Maura Higgins and Danny Jones appeared together onstage at the National Television Awards on Wednesday as the 2024 cast of I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! collected the award for Best Reality Competition, prompting widespread reaction from viewers on social media.
With regular hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly absent to accept the trophy, members of the 2024 I'm A Celebrity cast went onstage to receive the prize. Danny Jones, a member of McFly, delivered the acceptance speech while Higgins, who joined the jungle in 2024, stood nearby.
The moment drew attention because the pair were at the centre of tabloid coverage earlier this year after being photographed kissing at a BRIT Awards afterparty in February. Media reports at the time said the encounter led to public scrutiny of Jones's marriage; the couple later addressed the situation in separate statements. Since then, Higgins and Jones had not been seen at the same public events until Wednesday’s awards ceremony.
Users on X reacted to the onstage reunion, with several calling the exchange awkward. Comments included: "Danny and Maura on stage …… I wouldn’t be happy if I was the wife," "Was really hoping Maura wouldn’t be there," and "Looool Danny and Maura having to share the same stage after everything." Other posts referenced the earlier BRITs incident and voiced surprise that the two were photographed together at the NTAs.
Organisers staged the awards as part of the ceremony’s 30th anniversary, with the British public voting for winners across television categories via post, telephone and online. The event, broadcast live on ITV2, celebrated a range of programmes and performers across entertainment, drama and factual categories. Red-carpet coverage was hosted by Pete Wicks and Sam Thompson.
I'm A Celebrity was among the high-profile nominees in the reality competition category, facing shows such as Love Island, Race Across the World and The Traitors. Ant and Dec, who front the jungle series, were among the nominees in the TV presenter category and have historically been frequent winners at the NTAs.
Producers made no public statement about the interaction between Higgins and Jones onstage. Representatives for both performers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The National Television Awards were created to allow the public to recognise television talent and programmes; the ceremony’s milestone year highlighted longstanding popular series as well as newer dramas and factual shows that drew significant audiences over the past year. Coverage of winners and nominees continued across broadcast and social platforms throughout the evening.