Sharon Stone sent temperatures soaring in the British capital when she arrived for the world premiere of her hotly anticipated film, Basic Instinct 2, on Wednesday evening. The glamorous actress, who celebrated her 48th birthday last week, was looking appropriately seductive in a black Holly Would dress and matching Vera Wang wrap when she rolled up to the Leicester Square event.

Speaking to reporters outside the screening, the mum-of-two said mature women should feel free to celebrate their sexuality. "I think it's so different in Europe where you have only to walk down the street and remember you're a woman," she explained. "In America we tend to erase women after 40, and it's a period when women become their most interesting. They are sexual in a different and alluring way."

The silver screen siren, who has recently signed a new deal as the face of Dior skincare, also had some words of praise for former footballer Stan Collymore, who makes his acting debut in the flick. Sharon was filming a risqué underwater love scene with the British star when one of her stiletto shoes suddenly got trapped.

"I was wearing four-inch heels with ankle straps and my heel got stuck in the grate when we were in the middle of a take," she explained. "There was a moment when I thought, 'Oh my God!'. I carried on while trying to dislodge my heel and eventually it came out. But there is noone I would have felt safer with than Stan - he was fantastic."

The film's leading lady wasn't the only blonde bombshell in attendance, as top model and mum-to-be Nell McAndrew was also on hand, proudly showing off her bump in a figure-hugging silver dress. And Hollywood actor Christian Slater, who is currently performing in the West End production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, made his entrance arm-in-arm with costar Alex Kingston.