From the star who never wins, a gushing thank-you speech that never ends.

AS she tearfully explained, she has a habit of not winning.

Which is probably why Kate Winslet was so determined to soak up every second of glory as she accepted her two Golden Globe awards.

Unfortunately she could barely get her words out for crying.

But that didn’t stop the 33-year-old British actress from delivering two of the most rambling, tearful and gushing speeches after winning best supporting actress and best actress awards at the Los Angeles ceremony.

In a strapless black Yves Saint Laurent gown, she gasped for air before announcing to her fellow best actress nominees: ‘I’m so sorry Anne ( Hathaway), Meryl (Streep), Kristen (Scott Thomas)’.

Then she seemed to have a complete memory blank. ‘Oh God, who’s the other one?  -  Angelina!’

After that little stumbling block, Miss Winslet’s triumphant speeches went on. And on. And on.

She thanked everyone, from her family, agents, directors, producers and co-stars right down to the hair and make- up departments and voice coaches on both The Reader, for which she won best supporting actress, and Revolutionary Road, for which she was named best actress.

The tears started the moment Jennifer Lopez announced Winslet had won the supporting actress prize. The camera panned to Miss Winslet who was found weeping, head bowed at her table.

On stage, her voice breaking, she started with ‘You have to forgive me. I have a habit of not winning things.’ She was right. She has been nominated for the Globes five times with no luck.

Finally came a tribute to her husband, director Sam Mendes.

‘I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you and I’m sorry I was so mental at the end. And my children Mia and Joe who are watching this on TV. Look  -  I won. Thank you for coming on this adventure with mummy.’

But there was still clearly much more left to say when she later collected her best actress award.

‘Now forgive me, this is erm. Gather. Is this really happening? Okay, erm, ‘ she managed.

Seeing a producer gesturing her to finish the speech, she answered: ‘Please wrap up? You have no idea how much I’m not wrapping up. Okay. Gather. Thank you.’

After another long list of faceless behind-the-scenes names, she ended with a gushing tribute to husband Mendes, who directed Revolutionary Road.

‘Thank you for directing this film, babe. And thank you for killing us every single day and really enjoying us actually being in such horrific pain. But I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that I loved every single second of working with you and it’s made me love you more.

Her Globes triumph, courtesy of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association which votes for the awards, is certain to boost Miss Winslet’s prospects at the Oscars. Nominations are announced on January 22.

Later, Winslet made an ecstatic phonecall to her mother.

‘I won two Golden Globes mum,’ Kate Winslet shouted  down the phone to her mother in an historic night for the actress and a triumph for British talent.

Kate was visibly shocked at winning and had to be helped on stage by fellow Brit actress Emma Thompson to collect her second award.

She told the Daily Mail that she was shaking when her name was called a second time, and has already shared the news with her mother back home in Reading.

‘I had one speech ready just in case I won for The Reader but I didn’t for a minute think I’d win in the best actress category.

‘It’s just unbelievable. I was completely stunned and I still am. I’ve got two Golden Globes!

‘I just spoke to my mum (Sally) who was in bed at home in Reading. I said to her “I won Mum” and she said, “That’s wonderful darling, you won one”.

And I said “no Mum, I won TWO Golden Globes” and she was thrilled and probably won’t be able to get back to sleep now’, the actress told the Daily Mail.

Kate has been nominated several times for Golden Globes and Oscars in the past 15 years but it is the first time she has won a Golden Globe. She has not yet won an Oscar.

Reaction has begun to flood in on Kate’s historic win. Her London agent Dallas Smith said : ‘She hasn’t won a Golden Globe in all these years and she wins two in one night.’

A clearly overjoyed Sam Mendes, Kate’s husband and the director of film Revolutionary Road told the Daily Mail: ‘I’m absolutely f****** thrilled and she genuinely deserves it.

‘I’ve sat with her at these awards when she has been nominated before and she has lost with good grace and now she has won at last.’

Later she touched up her make-up, borrowed some perfume and made sure she still had all of her jewellery borrowed from Chopard and posed for photographers.

‘My bracelet fell off during the ceremony and I dare not lose any of these diamonds. It’s been a strange night. Someone spilt a glass of wine over my dress. And I said ‘Oh, don’t worry, I’m not going to be getting up on stage again.

‘And then look what happens, I win two! I can’t put the awards down. If I stop holding them tonight I won’t believe that I’ve won them.’

‘I phoned the kids Mia and Joe and they were squealing and making so much noise it didn’t resemble proper speech.’

‘I talked to my daughter Mia about coming out here for the Globes and that it didn’t matter if I didn’t win. And she said ‘Yeah, yeah’ in a knowing kind of way that it would matter a little bit if I didn’t win,’ Kate said.

Indeed, on Saturday night at a party she was resigned to not winning anything and that she would leave the Golden Globes empty-handed.

‘It’s happened so many times at the Oscars and at the Globes that I felt this might be like the other times’, Kate said.

The actress spent time backstage doing interviews and then Kate, Sam and her two agents had a quiet drink before moving onto a private party thrown by the Creative Artists Agency at the Sunset Tower on Sunset Boulevard.

Earlier in the evening the star arrived on the red carpet with Leonardo DiCaprio, her leading man in Revolutionary Road.

She stood at the foot of the carpet checking her diamond earrings but had mislaid a diamond ring.

“Oh my goodness, where’s the ring”, she asked laughing out loud.

“Do I have to pay for it if it’s lost,” she joked.

The ring was soon found.

British actors, directors and producers featured in 15 of the 25 categories at the Beverley Hilton hotel.

SOURCE:  The Daily Mail, Tuesday 13 January 2009.  Richard Simpson