Piers Morgan has set his sights on dethroning Ant and Dec after bagging a nomination for best TV presenter at the National Television Awards.
The Geordie duo have won the prize for 19 consecutive years thanks to their work on shows including I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Saturday Night Takeaway and Britain’s Got Talent.
However, Morgan, who left Good Morning Britain earlier this year following controversy over his comments about the Duchess of Sussex, believes he can end their reign.
He has urged fans to vote for him to end the “tediously predictable carve-up”.
He tweeted: “For 19 consecutive years, @antanddec have won TV Presenter of the Year at @OfficialNTAs.
“It’s been as annoying as it’s been bloody boring. Now, you can finally end the tediously predictable carve-up & choose a more deserving winner: Me.”
He shared a link to the voting.
As well as perennial winners Ant and Dec, Morgan, 56, is up against Bradley Walsh and This Morning stars Holly Willoughby and Alison Hammond for the TV presenter prize at the NTAs.
The awards ceremony will see all three stars of Line Of Duty vie for the drama performance prize.
Adrian Dunbar (Ted Hastings), Martin Compston (Steve Arnott) and Vicky McClure (Kate Fleming) are all in the running, alongside Olly Alexander for Aids series It’s A Sin and David Tennant for Des, a drama about serial killer Dennis Nilsen.
For 19 consecutive years, @antanddec have won TV Presenter of the Year at @OfficialNTAs. It's been as annoying as it's been bloody boring.Now, you can finally end the tediously predictable carve-up & choose a more deserving winner: Me. Vote here: https://t.co/qCwC8KmTXx pic.twitter.com/MSAaSvPwo2
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 17, 2021
Des and It’s A Sin are also nominated for the best new drama prize, alongside period romp Bridgerton and the hit adaptation of the book Normal People.
Michaela Coel’s powerful series I May Destroy You, which recently won two Baftas and did feature on the longlist, was not shortlisted.
Line Of Duty, Call The Midwife, Unforgotten and lavish royal series The Crown have been nominated for the returning drama gong.
The documentary about late Love Island presenter Caroline Flack has been shortlisted for the factual prize.
Caroline Flack: Her Life And Death featured family and friends, including Olly Murs and Dermot O’Leary, speaking about how the presenter was affected by her life in the spotlight.
Flack took her own life at the age of 40, on February 15 2020, while awaiting trial on an assault charge for an alleged attack on her boyfriend, Lewis Burton.
Also nominated in the category is Gogglebox; Gordon, Gino And Fred: American Road Trip; and Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of Dogs.
Kate Garraway is shortlisted in the new category of authored documentary for her poignant look at how the pandemic ravaged her family in Finding Derek.
The category was introduced following a wave of celebrity-led factual programmes.
Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford is also in the running for BBC show Feeding Britain’s Children, about the star’s campaign for free school meals; while Katie Price: Harvey and Me; Rob Burrow: My Year With MND; and Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency are also in the running.
Emmerdale, Coronation Street, EastEnders and Hollyoaks are all up for best serial drama, while in the talent show category first-time nominee The Masked Singer is listed alongside RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Britain’s Got Talent and Strictly Come Dancing.
– The National Television Awards, hosted by Joel Dommett, will take place in London on September 9.