Ant & Dec win best presenters for 21st year in a row

Britain's favourite duo Ant and Dec have succeeded in winning their 21st National Television Award for being Britain's best presenters.

Tonight (13 October), the 27th annual NTAs offered the pair the chance to make their streak officially old enough to drink in America.

Best TV Presenter goes to
Ant & Dec! This is their second award of the night#NTAs

— ali condon (@AliCondon) October 13, 2022

Stephen Mulhern took to the stage to accept the award on Ant and Dec's behalf as the pair haven't been able to attend tonight's event, which is taking place at OVO Arena Wembley in London, after announcing yesterday that they had both contracted Covid. Trust the longtime best friends to even do that together.

Sadly, it’s true… We even get ill together! After feeling unwell a few days ago we both tested and we’re positive for Covid😷🦠 We’re resting up at home and are so sorry we can’t be at #NTAs2022 😩 Best of luck everyone 🙌 and get well soon to anyone else in the same boat x pic.twitter.com/75wEByDwSh

— antanddec (@antanddec) October 12, 2022

In a post announcing their absence from the awards, Ant and Dec wrote: "Sadly, it’s true… We even get ill together! After feeling unwell a few days ago we both tested and we’re positive for Covid. We’re resting up at home and are so sorry we can’t be at #NTAs2022. Best of luck everyone and get well soon to anyone else in the same boat x"

The pair were up for best TV presenter tonight alongside This Morning's Alison Hammond, The Chase host Bradley Walsh and chat show presenter Graham Norton.

As well as being nominated for their presenting, Ant and Dec were given the chance to scoop up awards in the entertainment show category for both Saturday Night Takeaway and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, as well as best talent show for Britain's Got Talent.

Ant reflected on the very first year he and Dec won an NTA during the pair's acceptance speech last year, when he explained: "We were talking in the car on the way here and the first year we won an NTA, Tony Blair was the prime minister and Newcastle United qualified for the Champions League. It just goes to show how long ago it was."

“But do you know what? This one means the most," he continued, "20 years. This is really, really special. You have no idea how special this is.”

The result of tonight's ceremony comes after ITV confirmed that I'm A Celebrity would be returning to Australia when it makes a comeback this autumn, following two years in Wales' Gwrych Castle. 

The broadcaster confirmed Ant and Dec would be back to 'present all the big stories live every night', and promised that the celebs would be leaving 'their plush pads and luxuries far behind as they spend up to three weeks taking on the Australian jungle with a whole host of surprises created just for them'.