Tom Hooper: 'Listen to your mother'

Tom Hooper has credited his mother with the making of The King's Speech.

Accepting the Oscar for 'Best Director', Hooper explained that his mother Meredith, an author, was invited to a read-through of the original script.

He said: "My mum, in 2007, was invited by some Australian friends in London to a fringe theatre play reading of an unrehearsed, unproduced play called The King's Speech. Thank God she went, because she rung me up and said, 'Tom, I think I've found your next film'.

"So with this tonight, I honour you, and the moral of the story is 'listen to your mother'."

Hooper also paid tribute to his fellow nominees, saying: "Your work this year has been extraordinary and I'm honoured to be nominated alongside you."

He thanked the film's stars Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, jokingly describing them as "a triangle of man love".

"I'm only here because of you guys, and Helena [Bonham Carter], I hope that reference doesn't make you too jealous," he quipped.

Hooper also thanked his fellow Oscar winner David Seidler, who penned the movie's screenplay, saying that his "extraordinary journey from childhood stammerer to the stage at the Kodak Theatre" was "so moving".

> Complete Coverage: Oscars 2011