This Morning presenter Alison Hammond hopes to end Ant and Dec’s reign at the National Television Awards and is now backed by Holly Willoughby.
Alison, 47, is up for the Best Presenter NTA against the Geordie duo, who are chasing a record 22nd consecutive victory.
Holly, her This Morning co-star, is firmly in Alison’s corner and has told her: “This is your year.”
Alison who is also up against Bradley Walsh and Graham Norton, has herself teased: “Could this be the year Ant and Dec hand over the gong to me?”
This Morning is also up for the best Daytime show award on September 15. If This Morning wins, it will be the 12th consecutive year they have scooped the prize, but they face stiff competition from The Chase, Loose Women, the Repair Shop.
Alison, who is back on This Morning with Dermot O’Leary this Friday, says she would love to win that NTA in particular.
She says: “I love the NTAs because it’s the viewers who have voted for you. It does mean a lot. I’m not gonna lie. I’d like to win.”
Dermot, 49, said: “The thing with awards is that you desperately want to win them, but... if you don’t win them, you don’t win them – it is what it is.”
But all eyes will be on the presenter award and This Morning boss Martin Frizell thinks Alison is in with a chance of wrestling the gong from Ant and Dec.
He said: “Of all those nominated ... this is the one who puts in the graft. I see it daily. What a year, what a gal.”
Alison loves that her connection with Dermot is going down well with the viewers, joking: “He’s the longest boyfriend I’ve had.”
Dermot responds, saying: “We take the p**s out of each other, but we love each other.”
Alison and Dermot are on This Morning, Fridays, 10am, on ITV
To vote in the NTAs, go to nationaltvawards.com/vote