Local girl wins Oscar

Well done to Essex girl Helen Mirren, for winning the best actress Oscar for The Queen. It always great when the Brits win the big awards.

Born in Ilford, she received education even more locally at St Bernards Convent High School in Westcliff On Sea. However, you'd never ever guess this when you consider that her real name is Ilyena Vasilievna Mironov! Apparently, her great-great-great-great-grandfather was field marshall Mikhail Kamensky, one of the Russian heroes of the Napoleonic Wars.

A quote from the Daily Telegraph today:
Helen Mirren, holding a Union Jack which she had taken from the Sky TV interviewer, when asked if she had a “naughty side”: “Me, naughty? No, I am good through and through, I’m an Essex girl.” See, you can't tar all Essex girls with the same brush!

I haven't seen the film yet. I'm not entirely sure it will be my cuppa tea as I'm not really into royalty. However, I may give it a go on dvd.

I feel I should also mention Jennifer Hudson who won best supporting actress for her part in Dreamgirls. At the time the nominations were announced, I knew the name rang a bell, but now I know - she was one of the contestants in American Idol 2006. What an amazing achievement in such a short space of time. I bet she could hardly believe her luck!