Entertainment

Piers Morgan has sights on dethroning Ant and Dec at National Television Awards

The annual ceremony will be hosted by comedian Joel Dommett.
The annual ceremony will be hosted by comedian Joel Dommett. The annual ceremony will be hosted by comedian Joel Dommett.

Piers Morgan will be hoping to end Ant and Dec’s domination at the National Television Awards (NTAs) when they go head-to-head for the best TV presenter prize.

The annual ceremony is taking place in London on Thursday, with comedian Joel Dommett on hosting duties.

Geordie duo Ant and Dec have won best TV presenter for a staggering 19 years in a row but Morgan has set his sights on dethroning them.

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly Ant and Dec have enjoyed tremendous success at the National Television Awards (Ian West/PA)

Morgan, who was nominated following a turbulent first half of 2021 which saw him depart Good Morning Britain over incendiary comments about the Duchess of Sussex, is also up against Bradley Walsh and This Morning stars Holly Willoughby and Alison Hammond.

Elsewhere at the NTAs,  all three stars of Line Of Duty vie for the drama performance prize.

Adrian Dunbar (Ted Hastings), Martin Compston (Steve Arnott) and Vicky McClure (Kate Fleming) are all in the running, alongside Olly Alexander for Aids series It’s A Sin and David Tennant for Des, a drama about serial killer Dennis Nilsen.

Des and It’s A Sin are also nominated for the best new drama prize, alongside period romp Bridgerton and the hit adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People.

Line Of Duty, Call The Midwife, Unforgotten and lavish royal series The Crown have been nominated for the returning drama gong.

Caroline Flack: Her Life And Death, a documentary about the late Love Island presenter, is up for the factual prize.

The NTAs will be broadcast on ITV at 7.30pm from London’s O2 Arena.