The National Television Awards 2026 kicked off with Michael McIntyre's Big Show taking home the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award, and ITV viewers have been quick to share their reactions online.
The ceremony is being held at the O2 Arena in London tonight (Tuesday, September 8), with Joel Dommett hosting as trophies are handed out across categories including reality, drama, quiz show and documentaries. Winners are decided by viewers across the nation.
Among the headline-grabbing programmes competing for honours this year are I'm a Celebrity, The Celebrity Traitors, Heated Rivalry, Amandaland and The Other Bennet Sister. David Attenborough also receives a double nomination in the year he celebrated his 100th birthday.
Opening performance and first award
The ceremony got under way with Jeremy Clarkson introducing his Britain's Got Talent-winning Hawkstone Farmers Choir, who delivered a rousing rendition of Elbow's beloved anthem One Day Like This.
The evening then moved swiftly into the awards themselves, beginning with the prestigious Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award. Despite stiff competition from prime-time favourites including The Masked Singer and The Graham Norton Show, it was Michael McIntyre's Big Show that ultimately triumphed.
Viewer reactions on social media
Viewers flocked to social media to share their reactions, reports the Daily Star. While many felt it was a well-deserved win, others felt Graham Norton should have taken the trophy home and have even demanded the category is changed for next year and merged with reality shows.
One wrote: "Congratulations to Micheal (sic) McIntyre's big show." A second posted: "So glad Big Show won Best Entertainment Show. Very well deserved. The most entertaining show now Saturday Night Takeaway is not on."
A third shared: "And the winner of the Bruce Forsyth entertainment show is Michael McIntyre s big show (four clapping emojis)." While another added: "I voted for Michael McIntyre's Big Show. 1 out of 1 so far."
A fifth viewer wrote: "Fully deserved Michael Mcintyre!" And: "Yess happy to see Michael McIntyre show get that NTA."
However, another posted: "My winner for Entertainment Award is...The Graham Norton Show." One complained: "Graham Norton always gets stitched up." And a fan added: "Big Show only won this because Ant and Dec put Takeaway on hiatus and I'm a Celeb is in Reality. Merge this category with Reality next year."
Last year's upset
Last year's ceremony produced one of the biggest upsets in NTA history when Ant and Dec's remarkable winning streak was finally broken. Having claimed the Best Presenter award 23 consecutive times, the I'm A Celebrity and Britain's Got Talent hosts were pipped by former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker.
The veteran broadcaster, who can currently be seen fronting ITV's new game show The Box, was crowned best TV presenter just months after departing the iconic football programme following a 26-year tenure. It was also his final appearance for the BBC following the most recent in a series of controversies surrounding his social media activity, which prompted him to announce his departure from the broadcaster.
Upon receiving the award, he expressed gratitude to all his colleagues and stated the accolade "demonstrates that it is OK to use your platform to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice". He added: "It's not lost on me why I might have won this award."
The last recipient of the entertainment award before Ant and Dec's dominant streak was Michael Barrymore in 2000. The National Television Awards 2026 is available to watch on ITVX.
