Good save! Salma Hayek stumbles on shopping trip… but just about manages to stop herself from hitting the ground

As a red carpet professional, Salma Hayek has mastered the act of walking in heels.However, even the most seasoned heel wearer can fall victim to her vertiginous shoes every now and again.

Enjoying a spot of shopping in London on Wednesday, the Mexican actress stumbled as she exited a store.The 5ft 1in star, 48, had given herself a height boost with a pair of towering platforms boots.Fortunately, she just managed to stop short of hitting the pavement, before swiftly regaining her composure.

Some nearby builders end up cheering Salma for her quick save, which she found amusing.Salma is now living in London with her billionaire fashion mogul husband François-Henri Pinault, their daughter Valentina and his two children from his previous marriage.

Meanwhile, in a new interview with Marie Claire magazine, Salma admitted it took her a long time to accept her curvy figure.She said: ‘When I was a little girl, kids used to pick on me because I was short, skinny, and really dark from always being in the sun. Later, when I got my curves, I was self-conscious.

But on a trip to Europe one summer, I became aware of the power of the colour and the curves. I still didn’t think I was beautiful, but when I went to college, the guys liked my personality, which started giving me confidence.’

However, when she moved to Hollywood, Salma found she was often getting typecast in ‘sexy Latina’ roles, which was one of the reasons playing the artist Frida Kahlo in the 2002 film.She added: ‘I was excited to play artist Frida Kahlo, who wasn’t considered beautiful. She had a unibrow and a little bit of a mustache, but she had the courage to be unique. I think that if you’re confident, some kind of beauty always comes through.’