Gavin and Stacey was named Best Comedy at the National Television Awards on Wednesday, a night that mixed celebration with on-stage chaos as cast members accepted the public-voted prize.
Rob Brydon, Ruth Jones, Melanie Walters, Rob Wilfort, Laura Aikman and Larry Lamb collected the gong at London’s O2 Arena while two of the show’s biggest stars, James Corden and Mathew Horne, were not present to accept the award. As the cast took the stage to the show's theme tune, Jones embraced her character Nessa, telling the crowd, "Yeah, all right, calm down. I'm going to the bar now for a pint of wine," a line delivered with the character's trademark bluntness.
Larry Lamb praised the creators before handing the award to Jones, saying, "When Ruth and James wrote Gavin & Stacey they created a family that can belong to us forever." Photographs from the event showed Aikman walking onstage barefoot and later still without her heels in the press area; she had arrived in a sparkly silver minidress while Jones wore a sequined maxidress with a plunging neckline.
The BBC sitcom beat nominees including Mrs Brown's Boys, Brassic and Michael McIntyre's 25th Year Stand-Up Special. The win follows the programme's holiday finale last Christmas, which concluded with the long-anticipated marriage of characters Smithy and Nessa.
Days before the NTAs, reports said Jones and Corden had signed a deal to create a new comedy series for Apple TV+. A source close to the production told media outlets the project is expected to consist of 10 episodes with an all-British cast, and that filming is due to begin next year for a planned release in 2027. The source said the new show will not feature the iconic Gavin and Stacey characters.
The awards ceremony marked several notable results across British television. Gary Lineker won Best Presenter, ending a 23-year streak by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly. In his acceptance remarks, Lineker referenced his controversial departure from Match of the Day earlier this year and said the win demonstrated "it’s OK sometimes to use our platform to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice." This Morning reclaimed Best Daytime, and Strictly Come Dancing won Best Talent Show despite a year of controversies surrounding the format. Jeremy Clarkson's Clarkson's Farm also took a prize in the factual entertainment category.
Hosted by Joel Dommett for the NTAs' 30th anniversary, the ceremony broadcasts on ITV and features winners chosen by public vote. Gavin and Stacey's cast marked the show's return to awards contention after the recent special and amid plans for new work by its co-creators, drawing attention both for the trophy and for the informal, at-times raucous way the cast celebrated it onstage and in the press room.