Joel Dommett reveals there could be two big surprises at National Television Awards following a summer of scandal

Joel Dommett has given a sneak preview of this year’s National Television Awards as he prepares to host the glitzy party at London’s O2 Arena on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old comedian has also indicated that big surprises are in store after a series of scandals in recent months.

The BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing is no doubt hoping that fans will ignore its recent investigation into bullying of professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, 34, and that the competition will still walk away with a prize.

But the presenter has indicated that viewers may not be so forgiving.

He told The sun: ‘People want to know if what we show on television is real and authentic.

‘If someone is watching This Morning, Strictly or whatever at home, they want to know that the character they love on TV is the same person who is in the dressing room or in their home.

“And when scandals rock our industry like this, I think people become suspicious.”

However, the presenter added that the love for the long-running series is so great that Strictly may emerge largely unscathed.

Joel added that it takes a lot of effort to displace big shows from their top spots and that fans keep coming back for more.

The publication also revealed that Strictly bosses were relieved to be shortlisted for the Talent Sow category, alongside The Voice and MasterChef, with their own Anton Du Beke even nominated for the Expert category.

The star presenter also hinted at another surprise in store, after suggesting The Traitors could overtake series such as Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

Joel suggested that reality show presenter Claudia Winkleman could be in contention for a number of awards and become a new fan favourite, ousting Geordie duo who have won the award for best TV presenter for 22 years running.

In addition to some possible surprises, viewers will also be treated to an extensive opening number.

The awards presenter indicated that he wanted to do something “a little different,” but he also indicated that he had to learn different skills to do so, which took a lot of effort.

He added that the audience was not expecting his performance and warned that it has the potential to go horribly wrong, but that it will be great if his stunt succeeds.

The show starts at 8pm on ITV and Joel will be joined on the red carpet by Jungle King Sam Thompson and his buddy Pete Wicks as presenter.

Among the nominees are Fool Me Once star Michelle Keegan and One Day actor Leo Woodall, who are competing for the Best Drama Performance award.

Michelle, 36, who plays Maya Stern, stars opposite Joanna Lumley in the thriller, an adaptation of the Harlan Coben novel, which shot straight to the top of the Netflix charts in January.

Meanwhile, Leo, 27, became an overnight star after playing the role of Dexter Mayhew in the romantic drama series.

David Beckham has been nominated in the Author’s Documentary category for Beckham, a four-part series in which he and his family provide an intimate glimpse into their marriage and early romance, their family life and which also charts David’s football career.

His documentary attracted a record 3.8 million viewers in its premiere week.

According to the Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB), 3,813,100 fans watched the first episode.

The second part was also a success and attracted 2,868,800 viewers in the week ending October 8.

According to Netflix’s own data, Beckham was the streaming service’s most-watched series for two weeks when it debuted, with 11,600,000 fans watching the series worldwide.

Baby Reindeer is listed for New Drama, with Richard Gadd in the lead roles and Jessica Gunning competing for Drama Performance.

The series launched on Netflix without much fanfare, but has since become wildly popular on the streaming service, having been viewed nearly 54 million times since its premiere on April 11.