Holly Willoughby, Helen Flanagan and Jacqueline Jossa ooze glam on National Television Awards 2024 red carpet
All eyes will be on Strictly Come Dancing following a year of controversy
HOLLY Willoughby, Helen Flanagan and Jacqueline Jossa have kicked off this year’s National Television Awards with a stunning entrance.
Former This Morning presenter Holly had all eyes on her as she arrived at London’s O2 Arena in a beautiful glittery dress with daring thigh-high split.
It is Holly’s first big appearance since quitting This Morning last year.
After posing for pictures on her own, Holly caught sight of her former co-star Dermot O’Leary and grabbed him for a hug.
The pair looked delighted to be reunited as they shared an air kiss.
Helen Flanagan, meanwhile, switched up her style and chose to wear a deep plum-coloured dress with matching dark lipstick.
The Celebs Go Dating star walked the red carpet alone, despite introducing her secret boyfriend Robbie Talbot to viewers this week.
Another sizzling celeb strutting their stuff was EastEnders‘ Jacqueline Jossa, who wore a tight-fitting red gown to the event.
The actress has slimmed down this year after embarking on a healthy eating and fitness regime.
Elsewhere, Cat Deeley – Holly’s replacement on This Morning – looked stunning in a floor-length red dress.
She was joined on the red carpet by Ben Shephard for their first big TV event together.
Alison Hammond also looked sophisticated as she completed the This Morning lineup on the red carpet.
Former Towie star Jessica Wright posed up a storm in an LBD, while Call The Midwife‘s Helen George also opted to wear black.
The actress looked unrecognisable from her Call The Midwife character Trixie.
The EastEnders gang are out in force, with Jessie Wallace, Michelle Collins, Adam Woodyatt and Bobby Brazier all scrubbing up for the event.
This year’s National Television Awards is hosted by Joel Dommett this year and kicked off on ITV at 8pm tonight.
Holly Willoughby is also set to make her big return to presenting and will be helping out Joel, as exclusively revealed by The Sun.
It will mark the first time Holly has taken to the stage since quitting This Morning in October 2023.
Dermot and Alison Hammond are this year in the running for a gong in the TV Presenter category.
Strictly Come Dancing, meanwhile, is hoping to waltz away with the award for best talent show, which would be a big boost for the BBC amid a whirlwind of controversy over how some contestants have allegedly been treated.
The show is up against MasterChef, Britain’s Got Talent, The Great British Bake Off and The Voice UK.
All eyes are also set to be on Michelle Keegan, who has scored a hat trick of nominations at this year’s NTAs.
The Sky show she stars in, Brassic, has been nominated in the Comedy category and her Netflix thriller, Fool Me Once, is nominated in the New Drama category.
The programme, which aired earlier this year, also sees her nominated for the best Drama Performance for playing beleaguered ex-military wife Maya Stern.
NTAs was no big surprise, says our telly expert
COMMENT BY ROD MCPHEE
THE only surprise at tonight’s National Television Awards was that there were virtually no surprises.
Ant and Dec took home Presenter Award for the millionth time, Strictly bagged the Talent Show gong and I’m A Celebrity triumphed in the Entertainment category.
Kate Garraway scooping the authored documentary award for Derek’s Story was entirely deserved, but not a total shock either as she’d already done the same two years ago with Caring for Derek.
There were a few curveballs. Emmerdale beating Goliath soaps EastEnders and Corrie was unexpected, particularly as the rivals have both boasted big storylines recently.
And though there was no doubting how hugely moving Mr BatesVs The Post Office was for viewers this year, it was still stunning to see them bag three awards.
Does the general lack of surprises diminish the thrill of the NTAs? Not at all. It remains one of the few awards shows which actually gauges what the majority of Brits are actually watching.
We live in a bewildering world where scandals often rock shows, in an age where streaming means the shared experience is diminished and ratings are hard to decipher.
But year in, year out NTA voters leave us in no doubt which shows they adore, which ones they’ve fallen out of love with, and which celebrities they’re prepared to back.
Look at how quickly relatively new shows like The Traitors, Bridgerton and The 1% Club have been embraced by NTA voters.
They aren’t interested in PR stunts and promotion, in highbrow actors and writers lauded by their fellow luvvies and they certainly can’t stand having what they ought to be watching dictated to them
They tell us all loud and clear, every year, who they consider to be the best – and woe betide any telly exec who ignores them.
