The stars of ITV's "This Morning" accepted the award for Best Daytime show at the National Television Awards, dedicating their win to crew members affected by recent job cuts and a studio relocation. Host Dermot O'Leary, 53, acknowledged the significant "gear change" the team experienced following "brutal ITV cost-cutting measures" that resulted in mass redundancies.
"The team have done so well, especially given that we've moved studios, we've lost a huge part of our workforce who lost their job from no fault of their own, and, it took quite something," O'Leary stated, holding a bottle of white wine. "It was a real gear change and for our team to sort of come in day on day out and keep that level of professionalism and good nature and just so supportive and so."
He added, "Like I always say, we get to dance in the light because they're working in the shadows. They're so good at what they do and it's a real privilege and a pleasure to work with them."
Last year, ITV moved its daytime programming from Television Centre in West London and reduced its workforce by half. "This Morning," along with "Lorraine," "Loose Women," and "Good Morning Britain," were affected. The production of "Good Morning Britain" was transferred to ITN, while "Lorraine," "This Morning," and "Loose Women" relocated to the Hospital Club in Covent Garden. This move has reportedly led to friction among stars due to shared studio spaces and small dressing rooms.
Ben Shephard, who joined "This Morning" in 2024, also paid tribute to the team, noting that "big changes" had impacted not only "This Morning" but also "Lorraine," "Loose Women," and "GMB." He praised the resilience and enthusiasm of the staff in continuing to produce the show.
This marks the second consecutive year "This Morning" has received the NTA for Best Daytime show. The program had previously lost a 12-year winning streak in 2023, following the departures of presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.
Other notable wins at the awards included Sir David Attenborough for Best Presenter for his documentary series "Secret Garden." Vicky McClure won Best Drama Performance for her role in ITV's "Trigger Point." The award for Best New Drama went to "I Fought The Law."