Entertainment

This Morning nominated for daytime prize at NTAs after Phillip Schofield row

Phillip Schofield (Ian West/PA)
Phillip Schofield (Ian West/PA)

This Morning has been nominated for best daytime show at the National Television Awards after the furore over the Phillip Schofield affair.

Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV and was dropped by his talent agency YMU in May after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with a younger male colleague on the show.

Holly Willoughby, who hosted alongside Schofield from 2009 onwards, has continued to present the show with a series of co-stars, while MPs have called on ITV bosses to address claims of toxicity and bullying behind the scenes.

Prince’s Trust Awards
Holly Willoughby is still hosting the show (Ian West/PA)

The show will defend its title in the daytime category against The Chase, Loose Women and The Repair Shop.

Schofield and Willoughby had been longlisted for the best TV presenter prize, alongside fellow This Morning hosts Alison Hammond, Dermot O’Leary, Rylan Clark and Martin Lewis, but only Hammond and Lewis made the cut.

They will compete against Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, who took the award for the 21st year in a row at last year’s ceremony, as well as The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman and The Chase’s Bradley Walsh.

National Television Awards 2020 – Press Room – London
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have won the prize 21 years in a row (Ian West/PA)

Dame Deborah James and Paul O’Grady have been posthumously recognised in the nominations, with Dame Deborah named in the authored documentary category, for Bowelbabe In Her Own Words.

Dame Deborah set up the Bowelbabe cancer research fund, and died last year at the age of 40 after suffering bowel cancer.

O’Grady’s For The Love Of Dogs was listed in the factual entertainment category after the death of the TV presenter and comedian earlier this year.

It will compete against Clarkson’s Farm, Sort Your Life Out and The Martin Lewis Money Show Live.

Paul O’Grady death
Paul O’Grady (Steve Parsons/PA)

Two shows presented by McPartlin and Donnelly are in the running for the Bruce Forsyth entertainment award – I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Saturday Night Takeaway.

The duo have announced they will be taking a break from the latter show after its 20th series in 2024.

Also in the running are Gogglebox and The Masked Singer, while Britain’s Got Talent, Strictly Come Dancing, The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee are nominated for best talent show.

In a new category this year, Piers Morgan is nominated for the TV interview prize for Piers Morgan Uncensored on Talk TV, alongside Louis Theroux Interviews…, The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show and The Graham Norton Show.

Sunday Morning
Piers Morgan (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

In the drama performance category, Happy Valley stars James Norton and Sarah Lancashire will face off against each other, competing against Vera’s Brenda Blethyn and Call the Midwife’s Judy Parfitt, as well as India Amarteifio for her role in Bridgerton prequel Queen Charlotte.

The climax of Happy Valley is in the running for the returning drama prize, alongside Stranger Things, Call The Midwife and Vera.

Netflix’s Queen Charlotte is also recognised in the new drama category, alongside Death In Paradise spin-off Beyond Paradise, police drama Blue Lights and viral sensation Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega as Addams Family character Wednesday Addams.

Newly announced Strictly Come Dancing contestant Bobby Brazier is nominated in the newcomer category for his role as Freddie Slater in EastEnders, alongside Benjamin Chivers for The Devil’s Hour, Channique Sterling-Brown for Coronation Street and Emmerdale’s Lewis Cope.

The final round of voting for the National Television Awards is open and the winners will be announced at the ceremony hosted by Joel Dommett at The O2 on September 5.