JLS have promised their performance at the National Television Awards will feature surprises and be a “celebration” of their reunion.
The boy band – Aston Merrygold, Oritse Williams, Marvin Humes and JB Gill – were among the stars walking the red carpet at London’s O2 Arena on Thursday.
They are due to perform comeback single Eternal Love, after splitting in 2013 after four albums together and multiple tours.
Oritse told the PA news agency: “This is our first time as a group at the NTAs so this is a JLS debut and also we are here performing our brand new single Eternal Love written by the legend himself Ed Sheeran, produced by the legend himself Steve Mac. And we have got a few surprises in store tonight. It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be a JLS night.”
Humes added: “We have been rehearsing a lot. We have got a tour coming up in October. We are going to be back at the O2 four times during October and November and the performance tonight is going to be a celebration. We are playing the new single and also a couple of other surprises too.”
Love Island winners Millie Court and Liam Reardon also walked the carpet.
Court, a former fashion buyer administrator, told PA: “It’s very surreal. It’s a pinch me moment.”
She said they would be moving in together “hopefully soon”, and added: “Obviously, we are going back to Wales (where Reardon’s family live) and then when we come back we will be looking for places.”
Comedian Joel Dommett, who is hosting the awards, said his role will be to celebrate the return of in-person events but joked he was hoping it would not turn into a “nightmare”.
He told PA: “It’s basically just celebrating the fact that everyone is here together and I think hopefully it is just really fun and I am hopefully going to make a few people smile. If not, I have made myself smile and that is the main thing.”
Recalling being offered the job, he added: “Honestly it is a dream come true. It really is. And hopefully it will remain a dream and not a nightmare.”
Singer Hrvy, who appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2020, said opening the show with his single Runaway With It was a “big deal”.
He told PA: “I’m very excited. It’s a big deal. This is the NTAs. I have no idea how I landed this gig but I did. It’s going to be great. It’s a good hype song to open the show with and I can’t wait.”
He added: “It’s just good to be back and seeing everybody – the cameras and people like you. It’s good to see faces again and actually be in contact with people because it has been a year-and-a-half out. I know the music industry and the TV industry was hit so hard with the lockdown. I am happy we are back at the O2 Arena and it is going to be unbelievable.”
Eamonn Holmes said he was “ploughing on” with his work and family life despite a back injury.
The This Morning presenter, who walked the red carpet at the National Television Awards with a black stick featuring a silver handle, told PA: “It has been four months. It has been long, it has been slow, it has been hard. It is very painful, I have had physio again today. I have physio most days.
“Basically, everybody gets confused about what it is. I dislodged two discs in my back, they impinged on my sciatic nerve, that killed my right leg and until I get power back in my right leg I am in trouble.
“It’s been going on (for) four months so I hope it comes back. Still ploughing on, still doing all that.”
