The infamous afterparties are usually the place to sniff out the gossip, but this year it could be on stage at the National Television Awards where the highest drama is acted out.
Which means we could all have front room front row seats.
The NTAs are back tomorrow, live from Wembley Stadium, complete with host Joel Dommett and quite possibly more real-life douf doufs than the EastEnders ’ theme tune.
While usually it’s all smiles on stage - and even during those excruciating runner-up close-ups among the star-studded audience - 2022 might just be the year the talent cannot hide their tantrums or tears.
First there is the little matter of Best Daytime, usually scooped by ITV ’s This Morning dreamtime Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
The awards were postponed last month because of the late Queen’s death, when the duo would likely have been a shoo-in.
But with the award voted for by viewers, and a certain controversial Queue matter exploding in the interim, this could be a pivotal moment for the pair.
An emotional Holly insisted: “Please know we would never jump a queue.” So perhaps instead this will be the moment the continuing loyalty of Phil and Holly’s subjects is proved with a gong?
Then there is Katie Price, nominated for best authored documentary with her lauded Katie Price: What Harvey Did Next, about her eldest son.
Only what’s next for the mum herself - and quite how she will be received - doesn’t look so certain following the liquidation of her Jordan Trading Company and her inability to back hundreds of thousands to HMRC and creditors.
In the same category, Paddy and Christine McGuinness might prove equally awkward winners for their moving documentary Our Family and Autism, given they’ve now announced their separation after 11 years of marriage.
On social media they confirmed the split, saying: “We hadn’t planned on sharing this publicly until we were ready but after the lack of privacy surrounding our personal life, we feel left with no other option but to clarify.”
Winning for a very personal insight into their private lives might jar somewhat. Whether they’ll sit next to each other tonight will probably need clarifying, too. It is rumoured Paddy may stay away.
And there could be some soap opera worthy rows pending over at Channel 5, who, despite a huge investment in original UK drama has just one nomination, far behind leaders ITV, BBC and Netflix.
For Neighbours, the show they decommissioned in order to pay for the new UK drama.
The nearly 40-year-old soap is tipped to beat EastEnders and Coronation Street.
While three categories, The Bruce Forsyth Award, Daytime, and Talent Show, have boasted four of the same nominees for the past two years, one big shake up may be on the horizon.
The little matter of Ant and Dec, who have won best presenter for the past 20 years.
This Morning’s Alison Hammond is said to be nipping at their heels.
This week however, they have fallen sick, pulling out of filming both the Britain’s Got Talent special, The Ultimate Magician and the NTAs.
A source said: “For them it’s an event they always look forward to. They’re both feeling really poorly but will be watching the show from bed.”
The lurgy might just save their blushes if someone else dares to snatch their lead role.
What a douf douf that would be.
Take a look at the awards nominations and the categories at the NTA's, below:
New Drama
Heartstopper (Netflix, April 2022)
This Is Going To Hurt (BBC One, March 2022)
Time (BBC One, June 2021)
Trigger Point (ITV, January 2022)
Talent Show
Britain’s Got Talent (ITV)
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK (BBC Three)
Strictly Come Dancing (BBC One)
The Masked Singer (ITV)
Authored Documentary:
Julia Bradbury: Breast Cancer and Me (ITV, April 2022)
Kate Garraway: Caring for Derek (ITV, February 2022)
Katie Price: What Harvey Did Next (BBC One, March 2022)
Paddy and Christine McGuinness: Our Family and Autism (BBC One, December 2021)
Tom Parker: Inside My Head ( Channel 4, October 2021)
Returning Drama:
Bridgerton S2 (Netflix, March 2022)
Call the Midwife S11 (BBC One, February 2022)
Peaky Blinders S6 (BBC One, April 2022)
The Split S3 (BBC One, May 2022)
TV Presenter
Alison Hammond (Good Morning Britain, ITV)
Ant & Dec (various, ITV)
Bradley Walsh (The Chase, ITV)
Graham Norton (The Graham Norton Show, BBC One)
Factual Entertainment
Clarkson’s Farm (Amazon Prime Video)
Gogglebox (Channel 4)
Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs (ITV)
Great British Bake Off (Channel 4)
Drama Performance
Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby (Peaky Blinders, BBC One)
Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton (Bridgerton, Netflix)
Nicola Walker as Hannah Stern (The Split, BBC One)
Vicky McClure as Lana Washington (Trigger Point, ITV)
Serial Drama
Coronation Street (ITV)
EastEnders (BBC One)
Emmerdale (ITV)
Neighbours (Channel 5)
Serial Drama Performance
Gillian Wright as Jean Slater (EastEnders, BBC One)
Mark Charnock as Marlon Dingle (Emmerdale, ITV)
Paige Sandhu as Meena Jutla (Emmerdale, ITV)
Rose Ayling-Ellis as Frankie Lewis (EastEnders, BBC One)
Daytime
Loose Women (ITV)
The Chase (ITV)
The Repair Shop (BBC One)
This Morning (ITV)
Talent Show Judge
Anton Du Beke (Strictly Come Dancing, BBC One)
David Walliams (Britain’s Got Talent, ITV)
Mo Gilligan (The Masked Singer, ITV)
RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, BBC Three)
Comedy
After Life (Netflix)
Derry Girls (Channel 4)
Not Going Out (BBC One)
Sex Education (Netflix)
Rising Star
Charithra Chandran as Edwina Sharma (Bridgerton, Netflix)
Joe Locke as Charlie Spring (Heartstopper, Netflix)
Kit Connor as Nick Nelson (Heartstopper, Netflix)
Paddy Bever as Max Turner (Coronation Street, ITV)
Quiz Game Show
Beat the Chasers (ITV)
In for a Penny (ITV)
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel (BBC One)
The 1% Club (ITV)
Expert
Jay Blades (The Repair Shop, BBC One)
Kaleb Cooper (Clarkson’s Farm, Amazon Prime Video)
Martin Lewis (The Martin Lewis Money Show, BBC One)
Sir David Attenborough (various, BBC One)
