With awards season now in full swing, it’s time for the stars of the British small screen to have their moment in the spotlight as Tuesday night plays host to the National Television Awards.
Following a stellar year for mainstream TV in the UK in 2018, the ceremony is set to be a hotly contested one, with the likes of ‘Bodyguard’, ‘I’m A Celebrity’ and ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ facing off in a number of categories.
As host Dermot O’Leary prepares to hand out the gongs, we take a closer look at who we think deserves to win each award, as well as predicting who is most likely to take home the individual prizes.
Quiz Show
Nominated: ‘8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown’, ‘A League of Their Own’, ‘Catchphrase’, ‘Pointless’, ‘The Chase’
Should win: It may not be particularly cool to say, but we’d love to see ‘Catchphrase’ win an award, even if just for the novelty. Especially if Mr Chips is there to collect the award on the night.
Will win: ‘The Chase’ continues to go from strength-to-strength, finding some new fans in recent months thanks to Anne Hegerty’s stint in the ‘I’m A Celebrity’ jungle – something that will probably help secure another win for Bradley Walsh and the rest of the Chasers in this category.
New Drama
Nominated: ‘A Discovery of Witches’, ‘Bodyguard’, ‘Girlfriends’, ‘Killing Eve’, ‘The Cry’
Should win: Last year was all about ‘Killing Eve’ and ‘Bodyguard’, with both shows not only proving hugely popular on home turf, but also gaining international attention, including recent wins at the Golden Globes. However, with ‘Bodyguard’ becoming the most popular new drama since the current ratings system began, it bucked the trend in people favouring streaming over watching live, becoming a national talking point as a result. For that, it deserves to triumph over its rival.
Will win: It’s tough to call between the two, but with ‘Bodyguard’ proving to be more widely popular in the UK, Jed Mercurio’s drama is likely to pip ‘Killing Eve’ to the post.
Talent Show
Nominated: ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, ‘Dancing on Ice’, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, ‘The Voice UK’, ‘The X Factor’
Should win: While the line-up came in for some initial criticism, last year’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ turned out to be another glittering affair, producing one of our favourite winners in recent years, Stacey Dooley. Plus, Faye Tozer’s Showdance deserves an NTA of its very own.
Will win: In our eyes, all of the other shows pale in comparison to ‘Strictly’, and after winning for the last few years, we’d bet it’s Tess Daly making her way up to that stage again this year.
Drama
Nominated: ‘Call the Midwife’, ‘Casualty’, ‘Doctor Who’, ‘Our Girl’, ‘Peaky Blinders’
Should win: Whatever your view on Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor, there’s no denying her turn as the Timelord has got everyone talking about ‘Doctor Who’ again. And with ratings up on the last few series (despite what some tabloids might lead you to believe), it’s about time the show got some recognition.
Will win: ‘Casualty’. Yawn.
TV Presenter
Nominated: Ant and Dec, Bradley Walsh, Graham Norton, Holly Willoughby, Phillip Schofield
Should win: While there has been some debate about whether Ant McPartlin should be eligible for this award given he has been off-screen for most of the last year, his partner Declan Donnelly has proven what a consummate professional he is after he carried on with their duties without his sidekick. However, there is no ignoring what a 12 months Holly Willoughby has had. From reviving ‘Dancing On Ice’, to stepping in for Ant on ‘I’m A Celebrity’, it really felt like the ‘This Morning’ host arrived as a primetime star, making her a much deserving winner.
Will win: After 17 consecutive wins, it would be hard to imagine anyone else other than Ant and Dec winning this award, even after such a turbulent year for their partnership.
Factual Entertainment
Nominated: ‘Ambulance’, ‘DIY SOS: The Big Build’, ‘Gogglebox’, ‘Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs’, ‘The Great British Bake Off’
Should win: The ‘DIY SOS’ team continued their amazing work, but some of their projects over the last 12 months have been particularly remarkable – particularly when they built a new community centre and boxing club for those affected by the Grenfell disaster.
Will win: With so many favourites having now left ‘Gogglebox’, it’s hard to see it coming out on top again, so perhaps ‘Bake Off’ will finally get its chance to shine, especially after the new line-up really began to hit their stride in their second series.
Drama Performance
Nominated: Cillian Murphy – ‘Peaky Blinders’, Jodie Comer – ‘Killing Eve’, Jodie Whittaker – ‘Doctor Who’, Michelle Keegan – ‘Our Girl’, Richard Madden – ‘Bodyguard’
Should win: After being snubbed at the Golden Globes, we’d love to see Jodie Comer finally get the recognition she deserves for her role as Villanelle in ‘Killing Eve’. Although we’re not quite sure an NTA and a Golden Globe are quite comparable.
