Dame Helen's footwear fetish

Two months ago Dame Helen Mirren raised eyebrows by pulling on what she admitted were a pair of "stripper's heels."

Yesterday she confirmed her love of unusal footwear by wearing a pair of navy, calf-length cowboy boots teamed with a demure lilac skirt.

The Bafta-winning star stepped out at the Pan's Labyrinth premiere wearing another unlikely outfit.

Seemingly unabashed by her outlandish choice of footwear, the actress smiled for the cameras as she high-kicked her right leg into the air.

While red carpet onlookers may have questioned her choice of shoe, Dame Helen had, at least, chosen the pair herself.

In August, however, she arrived at the Emmys wearing an incredibly glamorous dress - and four inch Perspex plastic heels.

In her haste to get to the awards, the actress had forgotten to pack her usual, far more delicate, heels, and was forced to stop off en route to the Hollywood ceremony and purchase a pair of last minute alternatives.

Tottering onto the stage to collect her award, she told the laughing audience: "These are what you might call stripper's heels."

With a career spanning over four decades, Dame Helen was honoured at the 58th Emmy Awards, voted Best Actress for her role as the flame haired monarch, Queen Elizabeth I.

The Channel Four drama, Elizabeth I, was named best mini series and won nine top television awards in the US, more than any other show.