It's surreal. It's February, it's London and we've got these amazing stars walking down a red carpet. The chaos caused by the snow has not helped in what is our busiest week - when you suddenly discover that a nominee can't come, or you're negotiating methods of transportation for people from Hollywood.

Fortunately Bafta has a certain number of first-class flights allocated by American Airlines. The demands are not ridiculous - they're more “Can I bring a partner?” than “Can I bring a hairdresser?” You can arrive at the Dorchester with nothing and get all done up: Charles Worthington is doing hair, Lancôme make-up. The ceremony is at the Opera House; where our set is built for rehearsals, dismantled for an opera performance, reassembled overnight on Saturday, then dismantled again on Sunday as soon as the Baftas end.

I don't know who the winners are before the envelopes are opened. Only two auditors from Deloitte know. I'm glad. If I did, stars' agents could use it as leverage: “If my client hasn't won, we won't come to the ceremony.” The managers, PRs and agents put up a screen around the celebrities, but on the night they're actors surrounded by their peers. I honestly don't think that Kate Winslet gives a toss whether she loses out to Meryl Streep. The post-ceremony dinner and all the film studios' parties are at the Grosvenor. It's very relaxed. There isn't

that Oscars-night flying around town to Vanity Fair or Elton John.

Sharon Stone is presenting an award. So is Goldie Hawn. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will be there. The biggest mind-fry will be Michael Sheen and Sir David Frost [Sheen plays Frost in Frost/Nixon] presenting an award on stage together.

I don't think you should have a go at Kate Winslet about that Golden Globes speech, although my advice to all the nominees is: “Have a speech prepared.” I remember when we won an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love and my co-producer was so convinced that we hadn't won she crumpled up her speech. She left all the talking to me. I've only ever seen Stephen Fry speak successfully without notes. Unlike the Oscars, we let the winners speak for as long as they want; we don't play them out with an orchestra. But if the producer, Melanie Smith, in the outside-broadcast lorry, doesn't laugh or cry then it gets cut. There's an hour delay between the ceremony and TV broadcast.

I can't say who I want to win but the animation category has WALL-E, Waltz With Bashir and Persepolis: a big Hollywood film and two non-Hollywood. That, to me, is a Bafta category. The Baftas are riskier than the Oscars. You hear gasps from Hollywood executives saying: “Can they get away with that?” On Wednesday I discussed his script with [host] Jonathan Ross. We were worried that he might pull out after “Sachsgate” but he wanted to do it. We haven't cut a word from his script. We've shown him where stars like Meryl Streep are sitting in case he wants to refer to them. He loves film and knows this is a big responsibility with a big audience here and abroad. I don't want this year's Baftas to be about Jonathan, and nor does he.

The Orange British Academy Film Awards begin on BBC Two from 8pm tomorrow, with the final hour on BBC One from 9pm. A preview will be broadcast on BBC Three from 7pm

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