New York, October 29, 2006 – “You should have seen it this morning, when the carpet blew away”, the DreamWorks rep told us at the premiere of Flushed Away. That was in answer to our expressed doubts about the feasibility of their planned promotional stunt due to the day’s high winds. But it was still a go. And there on a blustery Sunday afternoon, in the middle of Manhattan on West 68th Street, which was closed to traffic, sat a giant inflatable toilet. And Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet, whose voices grace the animated stars – rats, actually – of Flushed Away, held hands and plunged down the toilet slide. (Yes, the life of a movie star is really glamorous.)

Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis and Jean Reno also star, but were smart enough to not show up at the premiere, thus avoiding the indignity of sliding down the toilet.