Stars stage a no-show on TV’s big night
THE RED carpet at tonight’s National Television Awards in London may be less well-trodden than usual, with the absence of a few leading contenders.
A clash of filming dates means Ant and Dec will be among the no-shows, despite their 18th consecutive nomination for the presenting award.
They will be shooting Britain’s Got Talent, whose judges will also be elsewhere tonight.
Two of them – Simon Cowell and David Walliams are nominated in the best judge category, one of the most hotly contested.
Ant and Dec’s nomination comes despite Ant McPartlin’s absence from the screen for most of last year. He stepped down following his arrest for drink driving in March.
Donnelly fronted the final two editions of Saturday Night Takeaway – which won them the nomination – on his own.
Ant and Dec’s nomination comes despite Ant McPartlin’s absence from the screen.
McPartlin was fined a record £86,000 and banned from driving for 20 months after he crashed his car while more than twice the alcohol limit.
He returned to work last week, filming the first day of auditions for this year’s Britain’s Got Talent.
He and Declan Donnelly will compete against Graham Norton, Bradley Walsh, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, who stepped in to host I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! alongside Donnelly in November.
The year’s big ratings hit, Bodyguard, is a contender for the best new drama award, facing competition from A Discovery Of Witches, Girlfriends, Killing Eve and The Cry.
Doctor Who is in the running for the main drama award, alongside Our Girl, Peaky Blinders, Call The Midwife and Casualty.