertainment award

Representing: Britain's Got Talent hosts Ant and Dec were pleased when the show won Best Talent Show