fashions: Ashley Greene dazzles in a tight mini-dress as she gets her chance to shine at Twilight: Eclipse premiere

By Mail Online Reporter

Legging it: Ashley Greene shimmers in a silver mini dress and heels at the London premiere of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

With Twilight's main stars controversially absent from the UK premiere of Twilight Saga: Eclipse tonight, their lesser known co-star Ashley Greene was free to steal the limelight.

The 23-year-old actress, who plays vampire Alice Cullen in the blockbuster film franchise, was the main attraction at the Leicester Square screening last night in her silver mini-dress.

While she opted for a sweeping traditional red carpet gown at the Los Angeles premiere last weekend, she decided to sex up her look in a figure-hugging L'Wren Scott mini and grey satin Brian Atwood heels.

Pasty: Greene as vampire Alice Cullen in the film franchise

With her long light brown hair and tanned skin, the actress looked a far cry from her character Alice, who is a typical vampire with her pasty white skin and dark hair.

Although the film's leading couple Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart and their co-star Taylor Lautner were absent from tonight's screening, the hundreds of 'Twi-hard' fans crowded into Leicester Square were happy to see Greene and her co-stars.

Also providing some glamour was Greene's equally stunning co-star Nikki Reed, who plays blonde vampire Rosalie Hale, who wore an asymmetrical peach Alberta Ferretti dress and Brian Atwood heels.

They were joined at the premiere by co-stars Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen), Xavier Samuel (Riley Biers) and Alex Meraz (Paul).

There was a good celebrity turnout at the premiere, with TV presenter Holly Willoughby, singers Kelly Rowland and Duffy and Sugababe Heidi Range getting dressed up for proceedings.

Pretty in pink: Twilight star Nikki Reed (left) in an asymmetrical pink dress, while singer Kelly Rowland wore a shimmering black number

Twilight heart-throbs: Kellan Lutz (left) and Alex Meraz attended instead of Robert Pattinson

Perhaps having a blonde moment forgetting most premiere carpets were red, both Willoughby and Range turned up in red dresses, blending into the carpet.

Earlier today, some fans protested at Pattinson, Stewart and Lautner's non-attendance by wearing T-shirts with the word 'Robbed' on the front in anger that they had come down to the capital for nothing.

Others made it clear how long they had waited for tonight's proceedings, with one banner reading: 'To be first in line we camped for 34 hours for Eclipse'.

Colour clash: Holly Willoughby (left) and Sugababes singer Heidi Range blended into the carpet with their red dresses

Pattinson, 24, who plays vampire heartthrob Edward Cullen, Stewart, 20, who plays Bella Swan, and Lautner, 18, the hunky werewolf Jacob, have cited prior filming commitments as the reason for missing the screening.

And according to Stewart, the decision not to go was out of their hands.

She said: 'We don’t get to choose where we go. We’re told which premieres we are attending. We don’t have a say in it. There is nothing we can do.'

Instead, she, Lautner and Pattinson have recorded a video message for fans instead.

Can we be extras? Singer Paloma Faith (left) and Dancing On Ice star Emily Atack looked like they were auditioning for the next film in the saga

Glamour: Strictly Come Dancing star Ali Bastian (left) and socialite Chloe Madeley

Stewart was backed up by her co-star Anna Kendrick, 24, who plays Bella's human classmate Jessica Stanley.

Anna, who was nominated for a Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Up In The Air alongside George Clooney, found that she too was left off tonight's guest list at the Odeon Leicester Square.

She said: 'It's not like I was asked to come to the UK premiere. I think it's a crazy, crazy press tour so they just put a couple of the major characters through that kind of whirlwind.

The new Gavin and Charlotte? Welsh singer Duffy arrived with her rugby player boyfriend Mike Phillips

Who needs Pattinson: (L-R) Meraz, Booboo Stewart, Reed, director David Slade, Lutz, Greene and Xavier Samuel

'Nobody's snubbing anybody but certainly it's not like, "I choose not to turn up" or something.'

Eclipse is the third film in the Twilight saga and focuses on Bella forcing to choose between her love for Edward and Jacob and in turn, deciding whether to stay mortal or become a vampire.

But even as sworn enemies, the vampires and the werewolves must also unite as red-headed vampire Victoria, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, seeks to exact revenge on Edward by killing Bella in revenge for the death of her lover James.