I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here stars Stacey Solomon and Shaun Ryder kicked off last night’s UK National Television Awards with an unlikely duet.
The reality stars performed a medley of I’m Feeling Good and Step On then left the stage to Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones to announce the first winner, ITV1’s Benidorm, which carried off the award for Most Popular Comedy Programme.
Accepting the award, Steve Pemberton said: “They’ll be dancing in the streets of Benidorm tonight.”
Luis Urzua, one of the miners saved from the pit disaster in Chile, was greeted with a standing ovation as he came on stage to present the award for Most Popular Drama.
The winner, school-drama Waterloo Road, saw off competition from much-fancied Sherlock and Doctor Who.
Its cast and crew, including Amanda Burton, came on stage to accept the award.
Zen star Rufus Sewell handed out the Digital Choice award to the cast of teen comedy The Inbetweeners.
Blake Harrison, who plays Neil in the show, said: “This is a very, very special award to all of us because you the public have voted for it.”
Speaking backstage after picking up the award for Most Popular Comedy Programme, Benidorm’s Steve Pemberton said the show had “absolutely got legs”, and teased viewers about what to expect from the new series.
He said: “We have Cilla Black, we have Bananarama, we’ve already had Louie Spence. We have Melvyn Hayes, and Danyl Johnson from 2009’s X Factor.
“Cilla was a great sport and is sending herself up in the show. She’s in the first episode of the new series.
Meanwhile, Ms Solomon and Mr Ryder admitted they had both felt nervous before performing together on the show.
Mr Ryder said: “I get terrified, especially when there are 10 million people watching it.”
Although Ms Solomon said she was not aware of any plans for the pair to release a single together, she added: “I love him, so it could be discussed.”
After picking up the award for Most Popular Newcomer, Ricky Norwood, who plays Fatboy in popular soap EastEnders, said he was “so happy” to have won, and dedicated it to his grandmother.
“(The award) is going on the mantelpiece with a picture of my nan, who always loved EastEnders,” he said.
“My nan was a very wise woman as well as a very straight forward woman. She always supported me.
“She was the first to get me into performing. She started me breaking dancing when I was three.”
EastEnders star Lacey Turner won the Outstanding Serial Drama Performance for her role as Stacey Slater.
The actress, whose character left the soap in dramatic style at Christmas, thanked everyone connected with the show.
She said: “In the six years I was there I learned so much from you all.”
Geordie duo Ant and Dec picked up the Most Popular Entertainment Presenter award – a category they have dominated having won it for 10 years in a row.
The pair, filming Britain’s Got Talent in Cardiff, nominated Simon Cowell to accept the award on their behalf.
Mr Cowell said it was “well deserved” but jokingly admitted the pair’s success was getting “annoying”.