Strictly Come Dancing professional Carlos Gu said it was "deeply wrong and baffling" that influencer Molly‑Mae Hague won the Authored Documentary award at the National Television Awards (NTAs) over his friend and fellow Strictly professional Amy Dowden.
Molly‑Mae, 26, took the prize for her six‑part Prime Video series Molly‑Mae: Behind It All, which charted elements of her personal life and the breakup with Tommy Fury. The category also included Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me, which followed Dowden’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, and There's Only One Rob Burrow, about the late rugby league player who died from motor neurone disease. According to the Daily Mail, Gu shared a now‑deleted screenshot of a Notes app message on his Instagram Story that read in part: "A breakup story wins Best Documentary at the NTAs over films about real human suffering, like those battling illness? It's honestly baffling. We're talking about people fighting for their lives, enduring unimaginable pain, and somehow, a story about a messy relationship got the top honour."
Gu did not elaborate further in the post, which was removed later. The Daily Mail reported it and said Gu's representatives had been contacted for comment. Amy Dowden, who has been public about her breast cancer journey, reacted to Molly‑Mae's win on social media by congratulating her and stressing the reasons she chose to document her own experience. "Huge congratulations to Molly Mae on your NTA win! It's been an honour to be nominated alongside such powerful and inspiring documentaries," Dowden wrote. She added that she had made the decision to share her journey to "raise awareness, promote early detection, and give hope and strength to others going through it. An NTA nomination was just the icing on the cake. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who voted and supported the documentary."
Molly‑Mae acknowledged the competition in her acceptance speech and gave a pointed nod to Rob Burrow and his family, saying his story was "far more inspirational than mine could ever be" and dedicating the award to him and "the other inspirational people in this category." She also joked that she had lost a shoe while walking onstage and thanked her partner Tommy and their daughter Bambi.
The NTAs, which are voted on by the public and broadcast on ITV, produced several other notable winners at the ceremony held at the O2 Arena. Gary Lineker won Best Presenter, breaking Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly's long streak in the category; EastEnders won Best Serial Drama; and Gavin & Stacey was named Best Comedy. Strictly Come Dancing secured Best Talent Show despite a turbulent year for the programme. Organisers said the awards mark their 30th anniversary and continue to reflect public voting.
Viewers took to social media to express surprise and anger at Molly‑Mae's documentary winning the publicly decided prize, with many users comparing the entries and questioning the outcome. Some audience members had expected There's Only One Rob Burrow or Dowden's film to win the category. Molly‑Mae's series, released in January, focused partly on her business endeavours and personal life amid the breakup with Fury.
The Authored Documentary category at the NTAs this year featured a diverse slate of films and series, and the result highlighted debates about genre classification, public voting and how audiences respond to different types of personal storytelling. Dowden’s documentary drew attention for documenting a cancer diagnosis and treatment, while Rob Burrow’s film followed a public figure’s struggle with a degenerative illness; Molly‑Mae's series combined personal narrative with brand and lifestyle content.
Gu’s deleted post and the subsequent public discussion underscore the tensions that can arise when award shows pit widely differing kinds of documentary storytelling against each other in public voting formats. Both Dowden and Molly‑Mae received public acknowledgements following the ceremony; Dowden emphasised continuing her awareness work and Molly‑Mae used her acceptance speech to pay tribute to her fellow nominees.
Representatives for Carlos Gu and Molly‑Mae Hague did not immediately respond to requests for comment.