Tilda Swinton’s open marriage

Tilda Swinton didn't just stun the Bafta audience with her dress (bright yellow Dior) and her speech (in which she said how easy she found screen acting), she then proceeded to shock Fleet Street's prurient reporters by attending the Baftas after-party with her 29-year-old 'toy boy', Sandro Kopp, rather than the father of her children, John Byrne, whom she left at home in Scotland.

According to the Daily Mail's shocked reporter, it was the first time Swinton, 47, had shown off her 'younger lover' in public. Kopp, a German-born artist, escorted her to the Grosvenor House hotel dinner held after the awards on Sunday and remained with her until the early hours.

Meanwhile, 68-year-old TV director John Byrne, her partner of 18 years, stayed at home near Inverness, looking after the couple's 10-year-old twins, Xavier and Honor.

Swinton wrote about her open marriage last month following a spate of rumours on the internet. She called Byrne a "phenomenal father" and said: "We are the best of pals and adore being parents and are devoted to that project. We ostensibly live in the same house, but I travel the world with another delightful painter."

Byrne and Swinton began their relationship in 1990 when she appeared in Your Cheatin' Heart, the follow-up to his acclaimed TV series Tutti Frutti. He said: "We love each other in an extraordinary way. We have always been the best of chums and will remain the best of chums for the rest of our lives."