I can’t wait to see which shows the viewers pick as winners
The National Television Awards are back and Joel Dommett is once again on presenting duties. Rachael Popow finds out more
AFTER presenting last year’s National Television Awards, it seems Joel Dommett was very excited to learn that not only was he going to be hosting again, but that this year the ceremony would be coming from the OVO Arena, Wembley.
The comedian and Masked Dancer host said: “I’m so happy to have been asked back. There’s already been some terrific TV this year, so I can’t wait to see which shows the viewers pick as winners.
“Plus, I’ve always wanted to shout the immortal words ‘Hello, Wembley!’...”
However, he had to wait slightly longer to say them than planned. The awards were originally due to take place on September 15 but were postponed in the wake of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The ceremony should be worth the wait though, especially for anyone who wants to know the answer to what has become the biggest question surrounding the NTAS – can Ant and Dec win the gong for Best TV Presenters for the 21st year in a row? The fellow nominees hoping to cause an upset are Alison Hammond, Graham Norton and Bradley Walsh.
If Ant and Dec do lose out on the gong this year, they could still triumph in the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award, where their Saturday Night Takeaway and I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! will be vying against Taskmaster and The Graham Norton Show.
The duo’s dominance of the NTAS, as well as the presence of such old favourites as Strictly Come Dancing, Call the Midwife and Britain’s Got Talent, can make it seems like there’s little room for new blood, but you just have to look at some of the other categories to see there are plenty of fresh faces. Netflix’s hit coming-ofage drama Heartstopper is particularly wellrepresented – it’s going up against Time, Trigger Point and This Is Going to Hurt in the New Drama category, while actors Joe Locke and Kit Connor have both been nominated the for Rising Star award.
Other streaming shows making a splash include Clarkson’s Farm, which has received a nod for Factual Entertainment. There are also multiple nods for Bridgerton and Peaky Blinders, which bowed out this year, while Derry Girls, which also aired its final episode, is in the running for Best Comedy. Speaking of shows that are no longer on our screens, Neighbours has been nominated for Serial Drama. Will the wave of nostalgia unleashed by its final episodes sweep it to victory ahead of Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Eastenders? Meanwhile, music comes from Lewis Capaldi and Sam Ryder, who was responsible for one of the TV moments of the year when he sent the UK soaring to second place in the Eurovision Song Contest.
■ The National Television Awards 2022 is on Thursday October 13, ITV, at 8pm