JIM CARREY - CARREY WAS IN PITT AND DAMON'S BLAZE

Comedian JIM CARREY has declared he was among the stunned guests fleeing London's Claridge's hotel when a fire broke out there last week (ends17DEC04).

The Canadian funnyman, who was in the British capital for the premiere of his new movie LEMONY SNICKET'S: A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, had to be evacuated from the upscale establishment, along with BRAD PITT and MATT DAMON, who were in the city promoting OCEAN'S TWELVE.

But Carrey was more taken aback by the parallels between the incidents of the day and the themes within his latest movie.

He says, "The movie's all about fire and disaster and so I get up today and suddenly my house is burning down.

"I'm on the balcony like a damsel screaming with a high-pitched voice. No one rescued me - I had to find my own way out."