TRIC Awards 2017: Move along Ant & Dec, Holly's taking over

Awards given by the public – the consumers themselves, the raison d’etre – to television folk are always highly prized.

So Holly Willoughby must be feeling pretty damn chuffed today, having bagged a trio of awards at yesterday’s TRIC Awards (Television and Radio Industries Club).

No panels, and no outright public vote, just the thousands of members of these industries we love, voting for their peers. It doesn’t get more satisfying than that, does it? It’s like being Employee of the Year voted for by your colleagues, but a lot more glamorous.

Holly took the prize for TV Personality, beating the usually unbeatable Ant & Dec and Celebrity Juice colleague Leigh Francis, although her second gong was shared with him for Celebrity Juice (Satellite/Digital Programme). Her third triumph came in the shape of Daytime Programme for This Morning.

It was Girl Power on the radio too, as Emma Bunton scooped the Radio Personality gong ahead of Dave Berry and Simon Mayo, and – alongside Jamie Theakston – Digital Radio programme for Heart Breakfast.

A big night for June Brown, Eastenders’ perennial Dot Cottan, as the iconic role saw her take home the Special Award. Eastenders also won TV Soap of the Year.

Now 90 years old, June has been in the industry for an incredible 68 years. On-screen son John Altman said: “She’s a dear, dear friend and we did a bit of celebrating the past few weeks. She’s a legend, it’s been an absolute treat to work with her.” June was also nominated for Soap Personality but lost out to Coronation Street’s Kym Marsh.

For the sports lovers, Jeff Stelling batted away Gaby Logan and Sue Barker in the Sports Presenter category, while Match of the Day scored a win over The Last Leg and A League of Their Own in HD Sports Programme.

Strictly Come Dancing waltzed away with Reality Programme over the usual suspects, BGT and X-Factor, but there was solace for the Geordie Boys, as Saturday Night Takeaway beat Gogglebox and Have I Got News For You for Entertainment Programme.

HD Drama Programme of the Year was Poldark, which beat back the resurgent Cold Feet and Vera, while our favourite cosy crime caper, Death in Paradise beat Happy Valley and The Night Manager to win Crime Programme of the Year. Netflix’s acclaimed royal story The Crown got the nod over House of Cards and Grand Tour for Original OTT Streamed.

Top News Reporter/Presenter was Newsnight’s Evan Davis, with Carol Kirkwood picking up the Weather Presenter Award. Sir David Attenborough’s beautiful Planet Earth II was the unsurprising winner of Factual Programme.

The TRIC was formed in 1931, initially for radio, and was created to “to promote mutual understanding and goodwill amongst those engaged in the audio, visual, communication and allied industries.”

Today it encompasses everything from communication and entertainment through to the service sectors of programme makers and broadcasters across both TV and radio.

The first Awards Lunch took place in 1969, with just three awards: Val Doonican, Kenneth Horne and The Forsyte Saga. It was held in The Great Room at the Grosvenor House Hotel and in no break at all with tradition, is still held there today.

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Image Credit: Holly Willoughby on Instagram

Image Credit: Emma Bunton on Instagram

Image Credits: BBC for Strictly Come Dancing and Planet Earth II