Will win: It’s likely to be another win for ‘Bodyguard’, with Richard Madden’s portrayal of tortured protection officer David Budd still fresh in the voting public’s mind thanks to his recent Globes win.
Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award
Nominated: ‘All Round to Mrs Brown’s’, ‘Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway’, ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’, ‘Love Island’, ‘The Graham Norton Show’
Should win: If we could split this award right down the middle and give half to ‘I’m A Celebrity’ and half to ‘Love Island’, we would, but unfortunately this is not a possibility. And while the most recent series of ‘Love Island’ was a monster hit for ITV2, last year’s ‘I’m A Celebrity’ brought the nation together at a time when we needed it most, and helped us escape the endless Brexit headlines for three weeks – and for that, we’d happily see it win all the awards.
Will win: Having proven to be the most popular series of ‘I’m A Celebrity’ in its 16-year history (no mean feat for a reality show in this day and age), the title is surely theirs for the taking.
Serial Drama
Nominated: ‘Coronation Street’, ‘EastEnders’, ‘Emmerdale’, ‘Hollyoaks’
Should win: Having tackled subjects like male suicide and male rape, ‘Coronation Street’ has seriously impressed viewers and critics alike over the past year, and the powerful way in which those stories were told (particularly Gail’s monologue following Aiden Connor’s suicide), deserve recognition.
Will win: The reasons we think ‘Coronation Street’ should win will stand it in very good stead for taking home the award for real on the night.
Serial Drama Performance
Nominated: Bonnie Langford – ‘EastEnders’, Danny Dyer – ‘EastEnders’, Emma Atkins – ‘Emmerdale’, Jack P Shepherd – ‘Coronation Street’, Lucy Pargeter – ‘Emmerdale’
Should win: Bonnie, Jack, Lucy and Emma all have a strong case as to why they should win this award for their respective performances, which have all been heartbreaking to watch. However, Jack P Shepherd’s portrayal of David Platt in Corrie’s male rape storyline is one of those that will have a lasting impact, and should therefore shine through.
Will win: While Danny Dyer has arguably had the least to do out of the five actors nominated in this category, the good feeling towards him as an actor and TV personality make him the undoubted favourite for the gong.
Comedy
Nominated: ‘Benidorm’, ‘Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father’, ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’, ‘Peter Kay’s Car Share’, ‘The Big Bang Theory’
Should win: ‘Peter Kay’s Car Share’ went out on a high last year (bar the inclusion of some questionable jokes), after fans demanded a conclusion to John and Kayleigh’s story, and with no more episodes to come, it would be a lovely way to see off one of the most popular sitcoms of recent times.
Will win: People power helped to secure one final episode of ‘Car Share’, so we can see fans coming through for the show one last time.
Newcomer
Nominated: Aedan Duckworth – ‘Hollyoaks’, Alexandra Mardell – ‘Coronation Street’, James Moore – ‘Emmerdale’, Neet Mohan – ‘Casualty’, Ricky Champ – EastEnders
Should win: James Moore’s debut as Charity Dingle’s son Ryan has not only given his mother’s character a new lease of life, but viewers have loved his surprise bromance with Ross Barton. The character, who lives with ataxic cerebral palsy (as James himself does) has also been a huge step forward in the representation of disability in soap.
Will win: It has felt like Alexandra Mardell has been on the cobbles of ‘Coronation Street’ for a lot longer than nine months, and her popularity is likely to see her scoop the prize.
Daytime
Nominated: ‘Good Morning Britain’, ‘Loose Women’, ‘Sunday Brunch’, ‘The Jeremy Kyle Show’, ‘This Morning’
Should win: ‘This Morning’ showed no signs of slowing down in 2018 as the show celebrated its 30th birthday, and after being awarded a special Bafta in honour of the anniversary, it is only right it takes home the NTA as well. Plus, we couldn’t bear Piers Morgan’s smugness if ‘GMB’ were to triumph after its first nomination.
Will win: With stream of consecutive NTAs in this category, ‘This Morning’ is the one to beat.
TV Judge
Nominated: David Walliams, Louis Tomlinson, Robbie Williams, Robert Rinder, Simon Cowell
Should win: Following a middle of the road series of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and an even worse one for ‘The X Factor’, it’s a wonder any of these nominees (bar Judge Rinder) made this year’s line-up. If it were up to us, we’d be handing the gong to Craig Revel Horwood or one of his ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ co-stars, but alas.
Will win: David already scooped the award twice before, it’s likely David Walliams could walk away victorious – that is if Directioners don’t block-vote for Louis Tomlinson, like they seemingly did to get him on the shortlist.
To vote in this year’s NTAs, visit www.nationaltvawards.com/vote
The NTAs air on Tuesday 22 January at 7.30pm on ITV.