National Television Awards 2020: Red carpet in pictures

The 25th National Television Awards brought the biggest names in British telly together on Tuesday evening.

Here's how some of the stars looked as they arrived at the O2 Arena in London to mark the achievements of the small screen over the past 12 months.

Ant and Dec have now won awards 19 years in a row, but new host David Walliams was quick to ensure they remained grounded.

He joked the pair were sitting on the front row, "not because they're important" but "because they've forgotten their booster seats".

Holly Willoughby was up against Ant and Dec, and her This Morning colleague Philip Schofield for best TV presenter. We hope that's not why this picture was taken on her own. Gulp!

Joanna Page - aka Stacey from Gavin and Stacey - told the BBC's Colin Paterson she tuned in for the latest Christmas special, just like the rest of us.

"I had a gin and a chocolate orange and I sat down and I enjoyed it" said Page.

The show, which arrived after a decade-long hiatus, was the UK's most-watched scripted TV programme of the entire 2010s.

Page was joined on the red carpet by her co-stars Larry Lamb and Alison Steadman. Lamb said he thought the show, which "everybody loves", might return again.

"It's just a warm fun show and it was like a family being back together again" Steadman added.

Oh, [as she might say] Nessa and Uncle Bryn were there as well.

Ruth Jones said the 17 million-plus viewing figures were "unfathomable" and she watched it go out live alongside co-writer James Corden.

No spoilers but Rob Brydon thinks the show's cliff-hanger ending, involving the pair, should leave people "wondering what happens".

Love Island stars Curtis Pritchard and Maura Higgins were two of the first to arrive and dressed to impress.

They were up in the brand new category of best challenge show, which was won by The Great British Bake Off.

John Barrowman arrived in a shiny silver suit to match his silver hair.

The Dancing on Ice judge, who this week returned to Doctor Who too, was aiming to beat Strictly in the best talent show category.

The ITV show saw Ian H Watkins and Matt Evers enjoy the first ever in-competition same-sex dance on any UK reality dance TV show, but when asked to talk about it Barrowman dismissed it as "old news".

"They're just like everyone else and that's just how it should be," said Barrowman, who urged other channels to "represent who watches your shows".

Piers Morgan boycotted the awards as the "same people always win".

He said he'd live tweet it from home, but his Good Morning Britain co-presenter Susanna Reid was there to represent in red.

Ultimately Morgan was right as they lost out again to Holly and Phil on This Morning, which won best live magazine show for a 10th straight year.

Ricky Gervais and the cast of After Life lost out to Mrs Brown's Boys in the best comedy category.

"What a bunch of losers," he tweeted afterwards, about his team (or words to that effect).

Little Mix's Jesy Nelson who won best factual programme for her cyber bullying documentary, Odd One Out, and she certainly stood out on arrival.

The only way was the red carpet for The Only Way is Essex star Jessica Wright.

Joe Absolom played the murderer Christopher Halliwell in the ITV drama A Confession, and he was in town.

Joey Essex and Lorena Medina stepped out together and even shared a kiss, as well as the spotlight.

Sum Ting Wong, Scaredy Kat, Blu Hydrangea, Cheryl Hole, Crystal and Gothy Kendoll of RuPaul's Drag Race certainly caught the eye.

The first-ever winner of the UK version of the show, The Vivienne, told the BBC the show had a "good chance" of winning, and why.

"I've gone from performing in gay bars to performing in arenas."

Here's some more strong red looks from the red carpet...

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