Actor Hugh Grant turned the British Levesen Inquiry into a celebrity gawk-fest on Monday, drawing the world's eyes to the proceedings as he described his life under the tabloid media's overly-watchful eye.
But those watching the inquiry's online stream or the related Twitter comments quickly learned about the real star of the inquiry: the aptly-named "woman on the left" -- who, based on quantity of Twitter comments, may have even usurped the handsome actor in online attention.
Seen on the front, left side of an inquiry room full of people, the woman in question has long, brown hair and is wearing a beige suit, and can be seen giving big smiles and long gazes in the actor's direction as he responds to the inquiry's questions.
Within minutes of Grant taking the stand, she became an online sensation. Her Twitter hashtag, #womanontheleft, quickly became an internationally trending topic and the most talked-about subject on the social networking site.
"#thewomanontheleft enquiry, formally known as the Levinson enquiry, is back on," Dan Hodges (@DPJHodges) wrote after the proceedings took a short recess.
"#thewomanontheleft is getting all the publicity. #thewomanontheright must be seriously envious," wrote Twitter user @Roehamster.
Some users made plays on Grant movie plots.
"She's just a girl, sitting at 90 degrees to a boy, asking the sodding lawyer to get out of the way," wrote Martin Nicholls (@martinnicholls), referring to a famous quote from the film "Notting Hill," uttered by Grant's amorous co-star Julia Roberts.
Others commented on every minor move or gesture the woman made. None were too small to avoid mention, from flicking her hair to applying lotion to her hands.
"Man alive. #thewomanontheleft just brandished her wedding ring, very deliberately. This is over," wrote Guardian journalist and screenwriter Simon Ricketts.
The woman was identified by Twitter users as Carine Patry Hoskins, a Cambridge-trained lawyer with the Landmark Chambers firm and a junior council with the Levesen Inquiry.
But while most users seemed mildly amused by her expressions, there were more than a few who were less than pleased she was getting so much unwarranted attention, particularly considering the inquiry's main focus: media ethics.
"#womanontheleft is a barrister, doing her job, listening to the evidence," wrote Twitter user @ffyoner. "#havesomerespect."
