Hugh Grant teases Renee Zellweger in brilliant 'Bridget Jones' callback at the BAFTAs

Hugh Grant turned up on stage at the BAFTAs last night, armed with an inspired callback to one of his best known roles.

Grant played the caddish Daniel Cleaver in the movie version of Bridget Jones's Diary back in 2001, when he was a youthful 41, and his hair was at its most foppish.

In the movie, in which he faced off against Bridget's other paramour, Colin Firth's Mark Darcy, he spent much of his screen time talking down to Renee Zellweger's scatty singleton.

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So last night, as he hit the stage at the BAFTAs to present the award for Best Film, he crossed paths with his former co-star, after Zellweger won Best Actress for her role as Judy Garland in the biopic Judy.

“First of all, well done Jones,” he quipped. “That was a very, very silly little dress I thought.”

The comment echoed back to Cleaver's flirty line from the movie: “Now, these are very silly little boots, Jones. And this is a very silly little dress.”

But of course, the moment was Zellweger's on the night.

Picking up the Best Actress gong, she called the accolade 'humbling', before paying tribute to her co-nominees.

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“Saoirse (Ronan), Charlize (Theron), Scarlett (Johansson), Jessie (Buckley), it’s an honour to share this evening with you,” she said.

“Jessie Buckley, you are a superstar. I’m so proud of you for this evening, you are such a special person, you elevate everything you do and I am so grateful for our friendship.”

Zellweger has also scooped a Golden Globe and the SAG Award for the role, teeing her up nicely for the Oscars next weekend.

Once again, she'll be up against Johansson for Marriage Story, Ronan for Little Women, Theron for Bombshell, and also Cynthia Erivo for Harriet.

The Oscars happen at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on 9 February.