NTA 2025 Shortlist Puts Celebrity Farming Shows and Fly-on-the-Wall Documentaries Front and Centre
Traveloasisspot.com – The 31st National Television Awards have unveiled a nominees list that signals a clear shift in British television’s appetite: audiences are rewarding intimate, observational programmes built around real people doing real jobs, from running a Cotswolds farm to raising a family in the boxing world. Five titles have been shortlisted in a brand-new category created specifically to acknowledge the surge of celebrity-led, fly-on-the-wall content that has dominated schedules over the past two years.
A New Category for the “Real Life” Boom
At Home With The Furys, which follows heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and his family, will face off against Clarkson’s Farm, where Jeremy Clarkson attempts to run a working agricultural operation. Stacey & Joe, the domestic life of Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash, rounds out the celebrity trio. They are joined by Fletchers’ Family Farm, in which Emmerdale veteran Kelvin Fletcher pivots to rural enterprise, and Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, the angling series helmed by comedians Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse.
The existence of this dedicated category underscores how quickly observational programming has moved from a niche scheduling slot to a mainstream commercial force. Networks now commission multiple such titles per year, betting that viewers prefer unscripted intimacy over traditional panel formats.
Reality Competition and the Spin-Off Economy
In the reality competition bracket, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and The Traitors anchor the field, each accompanied by its all-star spin-off: I’m A Celebrity… South Africa and The Celebrity Traitors. Race Across The World completes the five-title slate. The proliferation of celebrity variants of established formats highlights a broader industry trend in which proven intellectual-property franchises are extended into premium, star-studded iterations to capture higher advertising rates.
Drama: A New Prize and an All-Female Performance Shortlist
For the first time, the NTAs have introduced a dedicated drama prize. Heated Rivalry, the breakout romance series starring Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams as rival hockey players who develop a relationship, leads the field. Its opponents include A Woman Of Substance, Believe Me, I Fought The Law, and The Other Bennet Sister.
Equally historic is the drama performance shortlist, which for the first time in the ceremony’s history is composed entirely of women. Gavin And Stacey alumna Ruth Jones will compete alongside Ella Bruccoleri, Judy Parfitt, Sheridan Smith, and Vicky McClure.
Presenters: Attenborough’s Centenary Year and the End of a Streak
Naturalist Sir David Attenborough, who marked his 100th birthday this year, has been recognised in two categories. His nature documentary Secret Garden is nominated for authored documentary, while he also features in the TV presenter race. Opposing him in that bracket are This Morning’s Alison Hammond, Stacey Solomon, Claudia Winkleman — now the face of The Traitors — and the long-running presenting duo Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.
The McPartlin–Donnelly pairing had enjoyed a 23-year unbroken run of presenter awards before former Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker broke the streak at last year’s ceremony. Their continued presence on this year’s shortlist marks a rare comeback bid after that upset.
Comedy, Documentary, and Serial Drama
The comedy slate includes Amandaland, Changing Ends, Last One Laughing, and Not Going Out. Mrs Brown’s Boys also earned a nod, though creator and star Brendan O’Carroll recently announced the show would cancel its Christmas and New Year specials after he faced what was described as an
“unexpected medical issue.”
In authored documentary, posthumous appearances from Caroline Flack and Ozzy Osbourne feature in Caroline Flack: Search For The Truth and Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home respectively. The category also encompasses Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix, Our Girls: The Southport Families, and Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage And Me.
Serial drama nominations span Casualty, Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks. On the performance side, EastEnders’ Aaron Thiara, Emmerdale’s Jeff Hordley, and Coronation Street’s Gareth Pierce are among those in contention.
Quiz Shows and the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win enters the quiz show bracket against Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel, Richard Osman’s House of Games, The 1% Club, and The Chase. The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award — named for the late game-show legend — has Gladiators, The Masked Singer, The Graham Norton Show, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, and Would I Lie To You? competing for its honour.
Voting and Broadcast Details
The public votes by visiting the official NTA website, with ballots closing at midday on Tuesday, 8 September — mere hours before the ceremony itself. Comedian Joel Dommett will host for the sixth consecutive time at The O2 in London. The event will be broadcast live on ITV1 and ITVX from 8 pm.
Additional categories covering factual entertainment, daytime programming, talent shows, and returning drama complete the slate. The breadth of the shortlist this year — spanning observational farming content, posthumous documentary tributes, and all-female performance lists — suggests the ceremony is attempting to reflect a television landscape that has diversified well beyond the traditional panel-and-quiz model.
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