Strictly wins TV award after months of allegations
Strictly Come Dancing has been voted the winner of one of the top prizes at the National Television Awards, after a difficult few months for the show following claims about the treatment of some its contestants.
The BBC dance contest was named best talent show at the ceremony, where the winners are chosen by viewers, on Wednesday.
There was a double celebration for co-host Claudia Winkleman - another show she presents, The Traitors, was named best reality competition.
The night's other big winners included ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office - with three awards - and Ant and Dec, who extended their NTA winning streak in the best presenter category to 23 years.
Strictly hosts 'so grateful'
The BBC's flagship Saturday night show has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons in recent months, after two professional dancers were dropped following complaints about their behaviour and teaching methods in rehearsals.
But days before it returns to screens for its new series, Strictly proved it has not lost its shine with viewers, who voted it best talent show over competitors including The Great British Bake Off and Britain's Got Talent.
The recent scandal was not referenced on stage, but its hosts were clearly overjoyed to win.
"My heart is beating, Claude," Tess Daly said to her co-host.
"It means the world, genuinely, to all of us."
Winkleman added: "This means everything. We're so grateful. We're going to do the conga."
Post Office campaigners steal show
Mr Bates vs the Post Office was voted best new drama and Toby Jones won best drama performance for playing the title role.
In his acceptance speech, the actor said: "This means an awful lot, not just to me but to the extraordinary people who inspired our show, some of whom are in the audience this evening."
A group of the sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting joined the show's stars on stage at the ceremony at the O2 arena in London.
The programme also received a special impact award, with one of the real Post Office scandal victims using the acceptance speech to criticise the support offered by the new government.
"What I'd like you to know is I went to Westminster a couple of weeks back and saw the new minister," Jo Hamilton said. "And trust me, nothing has changed."
Ant and Dec continue winning streak
Ant and Dec jointly won the best TV presenter trophy again, extending their winning streak in the category to 23 years.
This year, the duo held off challenges from Winkleman, Alison Hammond, Bradley Walsh and Stacey Solomon.
"It's really, really hard to put into words just how this feels year after year," Declan Donnelly said.
"It's a joy," Ant McPartlin added. "We know we're going to not win it one year - but it's not tonight."
Donnelly put the latest win down to a lucky charm from his six-year-old daughter Isla.
"She left for school first thing this morning and she said, 'Daddy, good luck tonight, I hope you win the trophy'. In fact she said, 'Take my lip balm, I think it will be good luck'. Isla, it worked!"
One of Ant and Dec's shows, I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, was also voted winner of the Bruce Forsyth entertainment award - beating another of their hit programmes, Saturday Night Takeaway.
Garraway says award is 'for Derek'
The night's other winners included presenter Kate Garraway, whose highly personal programme about her late husband Derek Draper was named best authored documentary.
"It's so strange to be here - this one's for you Derek, absolutely," she said, accepting the trophy alongside their children Billy and Darcey.
Draper died in January after living with extreme complications from Covid.
The Good Morning Britain co-host also praised carers across the country, and called for a system that better supports them.
"We need a system which catches us when we fall, not catches us out," she said. "I'm going to keep the fight on for all of you."
The National Television Award winners and nominees in full:
Authored documentary
Winner: Kate Garraway: Derek's Story
Beckham
Rhod Gilbert: A Pain in the Neck
Robbie Williams
Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change
Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award
Winner: I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
The Graham Norton Show
The Masked Singer
Michael McIntyre’s Big Show
Comedy
Winner: Mrs Brown's Boys
Brassic
The Gentlemen
Ghosts
Not Going Out
Daytime
Winner: The Chase
Deal or No Deal
Loose Women
This Morning
The Repair Shop
Drama performance
Winner: Toby Jones - Mr Bates vs the Post Office
Brenda Blethyn - Vera
Jessica Gunning - Baby Reindeer
Michelle Keegan - Fool Me Once
Vicky McClure - Trigger Point
Expert
Winner: David Attenborough - Mammals
Anton Du Beke - Strictly Come Dancing
Kaleb Cooper - Clarkson's Farm
Martin Lewis - The Martin Lewis Money Show
Torvill & Dean - Dancing on Ice
Factual entertainment
Winner: Sort Your Life Out
Clarkson’s Farm
Gogglebox
Martin Lewis Money Show Live
The Yorkshire Vet
New drama
Winner: Mr Bates vs the Post Office
Baby Reindeer
Fool Me Once
One Day
Red Eye
Quiz game show
Winner: The 1% Club
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win
Beat the Chasers
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel
Richard Osman’s House of Games
Reality competition
Winner: The Traitors
The Apprentice
Celebrity Big Brother
Love Island
Race Across the World
Returning drama
Winner: Bridgerton
Call the Midwife
The Crown
Trigger Point
Vera
Serial drama
Winner: Emmerdale
Casualty
Coronation Street
EastEnders
Hollyoaks
Serial drama performance
Winner: Peter Ash - Coronation Street
Angela Wynter - EastEnders
David Neilson - Coronation Street
Diane Parish - EastEnders
Eden Taylor-Draper - Emmerdale
Talent show
Winner: Strictly Come Dancing
Britain's Got Talent
The Great British Bake Off
MasterChef
The Voice UK
TV presenter
Winner: Ant & Dec - I'm a Celebrity
Alison Hammond - This Morning
Bradley Walsh - The Chase
Claudia Winkleman - The Traitors
Stacey Solomon - Sort Your Life Out
Special recognition award
Winner: Davina McCall