‘EastEnders’ and Sheridan Smith were the big winners at the National Television Awards tonight (21.01.15).
The BBC One soap was named best Serial Drama, while its stars Danny Dyer and Maddy Hill also picked up top awards at the glitzy event in London’s O2 Arena.
Danny won the Serial Drama Performance trophy, but still believes his success has come as a surprise to a lot of people.
The 37-year-old actor, who plays Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter, told BANG Showbiz: "I think a lot of people wanted to see me fail, they didn’t think I would last five minutes.
"To play a character that people actually give a f**k about every day is a difficult thing but I love it, I love it."
His co-star Maddy Hill – who plays his on-screen daughter Nancy Carter – won the Newcomer award and admits the show has changed her life "drastically."
But she added: "I don’t see any downside to fame because it ends when I leave work … Especially if I wear my hair down and a hat. No one knows it’s me."
Sheridan Smith won the best Drama Performance for her portrayal of Cilla Black in the three-part series ‘Cilla,’ but the 33-year-old beauty was forced to collect her prize late after getting stuck in traffic.
She later explained: "I was crying in the back of the cab … My mum’s livid apparently, she wanted to be on screen when I went up to get the award!"
‘Downton Abbey’ was named best Drama, while other big winners included ‘Broadchurch’ actor David Tennant, ‘The Great British Bake Off’ and ‘The X Factor’.
Ant and Dec received their fourteenth consecutive award for top Entertainment Presenter and their show ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ was also named best Entertainment Programme.
Dermot O’Leary hosted the National Television Awards and the winners were chosen by the public in a nationwide poll.
The full list of winners of the National Television Awards 2015 is as follows:
Talent Show:
‘The X Factor’
Comedy:
‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’
Drama Performance:
Sheridan Smith – ‘Cilla’
Factual Entertainment:
‘Googlebox’
‘The Great British Bake Off’
Daytime:
‘This Morning’
Newcomer:
Maddy Hill – ‘EastEnders’
Serial Best Drama Performance:
Danny Dyer – ‘EastEnders’
Documentary Series:
Entertainment Programme:
‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’
Entertainment Presenter:
Ant & Dec
Skills Challenge Show
‘The Great British Bake Off’
TV Judge
David Walliams ‘Britain’s Got Talent’
Multichannel
‘Celebrity Juice’
Chat Show Host
Alan Carr
Special Recognition Award
David Tennant
Drama
‘Downton Abbey’
Serial Drama
‘EastEnders’
Landmark Award
Comic Relief
‘EastEnders’ wins big at National Television Awards
