Mr Bates vs The Post Office leads National Television Award winners

'Mr. Bates vs The Post Office' was the big winner at Thursday's (11.09.24) National Television Awards (NTAs).

The ITV drama - which was based on the British Post Office scandal that saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted for theft or fraud - picked up the New Drama prize at London's The O2, as well as the Impact accolade in recognition of how it generated wider interest in the scandal and political intervention, and the Drama Performance accolade for Toby Jones, who played the titular Alan Bates.

Accepting his prize, Toby said: "This means an awful lot not just to me but the extraordinary people who inspired our show, some of whom are in the audience this evening."

His co-star Monica Dolan spoke on behalf of the cast and crew, as well as the real-life sub-postmasters who joined them on stage when they picked up the New Drama award.

She said: "We were so grateful and proud for the audience response to this drama anyway but to win this award, voted for my the public, is absolutely incredible.

" Thank you to Polly Hill, thank you to the directing and producing and writing team, Patrick Spence, the brilliant Gwyneth Hughes, James Strong, Natasha Bondy, Joe WIlliams, thank you to Chris Clough our producer and I want to say a word for the actors and the supporting artists actually, we were a close knit group, it was a real ensemble and everyone gave their whole heart and soul for their performance.

"Thank you to the crew as well, costume and make-up but I want to finish by saying a very, very big thank you to all the sub-post masters. Their trusting us to tell their story has been the privilege of our lives. Thank you so much."

Elsewhere at the ceremony, which was hosted by Joel Dommett, Davina McCall was handed the Special Recognition award in honour of her lengthy career.

She gave an emotional speech as she thanked her family, partner Michael Douglas, and those she has worked with over the years.

But she also laughed: "I love my job, I feel so privileged to be able to share it with you and you quite like some of it, not all of it. I have presented some turkeys, I know."

'Emmerdale' won the hotly-contested serial drama prize but its star Eden Taylor-Draper lost out to 'Coronation Street's Peter Ash in the Serial Drama Performance category.

Peter - whose character Paul Foreman passed away on screen earlier this week after battling motor neurone disease (MND) - said in his speech: "This is honestly incredible, thank you so much everyone who voted for me. What an amazing way to end my six years on 'Coronation Street'...

"A massive, huge, the biggest thank you ever to the MND association they helped us with this storyline massively, they've been there from day one Please do support them if you can, they do amazing work and one day we need to find a cure...

"I'd like to dedicate this to the MND community, an amazingly inspiring bunch of people, they really are warriors and all my love goes to you."

Ant and Dec took home the Presenter prize for the 23rd year in a row, while their show 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!' bagged the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award.

Other notable winners included Kate Garraway, who took home the Authored Documentary honour for 'Derek's Story', 'Mrs Brown's Boys', which won the Comedy prize, Stacey Solomon, whose 'Sort Your Life Out' won for Factual Entertainment, and 'Strictly Come Dancing', which took the Talent Show win.

National Television Awards 2024 list of winners:

Special Recognition:

Davina McCall

Impact

'Mr. Bates vs the Post Office'

Authored Documentary:

'Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story'

Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award

'I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!'

Comedy:

'Mrs Brown’s Boys'

Daytime:

'The Chase'

Drama Performance:

Toby Jones - 'Mr Bates vs the Post Office'

Expert:

David Attenborough ('Mammals')

Factual Entertainment:

'Sort Your Life Out'

New Drama:

'Mr Bates vs the Post Office'

Quiz Game Show:

'The 1% Club'

Reality Competition:

'The Traitors'

Returning Drama:

'Bridgerton'

Serial Drama:

'Emmerdale'

Serial Drama Performance:

Peter Ash - 'Coronation Street'

Talent Show:

'Strictly Come Dancing'

TV Presenter:

Ant + Dec