Kanye and Madonna make this year's Brit Awards the most memorable in years

By Laura Whitmore: ITV Presenter

The Brit Awards is one of those rare special nights that you know is going to be a good one.

Lots of people who spend their year locked in a studio get to come out and celebrate their work, and the vibe is always electric.

The energy of having so many artists in one room means there is a crackling buzz about the place - often artists will tell me they are really excited about meeting a particular artist they admire, and so the night can lead to many creative collaborations.

This year was the most memorable in years, between Kanye's incredible performance and Madonna's 'tumble'. (What a pro she is to get back up!)

When I arrived backstage yesterday for my rehearsal, I was greeted with the sight of his dancers with their masks on in the corridors backstage, and to be honest, they frightened the life out of me.

I think the audience got to enjoy his performance more than people watching at home - Kim Kardashian made everyone stand up when she introduced her hubby (after an obligatory selfie with hosts Ant and Dec) and so everyone was dancing. Did anyone see Taylor's cute little moves? She may not always be in sync but she makes it look cute so she gets away with it! The flames were pretty amazing - even though the flare ran out of gas at the end. Kanye won't be happy about that. Thankfully he stayed in his seat when Taylor picked up Best International Female.

Controversial performances are what makes the Brits, and Kanye's performance will be remembered, for the right reasons, hopefully.

I missed Madonna's stumble, as I was running backstage to set up to present the After Show programme, but I had Jimmy Carr in and he revelled in re-telling the details. It seems like she had a mighty thump on the ground, but as I said she picked herself up, and the crowd absolutely loved her.

Though something tells me someone has lost their job over what happened.She is an amazing artist, she has been around for so long, and had a huge amount of support in the room

The standout performance of the night for me was Ed Sheeran. I talked to him beforehand about it and he said he wanted to do it just like he performs on his live tours. Often, at the the Brits artists big it up with dancers, so it was a real treat to experience just his live performance on his terms. He had no gimmicks, just him and the guitar.

My other favourite would have be Royal Blood - it was the same kind of thing, just two guys on stage rocking out and having a great time playing great music.

The Brits is such an amazing show to be a part of - it attracts international artists from all over the world, as well as the best of homegrown talent. To see Taylor Swift and Paloma Faith - two of the most brilliant artists around at the moment - gracing the same stage, with all their energy and creativity they bring, is what the Brits are all about.

It is an exciting room to present to this year, and the ceremony holds such a special place in the hearts of the nation.

This year was more memorable than we have had in a while - for good and bad reasons - and that is why we love it.