National Television Awards
The National Television Awards took place on Wednesday, with winners selected by the spectators. Gary Lineker, the former Match of the Day presenter, was appointed the best TV presenter at the ceremony. Lineker left the BBC football show after 26 years at the end of the Premier League season in May. He also announced that he would leave the company due to controversy over his social media.
Lineker’s Win
When accepting the award, Lineker thanked everyone he worked with and said the prize "shows that it is okay to use their platform for those who have no voice". He added that it’s not lost on him why he could have won the award. Lineker was asked if he would work for the BBC again, and he said he was not sure, looking forward to working with ITV instead.
Other Big Winners
The finale of Gavin and Stacey won the award in the comedy category, defeating other popular shows like Mrs. Brown’s Boys and Michael Mcintyre’s 25th-year stand-up special. The cast of Gavin and Stacey, including Ruth Jones, who plays Nessa, accepted the award. Jones paid tribute to James Corden, who co-wrote the sitcom and starred in it, but was unable to attend the event.
Drama Awards
The Netflix drama Adolescence won the award for best new drama and best drama performance for its 15-year-old star, Owen Cooper. Cooper’s on-screen father, Stephen Graham, was also nominated for the award. The show became a national topic of conversation at the beginning of the year, with over 20 million viewers tuning in.
Reality Competition
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! won the reality competition category, beating other popular shows like Love Island and The Traitors. The award was collected by Dean McCullough, Coleen Rooney, Oti Mabuse, and Melvin Odoom.
Documentary Awards
Molly-Mae won the award for her documentary, Molly-Mae: Behind the Scenes, in the authored documentary category. She told the BBC that the award was "really unexpected" and that she had grown as a person through the documentary. Molly-Mae is currently filming the second series of her documentary.
Full List of Winners
The full list of winners includes:
- Reality competition: I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
- New drama: Adolescence
- Quiz show: Michael Mcintyre’s Big Show
- Authored documentary: Molly-Mae: Behind the Scenes
- Returning drama: Call the Midwife
- TV presenter: Gary Lineker
- Factual entertainment: Clarkson’s Farm
- Drama performance: Owen Cooper – Jamie Miller, Adolescence
- The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award: Michael Mcintyre’s Big Show
- Serial drama: EastEnders
- Serial drama performance: Steve McFadden – Phil Mitchell, EastEnders
- Comedy: Gavin & Stacey
- Daytime: This Morning
- Talent show: Strictly Come Dancing
Special Recognition Award
The animated duo Wallace & Gromit was awarded a special recognition award. The award is a testament to their contribution to British entertainment.
