National Television Awards 2025: The Shows That Really Have the UK Talking

The National Television Awards 2025 returned to London’s O2 Arena with one clear message: British TV is still appointment viewing when the audience is the one holding the ballot. Every trophy was decided by public vote, turning the ceremony into a live snapshot of what the UK is really watching, arguing about, and comforting itself with right now.

From record-breaking presenters to comfort-watch daytime shows, the National Television Awards 2025 winners list doubled as a ready-made watchlist for the months ahead.

National Television Awards 2025 winners: the headline moments

The biggest shock of the night came when Gary Lineker ended Ant & Dec’s 23-year reign to win Best Presenter, a genuine “did that just happen?” moment in the room. His win – after a turbulent period of headlines and debate around his broadcasting career – felt like a public show of support as much as a TV prize.

Other key National Television Awards 2025 winners included:

• Best Reality Competition: I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

• Best Talent Show: Strictly Come Dancing

• Best Comedy: Gavin & Stacey

• Daytime: This Morning

• Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award: Michael McIntyre’s Big Show

The BBC walked away with the largest haul of trophies on the night, with ITV and streamers like Netflix and Prime Video also represented across the categories.

Comfort dramas & daytime rituals: what the UK watches to unwind

If you’re looking for pure comfort viewing, start with the shows that keep people company every evening and weekend:

• This Morning winning in the daytime category shows that, despite presenter changes and scrutiny, viewers still turn to a familiar magazine format for chat, lifestyle and background company while they work or get ready for the day.

• Strictly Come Dancing, crowned Best Talent Show, remains the nation’s feel-good ritual – glitter, live music and real jeopardy, all built around seeing non-dancers push themselves on Saturday nights.

For Niche readers, these winners speak to a UK TV mood that values routine, nostalgia and live shared moments as an antidote to doom-scrolling.

Reality obsessions: live drama, memes and group chats

In the reality lane, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! once again proved unstoppable, winning its category and confirming that the mix of jungle trials, celebrity confessionals and nightly cliff-hangers is still irresistible.

This kind of reality TV does more than fill a slot on ITV – it fuels group chats, memes and office debates for weeks. If you somehow missed the latest series, it’s worth catching up just to understand half the jokes on British Twitter and TikTok.

Comedy & nostalgia: why Gavin & Stacey still hits

The Best Comedy win for Gavin & Stacey underlined how powerful nostalgia remains in UK viewing habits.The series has long been a comfort rewatch – small-town romance, family chaos and quotable one-liners – and its continued awards success shows how streaming has given “older” shows a second life with Gen Z audiences as well.

If you want something that feels warm, British to its core and easy to binge in short bursts, Gavin & Stacey is the perfect starting point.

Entertainment as event TV: Michael McIntyre & the live-audience comeback

The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award for Michael McIntyre’s Big Show reflects a renewed appetite for big, live-audience studio formats.Hidden camera pranks, musical set-pieces and high-energy stand-up feel almost retro in an age of streaming, but that’s exactly why they stand out – they’re shows you watch in real time, ideally with family or friends.

For London-based readers, they also point to a broader trend: audiences heading back into large venues for the kind of shared laughter that doesn’t translate the same way on a laptop.

Fashion moments on the NTA red carpet

Even though the NTAs are a public-vote TV awards, the red carpet has quietly become a style barometer:

• Presenters leaned into slick tuxedos, sharp suiting and deep jewel-tone dresses – red, emerald and midnight blue photographed especially well under the O2 lights.

• Stars of reality and entertainment shows brought more playful looks: cut-out gowns, metallic fabrics and plenty of sequins, mirroring the high-glamour styling seen on British talent at the BRITs and BAFTAs earlier in the year.

For Niche readers, it’s a reminder that UK TV awards now double as mini fashion weeks: great for spotting new stylists, home-grown designers and jewellery brands before they hit wider red carpets.