When I became a reporter, never did I expect to be talking to Robbie Williams' wife and daughter about how much they loved Harrogate and Knaresborough.

On Thursday (November 27) I swapped the four walls of Harrogate Magistrates Court for the red carpet at Leicester Square’s Vue cinema, where the world premiere of Tinsel Town - a festive comedy partly shot in Knaresborough - was held.

The star-studded guestlist included co-stars Kiefer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson, Katherine Ryan, Derek Jacobi and even Robbie Williams.

But perhaps the most important and eagerly anticipated on-screen feature was the charming town of Knaresborough, which was taken over by Hollywood in February.  

The Stray Ferret was one of a handful of publications permitted on the press line and I spoke to some of the stars about their time in the Harrogate district.

First up was Teddy Williams, daughter of the music legend and his wife, Ayda Field Williams, who plays Rebel Wilson’s daughter in Tinsel Town.

It was Teddy’s film debut, but her father’s raw stardom was clearly passed down.

Teddy, who raved about Yorkshire, told me she’s sure she could convince her dad and her Californian mum to make the permanent move across the pond after filming in the county.

“It is so pretty”, she said in her enthusiastic American accent.

As the daughter of one of the world's biggest stars, I’m sure Teddy is never short of entertainment. But she told me there is “so much to do” in our local area and was keen to return to Bettys.

Teddy said: 

Thanks for that recommendation, Teddy.

There were some major stars in that room, but when Robbie Williams is in sight, it’s hard to turn away. 

He's not in the film, but he still managed to steal the show - albeit unintentionally. 

There was nothing contrived about Robbie when he spoke to the press, and he seemed as though he would’ve continued talking all night, had his wife not told him it was time to go and watch their daughter on the big screen.

Robbie told one reporter although he is anxious about his daughter being in the spotlight, "her journey doesn't have to be my journey - I can be her guardian and her security".

'The people were just so lovely and warm'

Like the Williams family, Rebel Wilson, who plays no-nonsense choreographer Jill in Tinsel Town, also enjoyed a trip to Bettys during filming.

"I had scones, biscuits, a lot of treats – a lot of things I shouldn’t have been eating – but when it’s that cold, I feel like you burn it off quicker," Wilson told me.

But the actress, famed for playing Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect, was keen to praise Knaresborough and its residents:

A self-proclaimed Yorkshire fan, comedian and actress Katherine Ryan, who plays Bradley Mack’s (Kiefer Sutherland) long-suffering agent, also said comedians love gigging in Yorkshire thanks to residents’ natural sense of humour.

When I asked her how she’d sell the area to someone who hasn’t been, Ryan cited the “hot” northern men, delicious food, warm and welcoming residents and – a true sore point – a lack of public transport.

Although her scenes were shot in Leeds, Ryan said Knaresborough – doubling as the fictional town of Stoneford in the film – is a character of its own and predicted it will become a “tourist hotspot”.

It can be easy to forget how charming a town Knaresborough is when it’s on your doorstep.

But seeing Knaresborough on the big screen brought that home to me; with clips of Waterside and the viaduct, and glimpses of the castle grounds and the town’s cobbled streets, it’s no wonder a town bursting with such beauty and pride was chosen for this film.