Peaky viewing as Ant & Dec clean up again
Hosts and Blinders win NTA double
ANT and Dec saw double last night as they continued their winning reign at the National Television Awards.
The Geordie lads, both 44, won in the TV Presenter category for a recordbreaking 19th year in a row, beating Graham Norton, Bradley Walsh, Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
Their other show – I’m A Celeb – won the Entertainment award. Ant said: “On the way in we had a chat, as we normally do, about this being the year we don’t win, but you do this again! We are more grateful and humble as the years go on.”
Dec said: “It never gets easier, we feel sick sat there.” He added: “Hopefully see you next year.”
Peaky Blinders also did the double as Cillian Murphy took Drama Performance for his lead role as Thomas Shelby and the series also won a Drama award, which writer Steven Knight dedicated to the BBC saying “it couldn’t have happened anywhere else”.
Coronation Street also celebrated a pair of gongs as Katie McGlynn took Serial Drama Performance for her portrayal of Sinead Tinker’s death from cervical cancer.
Katie, 26, said: “I want to dedicate this to any woman who has gone through cervical cancer. Stay strong.”
Peter Ash, who plays Paul Foreman in the soap, took the Newcomer award. There was a rare win for Sky as Chernobyl beat the BBC’s Gentleman Jack and ITV’s Confession for the coveted New Drama award.
And there was an emotional win for Monty Python star Michael Palin, 76, who dedicated his Special Recognition award “to my dear friend and erstwhile Python Terry Jones”, who died last week.
He told the audience: “What Terry wanted to do was say things in a way they have never been done before.”
In a surprise result Mrs Brown’s Boys won Comedy, beating more critically acclaimed shows. Creator Brendan O’Carroll said: “Comedy is hard.”
The Great British Bake Off won the Challenge award ahead of Love Island and Masterchef. Asked who should replace Sandi Toksvig, Paul Hollywood said backstage: “That is for the execs. They’ve made some good choices.”
Tearful Little Mix star Jesy Nelson accepted the Factual Award – for her online abuse documentary Odd One Out – saying: “I never expected something so negative to have such a positive effect in my life.”
Gavin & Stacey won the Impact award after 18.5 million viewers tuned in to the Christmas special. Writer and star Ruth Jones said: “It is lush and it is tidy.”
Awards host David Walliams began the event by joking that Ant and Dec had “forgotten their booster seats” – and later picked up the TV Judge prize for BGT.