Winners and losers on surprising night at the NTAs

There was elation and disappointment on a shocking night at the National TV Awards, with Ant And Dec claiming a staggering 18th honour for their presenting skills.

Bodyguard, Strictly Come Dancing, Emmerdale and This Morning were winners in competitive categories.

An emotional Ant Mcpartlin accepted the award despite taking a break from TV work for a large part of 2018 to focus on his recovery from alcohol dependence.

The unfortunate Holly Willoughby, who successfully stood in for McPartlin on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, lost out to him in the Best TV Presenter category in a surprising twist.

She was not the only presenter to be hard done by on the night, although it was Willoughby who  inflicted heartache on the loser of the Best Daytime award.

This Morning trumped Good Morning Britain, leaving a sour-faced Piers Morgan sullen in his seat at the O2 Arena in London. He had promised to go vegan if victorious in at the NTAs, but he and Susanna Reid lost out to their ITV rivals.

He wrote on Twitter following the defeat: “I demand a 2nd vote… the British public didn’t know what they were doing when they voted.”

Loose Women was also snubbed in the Daytime category, as was The Jeremy Kyle Show.

Bodyguard won big at the NTAs, with the suspenseful BBC drama claiming two awards on the night, one for Best New Drama, and the other for Richard Madden’s Best Drama Performance.

The critically-acclaimed Killing Eve lost out in favour of Bodyguard, which was the BBC’s most watched show since 2008.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given the enormous viewing figures enjoyed by the show, Strictly was named Best Talent Show ahead of the likes of X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and Dancing on Ice.

Colleague was pitted against colleague in the Best Judge category, with David Walliams, Robbie Williams, and Louis Tomlinson all linked to fellow nominee Simon Cowell’s shows. It was, despite the immediate popularity of Tomlinson on X Factor, Walliams who emerged victorious.

Peaky Blinders was named as the Best Drama on TV, easily besting Casualty and Call The Midwife.

Despite dramatic Christmas storylines, EastEnders did not win Best Serial Drama, and  Coronation Street’s usually dominant soap record was beaten, as Emmerdale won the award.

Given the popularity of Danny Dyer, he was perhaps a favourite to claim the award he did: Best Serial Drama Performance.

Peter Kay’s Car Share took the prize for Best Comedy ahead of, among others, Mrs Brown’s Boys.

Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs was named best Factual Entertainment winner, ahead of the often-harrowing Ambulance.