Ant and Dec win big at the National Television Awards

25 January 2017

Ant & Dec were crowned TV Presenters of the Year at the National Television Awards on Wednesday night (25.01.17) for the 16th consecutive year.

Ant and Dec

The Geordie duo expected to lose out to Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins from 'The Great British Bake Off', but admitted they get "more and more grateful" each year they win because they don't know when their reign will end.

Ant said: "Thank you very much this is just mad. We were chatting in the car on the way here and we have won it year after year after year.

"But we said this year if we lost out to Mel and Sue, who I think were remarkable on 'Bake Off', then that would have been a good shout. So well done girls."

Dec added: "Thankfully we didn't. We are thrilled. If anything we get more and more grateful every year because we are never quite sure when this run is going to end. The fact that it hasn't tonight, we are thoroughly grateful to everyone that voted for us.

Thank you so, so much. We really do appreciate it."

Ant and Dec also bagged Entertainment Programme for 'Ant & Dec's Saturday night Takeaway' and their show 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' won Challenge Show.

The pair said they were in "shock" to be the first award winners of the night.

Accepting their gong for Entertainment Programme for 'Saturday Night Takeaway, Ant said: It really is our baby and, it's a bit of a shock first award up, but what a thrill."

Dec added: "Thank you, thank you so much, thank you to all of the talented people that stand behind us here and come up with all the ideas and all of that.

"We have so much fun doing it and are thrilled you like watching it. We're back at the end of February for another run."

Graham Norton was honoured with the Special Recognition prize and said he was glad to beat Ant and Dec to the award and said it felt like his funeral because he's "so old".

After watching a montage of tributes from the likes of Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Judi Dench, Will Smith and Dolly Parton, he said: "Thank you very much.

"I know this is a sort of NTA pity party. Because it is the only way I could get one of these over Ant and Dec.

"I feel so old and I feel like the NTAs have invited me to my own funeral.

"It turns out it was great Will Smith and my mother were there and Dolly Parton. Thank you so much to the NTAs for this.

"I don't know quite what to say because the legions of people, who have worked on the show over the years, I thank you all.

"Thank you to all of you who watch the show.

"I glad you still enjoy it after all this time.

"It has been a long time, it has been nearly 20 years.

"To keep a show on the air for that long isn't easy and in my case it is sort of a miracle.

"I am not the funniest or the hardest worker, but I am the luckiest, I've been very lucky.

"I've worked with amazing people over the years and I can't thank them all because there are hundreds and hundreds."

'This Morning' picked up Live Magazine and presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield dedicated their award to the show's late agony aunt, Denise Robertson - who sadly passed away in March last year after losing her battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 83.

Silver fox Phillip said: "We'll start on a serious note, just to say this time last year we had Denise Robertson on stage with us.

"And we really miss her, so this is for Denise this year."

On a funny note, the pair said they won't be repeating last year's antics by arriving late to work drunk tomorrow (26.01.17), but joked that they may get a cheeky tattoo.

Phillip added: "obviously we shamed ourselves last year so we're not going to do that again this year.

"We're going to get tattoos!"

Elsewhere, 'EastEnders' actress Lacey Turner was awarded for her Best Serial Drama Performance and beat 'Emmerdale's Danny Miller [Aaron Dingle] and Natalie J Robb [Trish McDonald] and 'Coronation Street's Jack P Shepherd [David Platt].

It's the fourth time Lacey - who plays Stacey Slater in the long-running BBC One Soap - has picked up and NTA and this year she dedicated to co-star James Bye and the Fowler family.

Speaking on stage at London's The O2, she said: "Thank you. Oh my goodness. I was so sure I was staying in my seat. Thank you so much to everyone who voted to everyone who has supported me over the last 12 years. I can't tell you how much it means. Thank you to Scott my friends and family and all of those people over there. I feel so lucky to wake up every day and love my job. James Bye thank you, Jasmine thank you. This one is for the Fowlers."

Other winners included Mary Berry, who was crowned best TV Judge for 'The Great British Bake Off' and beat off stiff competition from 'Strictly Come Dancing' head honcho Len Goodman, 'X Factor' judges Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger and 'Britain's Got Talent's David Walliams.

Mary said: "I love judging it has always been a great honour.

"I think I know how to bake and I love telling people that next time do a little bit better. But the greatest reward is that all of the young are baking.

"Everybody is sitting down at 8pm the whole family, gran, the baby. There is no swearing, it's the best programme.

"I am so grateful and thank you very much."

Other winners on the night included Sarah Lancashire, who won Best Drama Performance for 'Happy Valley', Factual Entertainment show went to 'Gogglebox', Comedy was 'Mrs Brown's Boys', Daytime show went to 'The Chase', Period Drama was given to 'Call The Midwife' and Faye Brooks [Kate Connor] picked up Newcomer for her role as in 'Coronation Street'.

This year's star-studded ceremony, which was broadcast live on ITV, was hosted by Dermot O'Leary and included a musical performances from James Arthur.

The National Television Awards winners list is as follows:

Entertainment Programme: 'Ant & Dec's Saturday night Takeaway'

Drama Performance: Sarah Lancashire

Factual Entertainment: 'Gogglebox'

Serial Drama Performance: Lacey Turner ('EastEnders')

Comedy: 'Mrs Brown's Boys'

TV Judge: Mary Berry

Daytime: 'The Chase'

Period Drama: 'Call The Midwife'

Live Magazine: 'This Morning'

Newcomer: Faye Brooks ('Coronation Street')

TV Presenter: Ant & Dec