Piers Morgan has sent a cheeky congratulations to Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly after they won their 20th consecutive Best Presenter award at the National Television Awards on Thursday.
The former Good Morning Britain host, 59, who was nominated in the same category, made no bones about the fact he was hoping to beat the presenting duo.
Taking to Twitter after Ant and Dec’s win, Piers hinted he felt he deserved to win as he alluded to how he held the government to account on Good Morning Britain during the pandemic.
Jibe: Piers Morgan has sent a cheeky congratulations to Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly after they won their 20th consecutive Best Presenter award at the National Television Awards on Thursday (pictured in September 2021)
He wrote: ‘Wow! What a shock! Congrats to Ant & Dec. Thoroughly deserved 20th consecutive win – the way they held those jungle contestants to account during the pandemic was absolutely brilliant.’
Piers then shared the now infamous clip of himself storming out of the Good Morning Britain studio during a disagreement with Alex Beresford over his opinion on Meghan Markle.
Alongside the clip, he wrote: ‘Just as well I’m not there #ntas’.
Also nominated in the Best Presenter category were Holly Willoughby, Alison Hammond and Bradley Walsh.
Winners: The former Good Morning Britain host, 59, who was nominated in the same category, made no bones about the fact he was hoping to beat the presenting duo
Honest: Piers hinted he felt he deserved to win as he alluded to how he held the government to account on Good Morning Britain during the pandemic
Not happy: Piers then shared the now infamous clip of himself storming out of the Good Morning Britain studio during a disagreement with Alex Beresford over his opinion on Meghan Markle
It comes after Piers admitted he didn’t want Ant and Dec to win the award and joked they would would ‘need medical attention’ if he beat them.
Speaking to The Mirror, Piers said: ‘I deserve to win because everyone’s sick and tired of Ant and Dec automatically winning this award, which bears no relation to reality.
‘I think it’s time the procession came to a shuddering halt and the Morgan bandwagon was rewarded with glory.
‘We can’t have those two little vain-glorious Geordies standing there for the 20th consecutive year. Ant got one one year when he hadn’t even worked. It’s ridiculous.
Candid: It comes after Piers admitted he didn’t want Ant and Dec to win the award and joked they would would ‘need medical attention’ if he beat them
The broadcaster left his co-hosting role on Good Morning Britain back in March after he said he did not believe some of Meghan Markle’s claims in her much publicised interview with Oprah Winfrey.’
Piers was cleared by the media watchdog Ofcom of any wrongdoing after he questioned Meghan’s claims over her mental health following her interview.
The TV star believes Good Morning Britain did some of the best public service broadcast journalism this year, saying no other broadcasters held the government to account as ‘ferociously’ as they did.
Piers said: ‘I deserve to win because everyone’s sick and tired of Ant and Dec automatically winning this award, which bears no relation to reality’
The great and the good of British television gathered at London’s 02 Arena for the star-studded awards show, which also saw Kate Garraway choke back tears as her Finding Derek documentary bagged the inaugural authored documentary award.
Meanwhile, This Morning triumphed once again in the Best Daytime category as they led the other big winners on the night including Line Of Duty, Gogglebox and It’s A Sin.
Line Of Duty bagged their first NTA during the night, scooping the award for best returning drama.
The drama pipped The Crown, Call The Midwife and Unforgotten to the post, with the cast and crew looking elated as they made their way to the stage.
Achievement: Kate Garraway choked back tears as her Finding Derek documentary bagged the inaugural authored documentary award
Congrats: Meanwhile, Line Of Duty bagged their first NTA during the night, scooping the award for best returning drama
Ricky Gervais accepted the award for his Netflix show After Life, which won the Comedy prize on the night.
‘I’m really surprised by this – I thought it’s not my demographic this show. It’s lovely thank you,’ he said afterwards. ‘This made the two hour car journey here worth it! The cast are great but I take all the credit!’
Other big winners on the night included Strictly Come Dancing, who were awarded the prize for Best Talent Show.
The Great British Bake Off also won in the Challenge Show category, with show stars Peter Sawkins and Laura Adlington taking to the stage.
Award winner: Ricky Gervais accepted the award for his Netflix show After Life, which won the Comedy prize on the night
Stellar work: While Coronation Street’s Mollie Gallagher was overwhelmed as she won the best Serial Drama Performance for playing Nina Lucas in the ITV soap
Meanwhile, David Tennant, scooped the best Drama Performance prize for his portrayal of Dennis Nilsen in drama Des.
While Coronation Street’s Mollie Gallagher was overwhelmed as she won the best Serial Drama Performance for playing Nina Lucas in the ITV soap.
There were extra celebrations for Corrie as the soap bagged the coveted Serial Drama award, warding off rivals EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks.
Beat The Chasers also emerged victorious, beating off competition from Celebrity Catchphrase, In For A Penny and Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel in the Quiz Show category.
NATIONAL TELEVISION AWARDS 2021: THE WINNERS
Challenge Show
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Love Island
WINNER: The Great British Bake Off
The Great British Sewing Bee
New Drama
Bridgerton
Des
WINNER: It’s A Sin
Normal People
Talent Show
Britain’s Got Talent
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK
WINNER: Strictly Come Dancing
The Masked Singer
Tasty! Bake Off won the Challenge Show prize
Authored Documentary
WINNER: Kate Garraway: Finding Derek
Katie Price: Harvey and Me
Marcus Rashford: Feeding Britain’s Children
Rob Burrow: My Year With MND
Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency
Touching: The Authored Documentary winner was Kate Garraway: Finding Derek
Returning Drama
Call the Midwife
WINNER: Line of Duty
The Crown
Unforgotten
TV Presenter
Alison Hammond
WINNER: Ant and Dec
Bradley Walsh
Holly Willoughby
Piers Morgan
Factual
Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death
WINNER: Gogglebox
Gordon, Gino and Fred: American Road Trip
Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs
Drama Performance
Adrian Dunbar, Ted Hastings, Line of Duty
WINNER: David Tennant, Dennis Nilsen, Des
Martin Compston, Steve Arnott, Line of Duty
Olly Alexander, Ritchie Tozer, It’s A Sin
Vicky McClure, Kate Fleming, Line of Duty
The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award
Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
WINNER: I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Taskmaster
The Graham Norton Show
You lose some, you win some! Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway was up for a prize, but the duo’s other show, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! scooped the gong
Serial Drama
WINNER: Coronation Street
EastEnders
Emmerdale
Hollyoaks
Serial Drama Performance
Billy Price, Sid Sumner, Hollyoaks
Danny Dyer, Mick Carter, EastEnders
WINNER: Mollie Gallagher, Nina Lucas, Coronation Street
Sally Carman, Abi Franklin, Coronation Street
Quiz Game Show
WINNER: Beat The Chasers
Celebrity Catchphrase
In For A Penny
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel
Newcomer
Emile John, Ethan Anderson, Emmerdale
WINNER: Jude Riordan, Sam Blakeman, Coronation Street
Olivia D’Lima, Paramedic Fenisha Khatri, Casualty
Rhiannon Clements, Summer Ranger, Hollyoaks
Rose Ayling-Ellis, Frankie Lewis, EastEnders
Winner! Mollie Gallagher, who plays Nina Lucas in Coronation Street, bagged herself a gong
Daytime
Loose Women
The Chase
The Repair Shop
WINNER: This Morning
Comedy
WINNER: After Life
Friday Night Dinner
Sex Education
The Vicar of Dibley