The Scandal and Fallout
ITV's daytime show, This Morning, was met with boos from fans during the National Television Awards (NTAs) as presenter Holly Willoughby watched the show lose out on the award. This comes after the scandal involving her co-host Phillip Schofield.
NTA Nomination and Loss
This Morning had been nominated for the award alongside popular shows like Loose Women, The Chase, and The Repair Shop, but it was beaten by the BBC workshop program. Jay Blades, the host of the program, delivered the winner's speech.
The Guardian's Insider Footage
An audience member who was present at The O2 during the NTAs provided The Celeb Report with footage of the audience booing This Morning. However, only cheers could be heard in the ITV broadcast of the event.
Program Drama and Backstage Conditions
Recent months have been filled with drama for This Morning, with ITV bosses facing questions in Parliament over alleged "toxic" conditions backstage following the Phillip Schofield scandal. Viewers criticized Holly Willoughby for her handling of the scandal at the time.
Alison Hammond's Rise and Holly's Exclusion
As a result of the fallout, fans have now voted for Alison Hammond as Best TV Presenter instead of Holly Willoughby. This marks the second year in a row that Holly has been left off the shortlist. Last year, Phillip Schofield, Holly, Dermot O'Leary, and Alison Hammond went on stage to collect the award, but it was Alison who ended up with the microphone.
The Presenter Battle
Phillip Schofield, who resigned from the show after admitting to an affair with a young runner, is also excluded from the shortlist. Instead, Alison Hammond will compete with Bradley Walsh, Claudia Winkleman, Martin Lewis, and the popular duo Ant and Dec, who have won the award 21 times.
Holly's Disappointment
A TV source expressed their thoughts on Holly's exclusion, stating, "It's hard to see a time when Ant and Dec don't scoop the presenter gong at the NTAs. But behind them, the shortlist has become a battleground all of its own. Holly was last nominated in 2021, but she and Phil missed out in 2022. Holly would never expect to beat Ant and Dec, but everyone had hoped her loyalty to This Morning and resilience would pay off with a nod this year. After all, she hasn't done anything wrong. It'll be a huge blow for her that Alison is the golden girl that's emerged glowing from the wreckage of This Morning."
