Vikki Miller was at the Stirling prize ceremony to witness the grand man of architecture Richard Rogers take his trophy, as well as some strange behaviour from Mariella Frostrup and Kevin McCloud

By the time RIBA president Jack Pringle announced who had won the most coveted prize in British architecture live on Channel 4, the 800 of us assembled at the Roundhouse in Camden, north London, had already had our fair share of excitement.

Over hors d’oeuvres, warm-up act Mariella Frostrup, who was also one of the judges, thought it wise to declare her teenage lust for architecture students. Luckily, she spared us the details of her conquests.

Next up was presenter Kevin McCloud, ducking and diving through the audience with camera in tow, like David Bellamy on a search for a rare species (the happy architect?) in the undergrowth. It was, apparently, a new way of “doing the Stirling”.

What the production company didn’t bargain for was mischievous architects poking at him as he wove his way through. But, like a true professional, he batted them deftly aside.

Finally, it was time to see who would walk away with £20,000 and a trophy that resembles a misshapen metallic brick.

A collective sigh of relief went up when Rogers’ name was called – the great man’s time had finally come – but there was sadness that Zaha Hadid had missed out. At least she didn’t storm out in a huff this year.

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