The NTAs 2023 airs on ITV tonight, which means it is nearly a year since the infamous final appearance of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby at the awards show.
Last year’s National Television Awards included the bizarre moment that Phil and Holly were reportedly ‘booed’ as they picked up the Best Daytime gong.
They appeared onstage with other stars from This Morning following the announcement their show had won.
‘Boos at the NTAs for Phillip and Holly’
An emotional Phillip tightened his smile as the winners were confirmed, turning towards then co-host Holly for a hug before they rose from their seats.
But as This Morning regulars and show execs stood up to cheer and clap the win, viewers expressed on social media how they reckoned they could hear the result being rubbished during the broadcast.
“Oooooh! I heard boos in that crowd for Holly and Phil! #NTAs,” one Twitter user claimed at the time.
Additionally, a source in the audience reportedly told The Sun: “The boos in the room were very loud when Holly and Phil were announced as the winners. It was really embarrassing.”
It was really embarrassing.
Expert Judi James went on to assess Phillip and Holly’s body language: “The cameras were on Holly and Phil for very obvious reasons as the winner was announced. Phil’s mouth pulled down at the corners as he fell into the kind of tears and facial cut-offs that said ‘they still love me’.
“He and Holly hugged to put paid to rumours of rifts and even told the audience they were friends in a way that was reminiscent of the ‘best friends’ ritual we saw previously with Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.”
Loose Women stars’ reactions
Viewers also noted a moment when the cameras cut to Loose Women stars as the award’s winners were confirmed.
This Morning had been up against Loose Women, The Chase and The Repair Shop in the same category.
But the Loose Women panelists, who were sitting together, did not look overjoyed for the success of their fellow ITV production.
Host Kaye Adams appeared to be slow-clapping the announcement.
Furthermore, Linda Robson and Judi Love were singled out for apparently failing to applaud when they were in shot.
“The Loose Women girls’ faces said it all,” one Twitter user reacted at the time.
A few days later, Birds of a Feather actress Linda insisted to The Sun she bore no ill will to Holly and Phil. Instead, she claimed she was more focused on her own show at that particular moment.
“It wasn’t that we didn’t clap, we were just going ‘oh no, not again, we haven’t won this year’. It wasn’t deliberately not clapping them, we were just sad for us,” Linda said.
She also suggested she may have heard boos herself as she noted she felt “sorry” Holly and Phil.
Why were Phillip and Holly ‘booed’ at the NTAs?
The NTAs win for This Morning came a few weeks following the death of the Queen – and the seemingly never-ending ‘queuegate’ saga.
Philip and Holly were accused of ‘skipping’ the queue as the late monarch was lying in state at Westminster Hall.
Outrage snowballed to the extent a petition was launched calling on them to be sacked from their presenting jobs.
However, when asked whether he felt the NTA ‘vindicated’ the reaction, Phillip told a journalist: “We are so grateful for our amazing viewers! We love them.”
And when collecting the award, Phillip had said: “Please don’t think we ever get complacent. And please don’t think we ever take this for granted. This means so much to us every year, especially this year. We have the most amazing team. I have the best friend, we have the best boss.”
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Holly added: “Thank you so much. This award means everything because it is voted by you. And I think This Morning has a very special relationship with you. You make our show for us, you really do.”
Phillip, 61, resigned from ITV in May after fronting This Morning for over 20 years. His departure came after his admission to an affair with a younger man.
Holly, 42, returned to the show yesterday (September 4) after a summer break from the programme lasting nearly two months.
Read more: Downcast Phillip Schofield breaks cover as Holly makes This Morning return: ‘Everything is very raw’
The National Television Awards 2023 are on ITV tonight, Tuesday September 5, from 8pm.
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