Joel Dommett fears there could be two major upsets at this year’s NTAs and teases huge opening to the show
Strictly Come Dancing will be hoping viewers have overlooked its summer of scandal to honour it with a National Television Award tonight.
It’s a situation ITV’s This Morning knows only too well after it last year missed out on the Daytime gong for the first time in 13 years following the Phillip Schofield saga.
But awards host Joel Dommett reckons viewers were on the money — because they need to be able to trust TV stars.
He told me: “People want to know what we are projecting on telly is real and genuine.
“When someone’s at home watching This Morning, Strictly, whatever, they want to know that this character that they love on telly is the same person in the dressing room or in their house.
“And so when scandal rocks our industry in such a way, I think people start to mistrust.
“However, shows like Strictly are so big and so it takes a lot to rock these things sometimes.
“So we’ll see what the NTAs bring.”
Strictly bosses were relieved to make the shortlist of the Talent Show category alongside the likes of The Voice and MasterChef.
Anton Du Beke — a dancer turned judge on the BBC One juggernaut — also listed in the Expert slot.
Tonight Joel will preside over the annual bash honouring the great and good of telly at London’s O2.
And he fears there might not just be an upset for the BBC dance show.
Joel said: “The Traitors is now so huge, with that and Strictly, if anyone was going to give Ant and Dec a run for their money, I think it would be Claudia Winkleman.”
The Geordie duo have won the TV presenter gong for 22 years in a row.
Either way, Joel has pushed the boat out for this third stint as host and teased a huge opening number.
Joel said: “It felt like we needed to do something a little bit different so I decided to go for it.
“It’s tapping into a totally different skill set but I didn’t realise how much effort this idea is.
“I like to just scare myself every now and again – I won’t say too much about it, but it’s something that you wouldn’t expect from me and there is real potential for it to go wrong and not much potential for it to go right.”
However, shows like Strictly are so big and so it takes a lot to rock these things sometimes. So we’ll see what the NTAs bring.
So wrong the clip might end up on bloopers shows forever more?
Joel laughed: “Yes! I love that because every time you’re on them, you get 250 quid, and I’ll happily take it.
“I’m just trying to make things go wrong constantly on telly shows, that’s going to be my pension.”
Elsewhere on the show, which begins on ITV1 at 8pm, Olly Murs will spin through some of his biggest hits.
The two are pals of old.
Joel said: “Olly is just what a wonderful human being and a consummate pro.
“It’s been 15 years since he was first on The X Factor so Olly feels like a really perfect guest to have at the NTAs. And it genuinely feels like that this year, I think, is the best NTAs that I’ve done.”
The dad-of-one is even planning a backstage bash.
He added: “Maybe afterwards I’ll have a couple of beers, a couple of champagnes.
“You know, we’ve got childcare this evening. So me and [wife] Hannah, we’re going for it.
“I’m usually a party pooper and I’m happy to go home but I’m also very tight and I’ve paid for childcare!”
I’ll cheers to that, Joel.