Maya Jama turned heads on the red carpet at the National Television Awards on Wednesday night, arriving in a vintage Galitzine Couture gown priced at £4,500 and later presenting the Talent Show award to Strictly Come Dancing.
The 31-year-old presenter wore a black sheer dress featuring a delicate floral lace-embroidered bodice, long sleeves trimmed with feather cuffs and a dramatic ostrich-feather hem. Jama paired the outfit with sheer black tights and pointed black stiletto heels, kept accessories to a minimum and wore her hair sleek and straight with glowing makeup.
The ceremony, hosted by Joel Dommett and broadcast live on ITV1, was marked by a mix of live winners and absences tied to production schedules. Two years after losing out to The Repair Shop, This Morning reclaimed the Best Daytime award — the programme's first since Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley took over as hosts. Strictly Come Dancing won Best Talent Show; its regular hosts and judges were unable to attend because of recording commitments.
Comedian Michael McIntyre's Big Show won The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award, while Call the Midwife was named Best Returning Drama, beating the final series of Vera. Gavin and Stacey took Best Comedy following its Christmas finale, and Lee Mack's The 1% Club was voted Best Quiz Show. Teenage actor Owen Cooper won Best Drama Performance for his role as Jamie Miller in the new drama Adolescence, which also won New Drama. Molly-Mae Hague was named winner in the Authored Documentary category for her series charting her recent personal life, and animated BBC characters Wallace and Gromit received a special recognition award presented to creator Nick Park. The night ended with EastEnders receiving Best Serial Drama; actor Steve McFadden won Serial Drama Performance for his portrayal of Phil Mitchell's mental health storyline.
Presenters Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks hosted the red carpet arrivals for the second consecutive year. The National Television Awards marked their 30th anniversary this year. Established in 1995, the awards are decided by public vote and were created to give viewers a direct voice in recognising television talent.
Other winners announced during the ceremony included I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! as Reality Competition, Clarkson's Farm for Factual Entertainment, and Michael McIntyre's The Wheel among nominees in the quiz and entertainment categories. Several previous nominees and winners were unable to attend in person; producers and representatives collected awards on behalf of some programmes.
The NTAs combined viewer-voted categories with live performances and staged presentations, offering a showcase of current and returning British television across drama, comedy, factual and entertainment programming. The ceremony concluded with onstage celebrations from winners and casts as the broadcast drew to a close.