Noel Fielding and Beth Ditto among Mercury celebs

Mighty Boosh star Noel Fielding and Gossip singer Beth Ditto were among the celebrity guests at the 2009 Mercury Prize ceremony on Tuesday night.

Fielding was spotted drinking with Charlatans singer Tim Burgess while Standing in the Way of Control star Ditto, replete with dyed orange hair, was the recipient of an unintentionally hilarious case of mistaken identity.

While smoking a cigarette outside the Grosvenor House hotel in Mayfair, London, Ditto was approached for a chat by a bystander, who asked: 'So, what do you do? I'm a producer.'

The hat-wearing man quickly realised he had just failed to recognise one of the most famous frontwomen in rock and quickly launched into a hasty recreation of the 'We're not worthy' bowing scene from 90s comedy Wayne's World.

Florence and the Machine were the bookmakers' favourites to win the prestigious award, though London band the Horrors were also favoured by many of the attendees at the glitzy event.

But the winner of the 17th Mercury prize was set to be announced by presenter Jools Holland as British rapper Speech DeBelle, an outside favourite.

Ditto earlier refused to name her own personal favourite for the prize, telling NME: 'I'm not saying! I already said someone [before] and then I felt guilty and then I forgot someone else. But right now, this second, it's a tie between Bat For Lashes and La Roux. But Florence And The Machine too!'