Lord Sugar was not impressed with the winners of the 2024 NTAs .

The business mogul – whose BBC show The Apprentice lost out to The Traitors in the Reality Competition category – took to X to blast the ITV award ceremony, branding the night a “fix”. Sugar’s rant began when Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly scooped The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

The duo beat Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, The Graham Norton Show, The Masked Singer and themselves for Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. Sugar expressed his displeasure at the duo winning the gong as he tweeted: “Surprise Surprise Ant and Dec win an award at the NTA. DONALD TRUMP would say it’s a fix.”

One fan questioned why The Apprentice star was missing from the event when his BBC show was in the running for an award. Sugar replied: “I was invited but for 18 years I have learnt we won’t win Karren has also learnt but Tim is still learning (having said that like Nick they would both go to a an opening if an envelope).”

Another fan suggested I’m A Celebrity won “because it’s not a scripted show like the Apprentice”, to which Sugar furiously hit back: “Shut up idiot how can the Apprentice be scripted. Use the pea brain you have. We have no idea what the candidates will say out in the street or in boardroom.”

Ant and Dec on stage with the Bruce Forsyth Award for I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here during the NTAs 2024
Lord Sugar branded Ant and Dec’s win a fix ( 
Image:
Getty Images for the NTA’s)
Continuing his rant, Sugar joked: “Guess what the cookery, travel, football, beauty and football category have been won by Ant and Dec.” “Double award for Ant and Dec. This NTA’s is an ITV show . