Brains as well as beauty! Selena Gomez steals the show on film discussion panel as she takes to the stage in gold sequins

PUBLISHED: 07:23, 24 June 2012 | UPDATED: 07:47, 25 June 2012

It is always hard to appear alongside your elders and hold your own in an intellectual discussion.

But Selena Gomez managed to do just that at a prestigious panel debate on the subject of modern film and television fans in Cannes.

In fact the Wizards of Waverley Place star managed to steal the show, despite the fact she was appearing with heavyweights such as Viacom president Philippe Dauman, MTV president Stephen Friedman and producer and director Jon Chu.

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Playing to the gallery: Selena Gomez had the crowd eating out of her hand at the Cannes Lions Festival

The actress regaled the crowd at the Viacom Seminar at the International Festival of Creativity with memories of her first supporter, who she still remembers with great affection.

The 19-year-old said: 'Lauren was my very first fan ever and she came to every taping of my show on Wizards when it wasn't even airing and nobody cared about it and nobody came to the tapings.

'She was amazing. I remember I met her then after season three and our show had won two Emmys and she was still there.

Staring into space: Selena was surely going over what she wanted to say while another panelist waffled on

Attentive: The Wizards of Waverly Place favourite was soaking up the wisdom of her elders at the event

'It was incredible that you can see the following and you are able to remember those people through that.'

Of course it didn't hurt that the starlet was far easier on the eye than the rest of the panel, and she looked stunning in a glittering silver sequin top from Alice + Olivia, ripped jeans and stiletto heels.

And given her impressive display at the event, despite the fact she would've been nervous, it must be obvious to Justin Bieber's legion of fans what he sees in her - she has brains as well as beauty.