Rebecca Hall first ‘suspect’ in Winslet-Mendes split

Having been caught napping by the surprise announcement of Kate Winslet's separation from her husband Sam Mendes, the British tabloids have been on full alert to find 'another woman'. And they've got their first potential femme fatale in the willowy form of Rebecca Hall, actress daughter of the great British theatre director Sir Peter Hall.

According to the Daily Mail, Winslet had become "increasingly frustrated" by her husband's close friendship with the 27-year-old actress who made her name appearing with Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson in Woody Allen's hit film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Mendes and Hall have become friends while working together on theatre projects in London and New York over the past year, having first met on the set of Starter for Ten, on which he was executive producer.

Rebecca is a product of Roedean and Cambridge. Her mother was the opera singer Maria Ewing, who was Sir Peter's third wife until their divorce in 1990. According to a friend quoted by the Mail, "Rebecca is totally Sam's type - a thespian mix of brains and beauty."

All of which appears to be building to a beautiful tabloid climax - except that even the Mail was forced to admit another "source" had told them: "Sam and Rebecca are good friends, of course they are, they have spent the better part of a year working together on the Bridge Project. But to insinuate that there is anything further in the friendship is taking it too far."

With Kate Winslet still best known on Fleet Street for her appearance opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the hugely romantic Titanic - no one went to see their more recent pairing in the box office flop Revolutionary Road - this will not be the last attempt by Britain's tabloids to find a culprit to explain the tragedy of Winslet's marriage.

Now holidaying with her two children in Mexico, where she is being comforted by her old friend and fellow actress Emma Thompson, Kate would be advised to stay put until after this weekend's Sunday papers have been and gone. ·