Many of British television’s biggest names were absent from the National Television Awards’ 30th‑anniversary ceremony at London’s O2 Arena, with producers and performers citing filming commitments, tours and other engagements as reasons for a notable number of no‑shows on a night dominated by public votes.
The ceremony, televised on ITV1 and hosted by Joel Dommett, delivered expected and surprising results for programmes and personalities but lacked attendance from some high-profile nominees. Ant and Dec were not in the audience when the Best Presenter award was announced — ending their 23‑year run — because the Geordie duo were filming I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! All Stars in South Africa. In a pre‑recorded video shown before the ceremony, Ant apologised to fans: "Sorry we can't be there tonight. But we're in South Africa!" They described it as an "honour to be nominated" and asked viewers to "let us know if we win or not." Gary Lineker won Best Presenter, breaking the duo’s long streak.
Lineker used his acceptance speech to reference his recent departure from Match of the Day, saying it was "OK to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice," remarks that many interpreted as a nod to the controversy surrounding his exit earlier in the year. Lineker presented his final Match of the Day in May after an Instagram post on the Israel‑Palestine conflict that he later apologised for but which prompted his departure.
Strictly Come Dancing won Best Talent Show, but neither of its presenters, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, nor the professional dancers were present to accept the award. The Strictly team were unavailable because they were pre‑recording the 2025 series launch, scheduled to air on Saturday. Last year’s Strictly finalist JB Gill accepted the award on behalf of the show and offered a shout‑out to the absent hosts.
Netflix’s Adolescence, which shattered viewing records on release, won Best New Drama and saw its young lead Owen Cooper pick up Drama Performance. Several of the series’ main stars, including Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters and Cooper, were not at the NTAs; co‑stars Amari Bacchus, Mark Herbert, Jo Hartley, Emily Feller and Fatima Bojang collected the prize. A pre‑recorded message from Cooper, who is in the United States ahead of the Emmy Awards where the series is also shortlisted, thanked colleagues and viewers for the support.
Gavin & Stacey won Best Comedy with Ruth Jones and Larry Lamb on stage, but co‑creator and co‑star James Corden did not attend; Corden is currently performing on Broadway in New York. Lead actors Mathew Horne and Joanna Page were also absent from the ceremony and later posted on social media to thank voters.
This Morning reclaimed the Best Daytime Award, a win that marked the first NTA for the show's current presenting team of Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley. Alison Hammond, who was present, told the audience the programme’s team had been "humbled" by their recent losses in the category. Holly Willoughby, a long‑time This Morning presenter and a nominee, did not attend; her producer husband Dan Baldwin was among those on the red carpet.
EastEnders was named Best Serial Drama, and Steve McFadden won Serial Drama Performance for his portrayal of Phil Mitchell during a storyline centred on mental health. McFadden became emotional on stage as Jessie Wallace and Michelle Ryan presented the award.
Other winners included Michael McIntyre’s Big Show receiving The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award and Michael McIntyre’s 25th Year Stand‑Up Special scoring recognition within comedy categories. Jeremy Clarkson’s Clarkson’s Farm won Factual Entertainment, and Molly Mae Hague was awarded Authored Documentary for Molly‑Mae: Behind It All. Wallace & Gromit received a special recognition award, accepted by creator Nick Park.
The NTAs, established in 1995 to allow the public to vote for outstanding television, continued their tradition of audience participation. The 2025 winners reflected a mixture of long‑running staples and recent breakout series. The night also underscored the practical realities of modern television production and promotion: pre‑recording, international travel, touring schedules and awards season commitments meant that several nominees and winners were unable to attend in person.
Producers and representatives supplied reasons for many of the absences. The Strictly team’s recording schedule was confirmed by show sources; Ant and Dec’s filming location was acknowledged in the duo’s video message; Adrian Lewis, a representative for Adolescence, noted the actors’ travel to the U.S. for the Emmys; and Corden’s Broadway engagement was publicly known.
The ceremony closed with tributes to long‑running series and performers who have shaped British television over three decades of the NTAs. While the red carpet contained fewer of the usual A‑list faces than in some previous years, the evening still delivered emotional moments and several headline wins determined by public vote.