COMEDIAN Jack Whitehall kicked off the Brit Awards last night with a sketch featuring Line Of Duty stars Vicky McClure and Martin Compston.
Social media sensation Jackie Weaver, who went viral with her contributions to a parish council meeting, also featured in the sketch, which saw Whitehall fail to impress the group with his impression of Ted Hastings and his "Mother of God!" catchphrase.
The 2021 awards bash took place at London O2 Arena in front of a 4,000-strong live audience without social distancing or face masks.
Coldplay, fronted by Chris Martin, delivered a performance of their new single Higher Power from a pontoon on the River Thames, surrounded by hologram dancers and against a backdrop of purple and orange fireworks.
This year's event is part of the British government's live events pilot scheme, with 2,500 tickets gifted to key workers from the Greater London area.
The audience were not required to wear masks once seated or be socially distanced, but needed a negative Covid test.
Dua Lipa performed a medley of songs at the Brit Awards with the performance starting with a clip of her boarding a Tube train to travel to the O2 Arena before she appeared on stage.
Whitehall told the audience: "No more puzzles, no more Zoom quizzes, we have got an audience, we have got dancers, we have got pop stars. We are back".
Belfast dance duo Bicep, regarded as one of the biggest contemporary acts in Northern Ireland, were nominated for two awards.
Andy Ferguson and Matt McBriar, who make up the pairing, were competing against Biffy Clyro, Little Mix and The 1975, Arlo Parks and Celeste.
But the pair were beaten by west London musician Parks in the Breakthrough category and Little Mix in the best British group award.
Little Mix thanked Jesy Nelson as they made history as the first female band to win the Brit Award for best British group.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards took to the stage, dedicating the gong to groups such as the Spice Girls who paved the way.
Edwards said: "Guys, we've just made history! I'm emotional".
Pinnock added: "It's not easy being a female in the UK pop industry.
"We have seen white male dominance, misogyny, sexism and lack of diversity.
"We are proud of how we have stuck together, stood our ground and surrounded ourselves with strong women and are now using our voices more than ever."
It was their first Brit win without Nelson, who quit the X Factor-formed girl group in December, saying the high-profile role had "taken a toll" on her mental health.
Billie Eilish also saw off competition from artists including Cardi B and Taylor Swift to win the international female solo artist Brit Award, while J Hus won the male solo artist Brit Award and Dua Lipa was named best female solo artist.
Swift was celebrated with the global icon Brit Award, becoming the first female artist to win the prize. She was recognised for "her immense impact on music across the world and incredible repertoire and achievements to date" organisers said.
