Katherine Heigl suffers an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction as she steps on stage at ShoWest in Las Vegas to accept an award

There's nothing worse than a wardrobe mishap, especially if you're in the public eye - even more so if you're on stage in front of a live audience.
Sadly for Katherine Heigl, fate struck a cruel blow as she was handed the Female Star Of The Year Award at the ShoWest convention held in Las Vegas.
The actress, who was honoured for her work on films including 27 Dresses and The Ugly Truth, faced an embarrassing situation when one of the straps broke on her stunning red dress right in the middle of her acceptance speech.

Embarrassment: Katherine Heigl struggles to keep her broken strap in check as she accepts her Female Star Of The Year award at the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas

Disaster: The actress couldn't finish her speech as she battled with the broken strap

With one side of her chest close to being completely exposed Miss Heigl floundered and had difficulty continuing her speech.

 That was until host Billy Bush stepped in and saved the day, holding her strap in place and giving the actress the chance to say a few words without worry of showing too much flesh.

After receiving her award, she went backstage and found a pin to secure the strap before heading to the photographers' enclosure to show off her new award.

Assistance: Host Billy Bush stepped in to hold Katherine's strap in place so she could finish her speech

Winners: Katherine managed to recover and pose with her award, other winners at the show included Vanessa Hudgens, middle, and Amanda Seyfried

First outfit: Katherine sported a black dress and Louboutin boots earlier in the day

Robert Sunshine, co-managing director of the event said of Heigl: 'Her ever-present charm and innate talent have made Heigl's transition from TV screen to silver screen seemingly effortless.
'Her comedic timing and flair for acting are showcased in each of her roles and have captivated audiences around the globe. We are pleased to honor Katherine Heigl as the ShoWest 2010 Female Star of the Year.'
Her impressive roster of acting roles includes her five-year stint on Grey's Anatomy, after which she broke onto the big screen with the 2007 summer blockbuster Knocked Up, from director Judd Apatow.
This was followed up by her box office favorite 27 Dresses, which proved to audiences across the country that Heigl has star power. Last year she starred in The Ugly Truth and will be seen later this year in Life As We Know It.
Katherine got dressed up for the second day in a row at the film event, which was held at the Paris hotel in Las Vegas.
Following her first outing, earlier in the day, wearing a tight-fitting black dress, the actress went for a more glamorous look at the final night's awards show combining a knee-length red dress with a pair of gold Christian Louboutin peep-toe heels.

Sex appeal: Left to right, Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristin Davis pose ahead of the ShoWest convention's awards ceremony

Dressed to impress: Sex And The City star Sarah Jessica Parker stood out from her co-stars in her gorgeous black dress

As well as the former Grey's Anatomy actress, the event also saw appearances from Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, High School Musical actress Vanessa Hudgens and Amanda Seyfried.
The Sex And The City girls, who were also at the event earlier in the day, all wore black dresses - SJP's delicate, chiffon-layered, number stealing the limelight from her co-stars.
Miss Seyfried, 24, was handed the Breakthrough Female Star of the Year Award at the show.

Before it all went wrong: The former Grey's Anatomy actress poses as she arrives at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas for the ShoWest convention

She wore an asymmetric grey mini dress with an unusual cut out nude section across the top of her chest.
Meanwhile Hudgens, who won the Female Star Of Tomorrow award, showed off her pins in a glittering gold babydoll dress and beige heels.
Katherine Heigl also promoted her new movie Life As We Know It with co-star Josh Duhamel at the event.
Also starring Christina Hendricks and Josh Lucas, the comedy is about two single adults who become caregivers to an orphaned girl when their mutual best friends die in an accident.