Gary Lineker and teenage star of Adolescence among NTA winners

Former Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker and Adolescence star Owen Cooper were among the winners at this year’s National Television Awards (NTAs).

Lineker, 64, was shortlisted for the award just months after his early exit from the BBC show in May, following a row after he shared a post about Zionism which featured a depiction of a rat – historically an antisemitic insult.

The former footballer broke the 23-year winning streak of Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly and also beat off competition from The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman, This Morning’s Alison Hammond and reality TV star Stacey Solomon.

Collecting the award, he said: “I think it demonstrates that perhaps it’s OK sometimes for us to use our platform to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice.”

Lineker also said that Ant and Dec are “brilliant”, and added that “it’s an honour to follow in their footsteps” when he was questioned at the winner’s press conference.

He said: “I’m doing great. I’m enjoying having weekends off for the first time in my adult life, which has been great fun.

“I’m still watching loads of football, still doing the same sort of things, and I’ve got a new show coming up for ITV, which I start filming next week – The Box, which goes out, I think, probably next year.”

Asked if the award proves he has not been cancelled, he said: “I don’t think anyone seriously thought that I was cancelled at any point.

“It was obviously just a mistake and oversight. And I think everyone saw it for that.

“So I was never in the slightest bit concerned for that.”

Lineker had headed up Match Of The Day since 1999, when he took over from Des Lynam.

Newcomer Cooper, who made his TV debut playing 13-year-old Jamie Miller in four-part drama Adolescence, was unable to collect his award in person.

The teenager had been nominated in the drama performance category alongside his on-screen father, Stephen Graham.

In a video, he said: “Never could I have believed that this show, Adolescence, would change my life in the way that it has.”

The TV series, which sees Cooper’s character stand accused of murder, also took home the new drama award.

The show provoked a strong response from viewers and prompted a national conversation around misogyny and online safety, with co-creator Jack Thorne joining the Prime Minister for a discussion on the matter at the end of March.

Elsewhere, comedian Michael McIntyre said he would like to win three NTAs following an early victory at the ceremony on Wednesday.

After he collected the Bruce Forsyth entertainment gong for Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, he said: “I would like to win three National Television Awards, actually, tonight.

“I doubt that’s going to happen, but we are nominated for another two awards, so that’s good. That would be a start, but I doubt that’s going to happen.”

McIntyre was also nominated in the quiz game show category for Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel but lost out to The 1% Club, hosted by Lee Mack.

The comedian was also nominated for Michael McIntyre’s 25th Year Stand-Up Special in the comedy category, which lost out to sitcom Gavin And Stacey: The Finale, which brought the popular BBC series to an end on Christmas Day.

Ruth Jones, who co-wrote and co-starred in the sitcom alongside James Corden, told the audience: “Alright, calm down. I’m going to the bar now for a pint of wine.”

In the winner’s press conference, she paid tribute to her co-star and co-creator Corden, who was unable to attend the event.

Jeremy Clarkson said he was “genuinely thrilled” as Clarkson’s Farm won best factual entertainment show at the ceremony.

Speaking in the winner’s room, he said: “I’d like to think that this is for farming because it demonstrates that people who watch the show go, ‘bloody hell farming’s difficult’, and have voted for this show.”

Former Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague said Tommy Fury was watching her win from home after she picked up the authored documentary award for her Prime Video series, Molly Mae: Behind It All.

Elsewhere, Call The Midwife was named best returning drama and EastEnders actor Steve McFadden won the award for serial drama performance.

Strictly Come Dancing won the talent show prize, after a year filled with controversies, and serial drama went to long-running British soap opera, EastEnders.

Another award went to I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! for best reality competition, with This Morning picking up best daytime show.

Wallace And Gromit creator Nick Park said the reaction was “incredible” after he collected the special recognition gong, which went to the stop motion duo who were stars of the 2024 film, Vengeance Most Fowl, which picked up two Baftas earlier this year.

The London ceremony, held at the O2 and hosted by comedian, Joel Dommett, saw appearances from a number of stars including The Inheritance host Elizabeth Hurley and US country star Billy Ray Cyrus, whom she has been romantically linked to.