Winning the best actress Oscar was the realisation of a childhood dream, an emotional Kate Winslet revealed in her acceptance speech.

Winslet, 33, who won the award for her role as Hanna Schmitz in Reader, The (2008), said she had first practised her speech in the mirror aged eight.

Pointing to her Oscar, she said: "This would have been a shampoo bottle. Well it's not a shampoo bottle now."

She won an Oscar at the sixth attempt for her part in Stephen Daldry's film.

Previous nominations she failed to capitalise on included a best actress nod for Titanic in 1998.

Winslet continued: "I feel very fortunate to have made it all the way from there to here and I'd like to thank some of the people along the way who had faith in me - my friends and my family, especially my mum and dad who are in this room somewhere."

"Dad, whistle or something 'cos then I'll know where you are."

After her father whistled, she picked him out in the crowd and screamed: "Yeah! I love you."

Source: Press Release