Celebs arrive for Brit Awards

The battle of the babes at the Brit Awards started off as a fight of the frocks on the red carpet at London's Earls Court tonight.

Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine and Pixie Lott, who are each nominated for three awards, arrived at the biggest night in the UK music calendar in an array of showstopping outfits.

'Poker Face' singer Lady Gaga, who is known for her outlandish taste in clothes, turned up wearing a three-tiered white dress and a towering white wig.

The 23-year-old American also makes a habit of wearing more than one outfit in a night, so is likely to emerge in another eccentric ensemble later on.

Former Brit School pupil Lott, 19, wore a classic little black dress with lace sleeves and a tutu-style skirt, while Welch, 23, braved the weather in a gold sequinned mini-dress.

'The Fear' singer Allen, 24, wore a floor-length black Chanel dress with red beading although she admitted she was "not very comfortable".

The singer, who is opening the show with a performance, said: "It's quite heavy and also it's quite tight so it keeps on twisting around."

She added she was not expecting to pick up an award but that she was nervous about her performance.

"It's something I've never done before and I'm dancing and there's lots of other people dancing and I'm flying on a wire," she said.

Robbie Williams, who is picking up the Outstanding Contribution To Music award tonight, said he was excited about the honour.

“I feel like it’s my birthday, I feel special, it’s lovely, whether people think it or not in my head I’m going, ’brilliant!’,” he said.

Dismissing the idea that he was nervous, he said: “I know all the words.”

Australian pop star Kylie, who duetted with Williams on the 2000 hit Kids, said of his win: “He is made for this award and he’s made to be part of the nation’s lives and it’s nice to have him back because he was away for so long.”