Guest presenter Martin Lewis jumped in after a mishap live on Good Morning Britain after Richard Arnold addressed the “empty seats” at the National Television Awards
08:05, 25 Jun 2025Updated 08:24, 25 Jun 2025
Martin Lewis and Susanna Reid were hosting Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain(Image: ITV)
Good Morning Britain star Richard Arnold was corrected live on air during Wednesday’s broadcast by guest presenter Martin Lewis, who jumped in with a clarification.
During a conversation with Coronation Street actress Mollie Gallagher, Richard claimed he was welcomed to the annual National Television Awards ceremony every year as a “seat-filler”.
After speaking to Mollie about her role as a “seat-filler” before landing the role of Nina Lucas in Corrie, which saw her win Best Serial Performance in 2021, Richard pointed out: “I’ve never won a gong at the NTAs but I’m always welcomed every year as a seat-filler so that’s something, I’m still in the building!”
However, Martin stepped in to say: “To defend the NTAs – having won one – the seat-fillers are actually for when you have to go up and do interviews afterwards, it’s not empty seats, it’s because you’re going off to do interviews afterwards.”
“They have plenty of bums on seats, of course,” Richard replied. He then quipped: “You’ll be getting another one, don’t worry about it!”
Susanna chimed in with: “They’re not going to take it away from you!” Martin added: “I’m normally up against David Attenborough – it’s not that easy.”
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Last year, the Money Saving Expert missed out on the gong, with fans claiming they spotted him looking annoyed after being nominated in two categories, Best Factual for his ITV programme, and Best Expert.
However, he missed out to Stacey Solomon’s Sort Your Life Out and Sir David Attenborough, with fans noticing him appearing to look a little annoyed.
He later shared: “Well you can’t win em all (or any tonight!) but thanks so much to all who voted and supported me.”
Richard Arnold claimed he was a “seat-filler”
Dismissing any rumours of his annoyance, Martin shared a beaming selfie from the night to his social media.
The presenter had previously beat Sir David and Clarkson’s Farm to win the award in 2022, saying at the time: “When you’re up against an international treasure like David Attenborough you don’t normally expect to win, I’m quite shocked. Whoever said we’ve had enough of experts, no we haven’t we need them more than ever right now.
“Thankyou so much to Claire and Angelica and everyone at the Martin Lewis Money Show and also to the web team who feed me the information and do the analysis for Money Saving Expert.
The Money Saving Expert has won an NTA in the past(Image: ITV)
“It’s been a pretty horrible year financially and the energy crisis has been disastrous and left many people in terrible issues and mental health problems. I’m afraid the next year with the mortgage problem and the knock-on to rents is gonna be pretty bad.
“And you know what, we need somebody to get a grip on the economy and sort things a little bit better.
“But that’s for my show next Tuesday, tonight this nerd is gonna party! Thank you and good night.”
Martin was reassured by his co-stars that they wouldn’t be taking his NTA win away from him(Image: ITV)
Speaking about her experience at the NTAs during Wednesday’s GMB, Nina actress Mollie had said she started off as a “seat-filler” to make the auditorium look more full.
“That’s how you started at the NTAs and then ended up winning one,” Richard praised.
Mollie recalled receiving an email at drama school that informed her the NTAs were looking for seat-fillers, and thinking it would be “cool” to take part.
“I was a massive Corrie fan so I thought, ‘I hope they sit me next to Corrie,’ but they didn’t,” she went on.
Coronation Street star Mollie Gallagher “manifested” her NTA win(Image: Getty Images)
“I remember being in awe and thinking, ‘I want this one day, this is going to be me,’ it was basically a manifestation there and then. Then when it did happen, my best friend was like, ‘Mollie this is so weird,’ and I was like, ‘I know!’
“I did not expect to win, I was not prepared, it was a whirlwind, and that speech… I’ve never watched it back since, I can watch myself act but the speech, I try and watch it, and ten seconds in I go, ‘Nope, not today, never!'”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1