Winner: Carey Mulligan won the best actress gong for her first ever feature filmShe was turned down by three drama schools and just a few years ago was working as a barmaid in a pub.
Now 24-year-old Carey Mulligan is the toast of the film world after beating Hollywood stars Meryl Streep and Audrey Tautou to win the actress award at the British Academy Film Awards last night.
The young actress has been acclaimed for her starring role in An Education, based on journalist Lynn Barber's memoirs of her seduction as a schoolgirl by an older man and set in 1960s suburbia.
Triumph: Mulligan with her best actress gong and Kathryn Bigelow with hers for best directorMiss Mulligan has experienced a meteoric rise going from a sweet girl next door sharing a flat with a friend and working in a pub to one of Hollywood's most sought after actresses.
Last night she looked every inch a superstar having dyed her cropped hair bright blonde and sporting a floor-length monochrome floral number with a train by French designer Vionnet.
Disbelief: Carey said she hadn't expected to win, and hadn't even written a thank you speech 
Best actor: Colin Firth was presented with his Bafta by Kate Winslet at tonight's awardsShe admitted she had been teary earlier and could not believe she was even in the same category as some of her rivals.'
Clearly overjoyed at the result she giddily waved to her family who were sitting in the audience.
'I wish I could do a speech like Colin Firth and talk about fridges but I can't.
'My brother and my dad are right up there. My mum is there. I love them. Thank you so much.'
iss Mulligan had been disappointed earlier after losing out to Twilight actress Kristen Stewart, who won the Orange Rising Star Award for her performances in the hit vampire franchise.
Cleaning up: The Hurt Locker scooped six awards; screenwriter Mark Boal, director Kathryn Bigelow, producer Greg Shapiro and producer Nicholas Chartier celebrate 
It was a celebration of British actors as Colin Firth also scooped the top accolade in the actor category - beating stars such as George Clooney and Jeff Bridges. He won for his portrayal of a grief stricken gay college professor in A Single Man, which was directed by fashion designer Tom Ford.
Firth said: 'I knew there was something special about this film but I did not know how wide ranging it was. Nobody got paid for this film. Tom Ford was out of pocket and the rest of us did it for nothing.'
Gritty Iraq war drama The Hurt Locker swept the board with six awards, triumphing over Hollywood blockbuster Avatar for both the film and director awards.
Director Kathryn Bigelow beat her ex-husband James Cameron to win that category
She said: 'What an honour. My heart is beating so fast. I was so lucky to have an incredible cast and crew. This is really amazing, humbling and deeply moving.'
The two directors, who were married from 1989 to 1991, are also going head to head at the March 7 Oscars, where their films have nine nominations apiece.
The Hurt Locker's success proves Britain's love affair with the underdog - beating Avatar in a David and Goliath style battle.
Avatar cost almost £200million to make and is now the biggest grossing film of all time, taking more than £1.5billion worldwide, while The Hurt Locker cost just £7million and has grossed £10million.
source: dailymail