Melon slip lands Britt Ekland in hospital

Before the fall: A smiling Britt Ekland

By Dick Durham, CNN.com writer

LONDON (CNN) -- Actress Britt Ekland is being treated in hospital for a broken ankle and a broken wrist after slipping over on pulped melon following a "fruit fight" between rock musicians at an awards ceremony.

The 57-year-old Swede was said to be in "excruciating pain" after sliding on the slush-covered floor. Moments later she was carried by a security guard onto the stage so she could present a Hall of Fame award to musician Marilyn Manson.

After making the award, she was taken from the Hammersmith Palais in west London to the Charing Cross Hospital where her right ankle and right wrist were put in plaster. She was then taken to a private ward.

An aide spent the night at her bedside as the Los Angeles and London-based star was in great pain and did not sleep, her agent Suzanne Martin said.

"Nobody realised quite how serious her injuries were. It's all quite messy. She is still in considerable pain. She is seeing a specialist."

Martin said a rock group called Slip Knot set fire to their table and then a fruit fight broke out with rival groups hurling chunks of melon at one another.

Ekland was sharing a table with BBC Radio 4 DJ John Peel and when she got up from her chair she slid over on the water and fruit-covered floor.

"It was all fairly rowdy and after slipping over she instantly knew she had broken her ankle and was in incredible pain. It was quite a tumble."

Although Ekland was wearing high-heeled shoes they did not contribute to the fall, said Martin. "When you have been wearing stilettos as long as Britt has you know how to walk in them," she said.

The accident happened at the annual Kerrang! magazine rock awards.

Martin said Ekland would be taking legal advice but could not comment on whether the actress planned to sue anybody.

"We are still trying to find out exactly what happened. We need to get all the facts."

A spokeswoman for Kerrang! magazine, Jo Kendall, said the room in the EMap building where the magazine was based was "a bit like being in a teenager's bedroom."

A spokesman for Charing Cross Hospital said Miss Ekland was in a private wing of the hospital and was being kept in for observation.

For more MOVIES news, myCNN.com will bring you news from the areas and subjects you select.

Kerrang! Awards 2000
E! Online - Fact Sheet - Britt Ekland
James Bond Girls - Britt Ekland
Romantically Linked: Britt Ekland

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.