NTAs 2019: Ant and Dec in emotional win while Danny Dyer pays tribute to Harold Pinter
Presenting pair Ant and Dec have won big at the National Television Awards for the 18th time in a row, despite one half of the duo taking a break from TV.
Also among the winners were Eastenders star Danny Dyer, who thanked Harold Pinter for believing in him as a young actor, and Richard Madden, for his performance in the Bodyguard.
Ant McPartlin announced he was taking a step back from small screen duties in August 2018, to engage in treatment for alcohol dependence.
Moved by the award, McPartlin said he did not feel right accepting it, but paid tribute to the dedication of his "best mate" Donnelly, as the duo from Newcastle embraced on stage.
He missed out on accompanying Declan Donnelly to Australia to film I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! with Holly Willoughby standing in.
But Ant and Dec claimed the Best TV Presenter award at the 2019 NTAs, with McPartlin beating his I'm A Celebrity replacement to claim the honour.
The pair also saw off competition from Bradley Walsh, Graham Norton and Phillip Schofield.
Their success came as awards presenter Dermot O'Leary said: "If they win it, having not been on television, we may as well just chuck in the towel."
An emotional McPartlin said: "This is a genuine shock, especially this year. We want to say thank you to everybody. I really don't think that I can accept this award this year.
"The one reason we won the award this year is this guy - his hard work, his wit, his dedication. Best mate in the world. I love this guy."
The pair received a standing ovation from the crowd as they claimed their 18th consecutive Best Presenter award, and were visibly moved by being named winners at the 2019 awards.
McPartlin struggled to offer his thanks to everyone who had supported them, and those who had voted for them in a difficult year.
Donnelly shared a joke at the expense of host Dermot O'Leary, who said that other talents should give up if Ant and Dec were victorious this year.
Donnelly said: "I've got him back now, and now we're back together.
"Special thank you to Dermot who said he was going to chuck in the towel if we won this year."
Accepting their dominance of the award, O'Leary said: "We chucked in the towel in 2005."
On the Ant and Dec Twitter account, the pair wrote: "Thank you doesn't seem to cover it this year. We are humbled and honoured. We are so appreciative of your continued support and good wishes, they are never taken for granted."
Although Willoughby lost out to the presenter she replaced in the I'm A Celebrity jungle, she did enjoy success with the This Morning team, which claimed Best Daytime show.
Piers Morgan was left looking glum for the cameras as the winner was read out, ahead of Good Morning Britain.
Dyer, whose new show Danny Dyer’s Right Royal Family is set to start this week, won the Best Serial Drama Performance for his role as Mick Carter in EastEnders at the National Television Awards in London.
An emotional Dyer gave a passionate speech about dreams, poverty, and the influence of Pinter on his career.
He said: "I just want to say to all you young kids living out there in poverty, who says they don't have the right to dream?
"Do not let where you come from dictate, define, what you can do in life.
"I want to dedicate this award to Harold Pinter, a man I love very much, and I miss him. He believed in me when no-one else did.
A moved Dyer said he was "getting f******* emotional up here", prompting O'Leary to sheepishly apologise to viewers for the bad language.
He offered two pieces of advice as he left the stage, saying: "Curb your ego and nourish your soul."
Dyer has recently starred in a series of Pinter short works in London.
David Dimbleby won the Special Recognition award, and made a similarly emotional speech, calling for the BBC to be preserved as a national institution.
Bodyguard claimed two awards, for Best New Drama, and the Best Drama Performance award went to Madden.
Danny DeVito presented the latter award, and was booed for appearing to support Arsenal.