Amal pays tribute to 'the love of her life'

Los Angeles: Amal Clooney on Thursday paid unprecedented public tribute to her movie star husband George Clooney, calling him a gentleman, an amazing husband and father and the love of her life.

The human rights lawyer was addressing a star-studded lifetime achievement award ceremony in Hollywood for Ocean's Eleven star Clooney.

But she said it was easier for her "to address a court on behalf of detainees than to speak publicly, as I am doing for the first time tonight, about my husband".

"I met George when I was 35 and starting to become quite resigned to the idea that I would be a spinster. Then we met," Amal Clooney told the audience, packed with friends and A list stars like Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Aniston, model Cindy Crawford and Diane Keaton.

"Five years later, he is the person who has my complete admiration and also the person whose smile makes me melt every time," she added.

On Thursday, Clooney was the centre of attention as an American Film Institute lifetime honoree.

"He always looks better than me, does the whole grey hair thing better than me, may be more debonair than me," joked Obama, appearing by video. "He is a good man, a good friend, a good citizen, and an outstanding maker of films."