Advanced Receptionist Emma Baston mixes with stars of Hollywood

Being chauffeured to and from the Oscars is something that most of us can only dream about. But for Emma Baston, the dream came true at the 79th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

Emma, 27, who has worked for advanced since October 2004, entered a competition to be taken to America for the Oscar ceremony on the True Movies satellite channel.
" We went to Manchester Airport and flew to LA. We were picked up by a limo and taken to a Beverly Hills hotel where we were staying.
" We didn't go to the Oscars ceremony itself, we went to an Oscars show called The night of 1,000 stars, where there were quite a few famous people.
" We had to walk down a red carpet and the Press photographers were shouting at everyone to tell them where their dress was from, and I was saying Top Shop. I think that confused them a little!"

After the Oscars themselves, lucky Emma was then taken to Jennifer Love Hewitt's after-show party where they hob-nobbed with the rich, famous and influential of Hollywood.
Emma said: "We met all kinds of people and saw people like Lance from N-Sync and had our pictures taken with JR, Larry Hagman, from Dallas.
" Lance Herkison, who played Bishop in Alien, started to talk to us and told us he knew all about the North East, and even said he drank Brown Ale. I was wearing an angel necklace and he asked if it was the Angel of the North.
" I can't really wear that now, because that's all I think about. We also had our picture taken with John Corbett, who plays Aidan in Sex and the City. It was surreal.
" While it was going on all we could think was that we normally go out clubbing at the Bigg Market and here we were talking to people we had only ever seen on television and at the cinema."

Emma stayed at the five star Beverly Hills Hotel, which normally costs around $550 per night, and say they were treated like film stars for the duration of their trip.
" We had a great time when we were there, it was absolutely amazing, I can't really believe it happened. My family were over the moon as well. I am not sure anyone could quite believe it."
When Emma arrived back in Newcastle she went straight to get the pictures she had taken developed. " It was a brilliant experience. Something I thought I would never do."