LOOKS BACK AT 25 YEARS OF NTAs
Eamonn picks his best bits The top moments of the National Television Awards
2014 EDUCATING YORKSHIRE HEADMASTER’S SPEECH Mr Mitchell, star of fly-on-thewall series Educating Yorkshire, delivered a moving acceptance speech for Best Documentary in which he praised fellow teachers used to getting “bashed left, right and centre”.
Educating Yorkshire was fantastic. And hopefully it helped direct a lot more people towards that most noble of professions, teaching. It was a really nice moment when real life crossed into showbiz. 2015 BILL ROACHE’S TRIBUTE TO ANNE KIRKBRIDE
The 20th NTAs were tinged with sadness after Corrie legend Anne, who played Dierdre Barlow, died of cancer two days earlier. Bill Roache (Street husband Ken Barlow) led tributes to the woman he worked with for more than 40 years.
It was definitely one of the most emotional NTA moments down the years. It was a beautiful send-off.
He got up on stage and expressed a loving tribute – and it was very real. Everyone in the audience was in floods of tears. 2012 ANT
AND DEC PERFORM WITH BRUCIE
The 17th NTAs started with a classic TV moment when Sir Bruce Forsyth opened the show with a surprise rendition of Let There Be Love with Ant and Dec.
Eamonn says: Ant and Dec are truly amazing with what they do and the public love them. And Sir Bruce was a legend. So that performance was like the new guard meets the old guard and was special and unforgettable.
There were definitely shades of Morecambe and Wise in it, and that resonated with a lot of people in terms of sentimentality and that the legacy is in good hands.
Eamonn presents the first NTAs, 1995
Whenever I win an award I never manage to get back to my seat, because backstage you literally bump in to everyone from Billy Connolly to David Attenborough. You’re forever stopping to say hello, take selfies, hug and kiss people.
It’s a big luvvy love-in. Last year I got into a great conversation with actor Richard Madden, star of Bodyguard. I was leaning on a door, and then just fell 2015 SHERIDAN SMITH IS LATE
Actress Sheridan missed out on accepting her award for Best Drama Performance in Cilla after getting stuck in traffic on the way to London’s O2.
She was able to go on stage later, saying: “I am so, so, so sorry. So embarrassing.”
She got a huge round of applause when she finally got up there.
When she said she’d been stuck in traffic we knew it to be true because
Ruth and I had also had a nightmare getting there coming round the M25. in to Westlife’s dressing room. They’d been performing, and the boys were all there with their families.
I was in there chatting with them for about 45 minutes, and didn’t get to see any more of the ceremony.
Kebabs at midnight
The NTAs is the only time Ruth 2016 PETER KAY DEDICATING HIS AWARD TO BILLY CONNOLLY,
After Peter dedicated his trophy, when Billy received his
Special Recognition award, he joked: “He should have given me that thing – you cheapo.”
Kay then presented his Best
Comedy award to Billy, who cracked: “Limelight grabber!”
It was a memorable moment between two greats. Peter Kay is a comic genius, so what does that make Billy Connolly? You could see there was a genuine affection.
MIDNIGHT FEAST Eamonn and wife Ruth
IT is TV’s biggest night of the year and the stars are always out in force.
And this year the National Television Awards celebrates its 25th birthday.
Eamonn Holmes hosted the first ceremony, in 1995 at Wembley Conference Centre, with 14 million tuning in.
He said: “It seemed so revolutionary, allowing the public to vote on who would win awards. I was so good that they gave it to Trevor McDonald the next year!”
Eamonn has been at most NTAs since and has won 14 of them – here he recalls the awards’ most memorable moments. lets me eat junk food. While some are out partying all night, we drive home once the doors have closed.
My wife, whose body is a temple, always chastises me in regards fatty foods, except at the NTAs, because she’s had a long day, she’s all dressed up, she’s won an award and she’s had alcohol.