Alan Carr has revealed that his friend Amanda Holden did not speak to him for a week to keep his National Television Awards (NTAs) surprise from him. The former Chatty Man star, 50, was honoured with the Special Recognition Award at Tuesday's NTAs, celebrating his long career in showbiz.
A Night of Recognition
The tribute began with a performance of I Know Him So Well from the musical Chess, led by Amanda Holden and Paloma Faith. Reflecting on the honour, Carr admitted that while he sometimes feels like a newcomer, that is far from the truth. "Time does fly by. I do sort of see myself as a newcomer but I've been doing it for 20-odd years. The Friday Night Project and Chatty Man just seem like yesterday," he said.
He added: "I could see people I've interviewed, runners who are now producers who are getting NTAs themselves, I just couldn't believe it." Tearing up, he also gave credit to Oliver Savell, who plays the young Alan in his comedy Changing Ends. Savell is Bafta-nominated and is starring in a new Adrian Mole-esque series. "He's just having the best year ever. The world's his oyster, it all came together," Carr said.
Keeping the Secret
Amanda Holden told Alan that it had been hell keeping the special recognition award secret from him. She had avoided ringing him all week and arrived on the red carpet early to avoid running into him. She told him he was the hardest working person she knew and that he deserved every bit of his success. Carr admitted he had no idea, but did wonder why he had such a good seat in the front row.
Celebrity Traitors Tips
Looking ahead to the new series of Celebrity Traitors, Carr, who emerged victorious from his own series, said he had high hopes for comedienne Miranda Hart. "If they make her a traitor she'll be TV gold," he said. He also mentioned that Joanne McNally and Joe Lycett had both asked him for tips, and he had told them: "Just drink lots of rose and sweat - that's what I did and I won."
He named Miranda Hart and Joanne McNally as his top tips for the upcoming series. "If they make Miranda a Traitor it's going to be TV gold," he said. "Joanne is a friend of mine - she's a motormouth! She'll be a whirlwind in there. And the actors will be really good too, like Richard E Grant."
Plugging his new show, he said: "There's something very exciting coming on Disney Plus - I bought a castle. I can't wait for people to see that, I think they'll be really surprised. It's nearly finished." He quipped: "You'll see a different me - butch." Asked what he'd like to do next, he simply said: "Have a rest."
