Gavin and Stacey won Best Comedy at the National Television Awards on Wednesday night, with several members of the cast accepting the prize onstage amid a raucous reception at London's O2 Arena.
Rob Brydon, Ruth Jones, Melanie Walters, Rob Wilfort, Laura Aikman and Larry Lamb collected the award after the BBC sitcom was voted Best Comedy by the viewing public, beating nominees including Mrs Brown's Boys, Brassic and Michael McIntyre's 25th Year Stand-Up Special. James Corden and Mathew Horne were not present to accept the gong.
As the show's theme tune played, the cast and crew made their way to the stage, where 77-year-old Lamb praised the programme's creators before handing the trophy to Jones. Jones, briefly adopting her character Nessa's persona, told the audience: "Yeah, all right, calm down. I'm going to the bar now for a pint of wine."
Photographs from the event showed Aikman removing her heels and walking onto the stage barefoot. The actress had worn a sparkly silver minidress on the red carpet; Jones wore a sequined maxidress with a plunging neckline. The awards, hosted by Joel Dommett for the NTAs' 30th anniversary, were televised on ITV1 with winners chosen by public vote.
Gavin and Stacey's NTAs success follows the show's Christmas finale last year, in which characters Smithy and Nessa, played by James Corden and Jones, were married. It also comes amid reports that Corden and Jones are developing a new comedy project for Apple TV+, an all-British production of 10 episodes that is due to film next year and is expected to debut in 2027. A representative for the production has said the new show will not feature the Gavin and Stacey characters.
The 2025 ceremony produced several high-profile winners. Gary Lineker won Best Presenter, ending Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly's 23-year run in the category. Lineker used his acceptance speech to reference his departure from Match of the Day after a controversial social-media post earlier this year and said it was sometimes appropriate to use a public platform "to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice."
This Morning won Best Daytime, marking a return to the winner's circle two years after a well-publicised loss to The Repair Shop; Strictly Come Dancing took Best Talent Show despite being unable to send its hosts and judges because of recording schedules. Jeremy Clarkson's Clarkson's Farm won Factual Entertainment, and Call the Midwife was named Returning Drama. I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! won Reality Competition, with the 2024 cast joining presenter Danny Jones to accept the award.
The National Television Awards recognised a wide range of programmes and performers across genres. Other winners included EastEnders for Serial Drama and Adolescence for New Drama. The event highlighted both popular returning series and more recent entries to British television, reflecting public voting across multiple categories.
Representatives for Gavin and Stacey did not immediately respond to requests for comment after the ceremony. Further details about the reported Apple TV+ project were not disclosed at the event.
The NTAs, held annually, draw viewers' votes and frequently spotlight both mainstream favourites and emerging shows. This year's ceremony underscored the continued popularity of long-running British comedies and daytime programmes while signalling the industry momentum behind new scripted projects headed for global streaming platforms.