Behind the scenes at the Brits

Telford FM DJ Paul Shuttleworth was at this year's Brit Awards at Earls Court in London. Read his diary of the night here.

4.30pm: Arrive in the basement car park at Earls Court, up the escalators to the main doors. In we go to collect a platinum wrist band and head upstairs to the Champaign reception. This will also be the venue for the aftershow party so it's a great opportunity to have a nose around at everything.

The theme for this years Brits is summer festivals, so there are green carpets and cutout trees with white lights outlining them.The tables are sawn tree stumps and there is a selection of traditional plastic garden furniture.

I sit down with a glass of bubbly looking towards the bar. It has a miniature stage set behind it, with puppets on strings playing a guitar and one at the piano playing background music.

Two TV monitors suspended from the ceiling show the ITV2 red carpet coverage of Sara Cox interviewing the stars as they arrive: Kylie, Lionel Richie, Tom Jones, James Cordon, Simon Pegg and Duffy.

5.30pm: Time for a bit of wander to be nosy and find a loo. To the left of the green carpet there are hundreds of different types of hats ready for the aftershow party; straight ahead are Dodgems, and to the right there is a "get lost maze" looking very realistic in green plastic.

Afterwards I head back to the bar. On my left are a few tents, in the six man style that's a bit like awnings from the side of caravans in the 80s. Inside are lamps. I wonder what they will use those for?

I have a nose around the corner. This room will obviously be the night club. It has a day glow painted dance floor and a large white inflatable ball as a centrepiece; it makes the light effects look amazing as they bounce off it.

Passing through to the other side there is a hot dog stand. It's not open yet - not that I wanted one as we are heading for a four course meal.

To the left of the Dodgems there is a wresting ring. That could be fun.

6.00pm: Right, time to go and find the table. I'm on D17 with the radio centre - the group that looks after the interests of the commercial radio stations.

Down the escalators. Looking at the seating plan I see need Gate 2. On the right I can see into the hall. It's massive. It looks as though they are going to be seating five thousand people for a hot meal - I'm glad I don't work there.

At gate 8 there are thousands of people drinking bubbly in the foyer area. I work my way through them. My table is on the front row of the first raised platform - the only way I'll get any better is if I become a winning artist.

6.20pm: The supervisor looking after our table says the starters will be cleared at 6.30pm as they have to get the meal completed before the live show at 8pm. We had a beetroot and goat's cheese starter, followed by roast duck spinach and mashed vegetables. Then they served a selection of miniature dessertsbefore the cheese board and coffee.

7.00pm: The public are entering the balcony and taking their seats. There is a mixture of paying customers and competition winners.

7.30pm: The kids from the Brits school fill the pit. These are the artists of tomorrow and provide the screaming in front of the stage to really work the atmosphere

I enjoy my meal. It's very pleasant, but maybe a little too fancy on the looks rather than the taste. Mind you, I don't envy a chef who has to feed 5000 covers in two hours

7.45pm: The warm up guy comes on. I can't remember his name, but he's the man who does the crowd warm up for the Big Brother evictions. He plays songs, gets people hugging the people next to them and jumping to songs waving their arms. It's all the usual pre-gig stuff for live telly.

There's eight minutes until we go live. Exciting.

8.00pm: Here we go. U2 open the show, Kylie comes out dancing with backing dancers who turn out to be James Corden and Matt Horn. The awards are presented and the live show looks just amazing. If artists are miming you can't tell.

The Awards in full

British Female Solo Artist

Duffy

International Female Solo Artist

Katy Perry

British Breakthrough Act

Duffy

International Group

Kings Of Leon

British Male Solo Artist

Paul Weller

International Album

Kings Of Leon

British Live Act

Iron Maiden

British Group

Elbow

Critics Choice

Florence And The Machine

International Male Solo Artist

Kanye West

British Single

Girls Aloud

British Album

Duffy – Rockferry

Outstanding Contribution To Music

Pet Shop Boys

There's a hissy fit off camera from Lady Ga Ga after she lost a shoe. She's demanding that one of her people put it on for her. They do, so she should calm down in a few minutes.

10.00pm As the Pet shop boys wrap up the show we nick a coaster each and then head upstairs to the aftershow party.

What was a very quite area is now full of thousands of people, including businessmen, pop stars and celebrities. And I'm sure I just walked past one of the contestants from last year's Shipwrecked.

Matt Horn wasn't happy when he couldn't blag 10 after show party wristbands for his mates.

At the party the center of attention is the wrestling ring, which now has about eight wrestlers in different costumes and a dozen ladies in UPVC clothess. They are certainly are catching everyone's eye.

The queue for the Dodgems goes right round the attraction. Everyone is accosting the promotions staff who are handing out glow in the dark sticks.

I am now been passed by more and more people in hats, sunglasses and with long fluorescent feather things draped round there necks.

ITV2 are just filming a piece for Brits Encore by the wrestling ring. There is a long queue of people waiting to work their way round the maze. The tents with lights now have tarot card readers in them.

The nightclub area starts of with about thirty people dancing to songs they have never heard before. They think they are cool, but they look as though they are dancing to Abba. Very embarrassing.

11.00pm: I have had a good taste of the atmosphere but I have got to be in the studio at 5.30am so it's time for me to head home.

As I drive back there is a phone-in about the Brits. TV viewers are criticising it, but I don't think you can appreciate how amazing it looks unless you are there.

The Brits is a fantastic show and still easily the biggest event in Europe's music calendar. Hats off to the producers.

2.00am Home now. Bed for a few hours before doing the breakfast show. Not much planning; I think we will be talking about the Brits.