Olivia Attwood attended Wednesday's National Television Awards at London's O2 Arena without her husband, footballer Bradley Dack, and appeared to narrowly avoid a red carpet encounter with Pete Wicks, who was hosting arrivals.
The 34-year-old television presenter and former Love Island contestant arrived wearing an angelic white gown with an asymmetrical neckline, a satin lapel detail, a plunging back and a small train. She kept jewellery and makeup minimal and wore her hair in an updo.
Wicks, a former TOWIE star, was hosting the arrivals alongside Sam Thompson for the second year running. The pair's presence on the red carpet came after photographs taken during a recent Ibiza trip showed Wicks with his arm around Attwood on a yacht, images that prompted public scrutiny and a backlash aimed at Dack while he was playing for League Two side Gillingham.
Attwood has acknowledged the fallout from the Ibiza photographs and described her marriage to Dack as "a work in progress." Speaking on Lorraine and in an interview with the Daily Mail this week, she said the couple had experienced "a challenging" six months and that both their busy work schedules had tested the relationship. "Me and Brad never pretend to have a perfect relationship," she said. "We have been up, down, left, backwards, and the last six months have been really challenging for us."
She said she understood why Dack was upset by the images and rejected public claims that the incident signalled the end of their marriage. "I get why Brad didn't like it, we were all on the boat, drinking and hugging each other and being best friends, it was family vibes," Attwood told the Daily Mail. She also said both partners had made mistakes: "I have fed up and done stuff, Brad has fed up. It's really easy to pretend you're perfect but no one is if you just dig a little deeper."
The Ibiza photographs also prompted online criticism and, according to reports, resulted in a falling-out with Attwood's former assistant Ryan Kay. Attwood maintained that her relationship with Wicks is platonic and professional, saying they were "just good friends and work colleagues" and that the holiday had been organised around a hosting engagement.
Wednesday's ceremony marked the 30th anniversary of the National Television Awards, which were established in 1995 to give the public a voice in recognising television talent. The evening's line-up included long-running favourites and newer hits. Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were listed among the favourites to win the TV Presenter award for the 24th consecutive year, facing competition from Claudia Winkleman, Gary Lineker, Alison Hammond and Stacey Solomon.
Drama categories reflected a strong year for television. Netflix's Adolescence was highlighted as a standout, with particular praise for Owen Cooper's performance, and competed with shows including Code of Silence, Ludwig, MobLand and Rivals for best drama. Returning and concluding favourites also featured: the long-awaited final episode of Gavin & Stacey aired on Christmas Day 2024 and was among nominees in the comedy category alongside Brassic, Michael McIntyre's 25th Year Stand-Up Special and Mrs Brown's Boys.
Soaps, traditionally strong at the NTAs, remained competitive after increased viewing for titles such as Coronation Street and Emmerdale following their availability on ITVX. Nominees for serial drama included Casualty, Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks, and serial drama performances featured actors from major soaps.
The awards ceremony, broadcast live on ITV and ITV2, combined trophy presentations with entertainment performances and ran into the late evening. Attwood's appearance, and her comments about her marriage, were among the high-profile personal storylines on a night otherwise focused on celebrating the nation's most-watched and voted-for television shows and personalities.