Colin Firth goes under the hammer

Colin Firth fans can bid for a date with the star

Colin Firth is offering fans a chance to win a date with him by putting himself up for auction.

The King's Speech star - who became a heartthrob as Mr Darcy in the BBC adaptation of Pride And Prejudice and later as Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones - has teamed up with Oxfam America to help raise money for the world poverty charity.

The winning bidder and a friend will meet Colin, 51, at the US premiere of his new film Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and will also be chauffeured to the after party at Chateau Marmont.

And Colin will be understanding if his winning date becomes so starstruck they are unable to make much small talk - as he can relate to that.

The British actor told People magazine he is very shy, and prefers not to approach his idols at star-studded events.

Colin confessed: "Every so often, I will meet someone who I greatly admire and get truly dumbstruck.

"I'm a big fan of the people in the world of music and literature. If I'm a big fan of somebody, I prefer to keep at a safe distance because I don't know what I will do."

Final bids are being placed for a meet and greet with Colin at celebrity.ebay.com/colin-firth.