Going gong

THE red carpet may be festooned with British soap stars and not Hollywood movie stars, but The National Television Awards have one distinct advantage over glitzier ceremonies like the Oscars – the winners are voted for by the public.

A lot of familiar faces are in the running again this year, reinforcing the view that it’s the same dozen actors appearing in every show on the box.

One newcomer, however, could be Matt Smith. Before he accepted the lead role in the most recent series of Doctor Who, few telly addicts had ever heard of him. Now, he’s a household name with thousands of fans whose votes could help him win the Drama Performance category – although he’s up against stern opposition in Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock), David Jason (A Touch of Frost) and Philip Glenister (Ashes to Ashes).

The man now in charge of Doctor Who, Steven Moffat, has a conflict of interest in the Drama category – both his timetravelling adventure and his and Mark Gatiss’ take on Sherlock Holmes are up for the award.

Elsewhere, expect a fierce battle for the Talent Show title, with The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, Strictly Come Dancing, and Dancing on Ice in the running.

Last year was a huge one for The X Factor and Strictly, as both enjoyed record ratings.

Serial Drama (better known as soaps) is an award that many assume will go to Coronation Street, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

Katherine Kelly, who plays feisty Becky McDonald, is up for the gong and is flattered to be nominated. “I’d just love Coronation Street to sweep the awards this year and it would be great to take some silverware back for the team. If I won I’d keep it at Corrie rather than at mine. It would be one for the team,” she says.

“With it being the 50th year, it would be the icing on the cake.”

Dermot O’Leary hosts the ceremony once again and he’s up for an award himself in the Entertainment Presenter category.

If he’s successful, he’ll end Ant and Dec’s ten-year reign. Davina McCall and Paul O’Grady are also in the running, after both enjoyed a particularly good 2010.

DIETS – some people can’t get enough of them. But who knows which diet is good for you and which could damage your health? Happily, there are some people carrying out research on which diets can have deadly consequences.

In Will My Crash Diet Kill Me? dietician Anu Bhatia explains the effects get-slimquick methods can have on the body.

The programme also follows six Britons as they try to lose weight with a crash diet, and members of the public share their experiences of trying to shed pounds in a short space of time.

It demonstrates just how far people are willing to go in pursuit of their dream physique – and the cost of going too far.

ANOTHER week, another dead naval man is discovered in NCIS.

This time, the decomposed body of Staff Sergeant Daniel Cryer is found in a plastic bag by two shrimp fishermen in the Indian Ocean.

Gibbs and Vance discover Cryer was an experienced marine specialising in the infiltration of terrorist camps – until he disappeared a few months ago.

A post-mortem examination reveals that Cryer was shot in the head, so Tony, McGee and Abby launch their own investigation.

By plotting the point at which the body was recovered in relation to weather patterns and ocean currents, they realise his ship was way off course. But will this help them discover who killed Cryer?

Meanwhile, Vance calls in Ziva for a meeting.

Since her liberation from a Somali prison she has been far from forthcoming about her experiences, but Vance believes she is hiding some vital information.