Beckhams steal the show

With bad-boy rapper Eminem and Russian teenage lesbian sensation tATu on the guest list, stealing the show was never going to be a formality.

But Posh and Becks managed it - and in a country with only a passing interest in football and a distant flirtation with the Spice Girls.

David and Victoria Beckham were at the MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles to present the Best Transatlantic Breakthrough gong.

Judging by the way Britain's No.1 celebrity couple were received, they should have been getting it.

Wearing eye-catching matching white outfits, Posh and Becks were cheered as they arrived on the red carpet and were swamped by US TV networks.

'The crowd went absolutely wild when they arrived,' said one onlooker. 'They have a lot of fans Stateside.'

The England captain, who has ditched his corn-row hairstyle in favour of a swept-back look, was met with cries of: 'We love you, David.'

When they appeared on stage at The Shrine Auditorium to present the award to Irish actor Colin Farrell, the couple received another ovation.

Saturday's light-hearted ceremony, hosted by singer Justin Timberlake and American Pie star Seann William Scott, caused a stir by awarding a string of prizes to virtual characters.

Yoda, the inverted-speaking Jedi master, was honoured for best fight scene, for his dexterity in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones.

And Gollum from Lord of the Rings follow-up The Two Towers got the virtual performance gong and was named part of the best on-screen team.

Not surprisingly, neither attended to pick up their awards, preferring to offer thanks via taped messages. 'To win, I did not expect,' said Yoda. tATu put the disappointment of Eurovision behind them with a typically controversial performance in which dancers dressed as schoolgirls gyrated around them.

The ceremony will be shown on MTV this Saturday.