A host of shivering celebrities braved our reliable British weather yet again this week, to do their thing on the red carpet at the premiere of Speed Racer, in London’s Leicester Square.

Three’s A Crowd loitered in the lobby to catch some of the gossip from the film’s stars and famous guests coming in from the rain.

Sir Ian McKellen turned up to ‘support friends in movies’ and spent some time chatting before catching up with long-time buddy, Susan Sarandon. “We’ve never worked together, but I’ve known her about twenty-five years, long before Tim Robbins!”

Politely refusing to elaborate on upcoming projects, he did confirm his return as Gandalf in ‘The Hobbit’, saying “[director Guillermo del Toro] is only getting round to doing the script in about six weeks, when he’s finished Hellboy II.”

Asked whom he supports in the upcoming Mayoral elections, Sir Ian was without hesitation “There’s only one choice. You may not like what Ken Livingston does…but the opposition doesn’t exist.
“I urge people to vote because it’s a serious thing”

‘Mom Racer’ Susan Sarandon, also not one to shy away from political statement, discussed the elections stateside and whether she wanted a woman in power.

“I support Obama…I would love for a woman to be president, but not that woman…I hate Condoleezza Rice, I wasn’t a fan of Margaret Thatcher – I think those two are still women, right?”

Looking fabulous in Donna Karen, she joked “you keep passing that rumour around! I have a team of experts that labour for about an hour and a half!

“I do try to keep moving and I am careful about what I eat... I get kinda bored in the sun, so I’ve not been down that road: not that you have that problem in England obviously!”

Asked if she’d contemplate plastic surgery, she said “I think I’ll have an advantage when I’m the only one that actually looks 60 - I’ll probably get all the parts because everyone else will look so much younger!”