TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has candidly revealed the reason behind her absence from this year’s National Television Awards, citing a lack of self-assurance as the cause. Despite being a regular attendee at the esteemed event, the 64-year-old television personality shared her feelings on her self-titled ITV show, indicating her decision to skip this year’s ceremony, held on the same evening. During a heart-to-heart with guest Holly Matthews, Kelly confessed, “I’m not feeling confident.” She expressed her discomfort with the glitzy red carpet affair, admitting, “Look, it’s the NTAs and normally I would be going to that. But I just feel, I don’t know what it is, but I just don’t feel confident enough to go. I just don’t like the red carpet thing, which I find really scary!”
As Holly offered advice to boost Lorraine’s morale, a conversation with NTA host Joel Dommett via video link hinted at her absence from the event. Dommett shared his excitement for the awards, stating, “I feel like this year we’ve really stepped it up a notch. It feels like the best show certainly since I’ve been doing it and we’ve got a very exciting opening,” as reported by the Mirror. He attempted to entice Lorraine by mentioning, “Olly Murs is performing. Everyone is here!” Despite her enthusiasm for watching the event, Lorraine confirmed she would not physically attend the gala evening, conveying her excitement to Dommett, “Cannot wait and you’re the perfect host. Thank you so so much for joining us and I’ll watch tonight and I can’t wait. Thanks so much!”
Viewers at home seemed to share Lorraine’s reservations about the National Television Awards. Some viewer comments suggested that they were not particularly enthusiastic about the event, echoing Kelly’s sentiments regarding attendance. One viewer remarked, “That description Joel gave is exactly why I never watch the NTAs.” Another added, “NTAs aka celebs giving themselves a slap on the back,” with a further comment stating, “It’s clear we’re going to be beaten over the head with the NTAs all morning long.”
In a departure from previous years, Lorraine found herself without a nomination for this year’s awards. Her absence extended to not making the shortlist for the best TV presenter category, with her popular ITV show also missing out on nominations in the daytime or factual entertainment categories.