Promos of his upcoming film Goal were greeted with roars David Beckham would have delighted in. Each time the cameras focused on him and the image was thrown up on the big screen the crowd roared deliriously (at times, to the mystification of the performers, who couldn't figure out why their acts were being applauded before they were done).

And when he went back on stage to make the final announcement and spun the suspense out for long minutes, no one seemed to mind -- sure, everyone wanted to know who the winner was, but for the moment they seemed content to watch John do his shtick.