The MTV Europe Music Awards held in Edinburgh last week were swarming with journalists as a host of celebrities took to the stage. But one reporter - Fiona Armstrong from The Courier in Dundee - got a unique insight into the event when she performed on stage alongside Christina Aguilera, as part of the National Youth Choir of Scotland. Here she tells of her part in Scotland's showbiz event of the year...

The roar of the crowd was deafening as I stood on the stage watching for my cue on the giant screen that would signal the start of this year's MTV Europe awards.

Despite all the preparation, it didn't quite seem real that I was singing Dirrty for Christina Aguilera's big entrance, watched by over one billion people throughout the world.

The National Youth Choir of Scotland had been asked to provide a backing group for Christina and I was one of the lucky ones who had heard the word quickly enough to claim my place for the event.

We had met Christina earlier when she'd joined us for our first rehearsal together before we were whisked backstage for some star treatment, having our hair styled and make-up done professionally.

As "extras" we did have a bit of hanging about to do, but that turned out to be an advantage when celebrities such as Beyoncé, Sean Paul, and The Black Eyed Peas brushed past us backstage!

After we'd done our bit in the dress rehearsal, we were allowed a unique preview of the show, as we watched Kylie and Missy Elliot rehearse. Travis, Ludicrous and Dido performed too, while presenters such as Vin Diesel and Trevor Nelson wandered about rehearsing their lines and movements with the cameras.

Dinner was laid on by MTV and consisted of fish or chicken followed by a fruit salad, muffins or flapjacks.

Our dressing room was mobbed as we fought — with members of Dido's orchestra, dancers for The Black Eyed Peas, and kilted hunks who danced with Christina — for a spare corner in the marquee-like changing areas.

Fortunately, the protesters who appeared in Travis's act didn't require a lot of room for costume changes as they went on stage naked — but were given fetching dressing gowns to maintain some dignity until they stripped off completely.

Our appearance passed very quickly, although I was paranoid that I would fall down the steps as we proceded forwards because we couldn't see our feet through the smoke effect.

Another of my worries was that my backcombed hair, rock-solid with hair spray, would go up in flames if the boy behind me held his candle too close!

However, the choir's 60 seconds of fame (nearly!) went well, without any disasters whatsoever.

Our backstage passes did not get us in to any of the exclusive parties afterwards, although some of us tried very hard to bluff our way in.

Afterwards, my friend and I headed down to City Night-club where we did a bit of star-spotting, watching Billy Boyd, Minnie Driver, Dermot O'Leary, 50 Cent and First Minister Jack McConnell, among others, arrive in style and strut up the red carpet.

While we were standing waiting for the next limousine to turn the corner, an open-topped bus cruised past with a Justin Timberlake lookalike singing and dancing on the deck.

In the excitement of it all, I tried to take pictures of the celebrities arriving, however most of my photographs turned out to be no more than the back of people's heads or just blackness.

My photographs might not be very impressive, but I will definitely remember the feeling of excitement in rubbing shoulders with some of the most famous pop stars on the planet at one of the biggest showbiz events ever to be held in Scotland.