NTAs’ wildest moments – from Love Island stars’ bust-up to Jacqueline Jossa’s tears after epic row and This Morning boos
The awards produced one of TV's most infamous wardrobe malfunctions
IT’S the biggest and booziest night of the year in the telly world – which often leads to some huge bust-ups.
And the National Television Awards – as well as the after parties – haven’t been short of scandal throughout the years.
From former This Morning hosts Phil Schofield and Holly Willoughby being booed two years running – as they collected the gong for Best Daytime Show – to multiple brawls, things do usually kick off on the night.
We reveal the most scandalous moments from the awards show’s 29-year history.
This Morning’s double booing
In 2022, Holly and Phil were booed as they won the Best Daytime Show award for This Morning.
It was the 12th year running that the show had won the gong.
However, 2022 was the same year the presenting duo had sparked outrage as they appeared to jump the queue to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey.
And the rage was still lingering as the couple and the This Morning team reached the stage, according to one insider.
A source who watched the moment unfold said it was “really embarrassing”, adding: “Linda Robson from Loose Women didn’t clap either. It was all very awkward.”
This Morning was booed once again last year, as it was announced as a nominee for Best Daytime Show.
For the first time in 12 years, it lost out to The Repair Shop, following scandal around the show due to Phillip stepping down after an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a much younger male colleague.
Anneka Rice’s blunder
In 2022, presenter Anneka Rice had a blunder reminiscent of the 2017 Oscars.
She read out the wrong winner of the Best Quiz Game Show Award.
The Challenge Anneka star announced: “The 1% Club!” before realising she was reading out the list of the nominees.
She eventually called out the actual winner, Beat the Chasers, and managed to laugh it off.
Marital spat
Jacqueline Jossa appeared to have a blazing row with ex-TOWIE hubby Dan Osborne at the 2019 awards after party.
The spat was said to be over Dan “flirting” with a group of women.
Jac burst into tears and told her hubby: “I want to go NOW”, it was claimed.
The couple had famously split the previous year after he was seen getting cosy with Love Island star Gabby Allen, but reunited soon after and denied any cheating took place.
Pap ‘attack’
It should have been a night to celebrate for Love Island’s Chris Hughes, who attended the 2020 bash with then-girlfriend Jesy Nelson – who bagged the award for Best Factual Programme.
But as he was leaving, Chris got into a heated bust-up with a photographer over claims he’d called him a “c***”.
He later issued a grovelling apology, saying he was sorry if he took attention away from Jesy’s win.
Chris was investigated for assault and damaging the photographer’s camera afterwards, and axed from Sport Relief’s The Heat Is On Challenge as a result of the incident.
Accidental flash
In a moment which will forever go down in NTAs history, Judy Finnigan managed to flash the entire Royal Albert Hall as she collected a gong in 2000.
After the presenter and hubby Richard Madeley reached the stage, Judy’s top pinged open, revealing her bra.
As the crowd cheered, Richard mistakenly thought they wanted to hear his Ali G impression.
Eventually John Leslie put the couple out of their misery as he rushed on-stage to cover her up.
The epic wardrobe malfunction reportedly sent Richard and Judy’s son into “meltdown” – while daughter Chloe admitted she “didn’t give two s***s” after her mum laughed it off.
Love Island bust-up
Love Island legends Maura Higgins and Faye Winter were spotted having an explosive, hour-long, backstage bust-up at the awards last year, captured in our exclusive video.
Irish beauty Maura and Faye were seen pointing fingers at each other at the booze-fuelled afterparty, before a pal was forced to intervene to calm things down.
The row was said to be over a pair of shoes, with one source alleging that Faye threw her shoes at Maura earlier on in the night, which prompted an upset reaction from the Irish star.
One partygoer overheard Maura saying: “Starting on you…don’t point your finger at me.”
Hungover on TV
The This Morning duo had such a wild night at the bash in 2016, they did the walk of shame straight into the studio.
The following day the presenters took a nap on the This Morning sofa – in their clothes from the night before.
Slurring her words, exhausted Holly confessed: “So, obviously you might have noticed that we’re still wearing the same clothes. I haven’t been home yet. I came straight here.”
Two years later, Holly and Phil arrived half an hour late for This Morning after the ceremony.
But by 2020, when Holly and Phil complained of their sore heads, viewers appeared to have tired of the routine and accused them of faking it.
One tweeted: “Are people really falling for this ‘let’s pretend we’re drunk’ act. #sameeveryyear #ThisMorning.”
Tearful exit
It was the final nail in the coffin for Megan McKenna’s relationship with TOWIE co-star Pete Wicks.
The singer fled the O2 sobbing in 2017 after a major row with the reality TV bad boy.
She even deleted Pete from her social media following her dramatic exit.
The couple had already bickered on the red carpet at the bash and the final straw came at the VIP afterparty.
Insiders reported hearing a commotion before Megan left the do.
Onstage intruder
In 2018, presenter Dermot O’Leary was forced to intervene when a stage invader came on, protesting.
The invader was holding a piece of paper and wearing a T-Shirt which read: “Oppression of ideas is not freedom like UK media thinks.”
The incident never actually aired on TV, but it saw Dermot having to stop the man reaching the microphone, once he’d managed to make it on to the stage.
Hollywood legend booed
Back in 2019, Danny DeVito presented the Best Drama Performance gong – but his jokes landed on deaf ears.
Arriving on stage, he told the audience: “This is a big week for me this week. It’s really nice for me to be here, I’ve got an Arsenal game on Friday night.”
When the rival club fans erupted into boos, he dropped another clanger, telling them: “Hang on, I’ve got try-outs. I’m going to get Petr Cech’s job – he’s a goalie.”
Things went from bad to worse as Danny appeared to lose his way, forgetting to read out half the nominees.
He was even heard asking the crew what to say as the show clips played.
The Matilda star, 77, was heckled to the point where, having tried to laugh it off, he hit back at the crowd, telling them: “You’re mean. You’re not nice.”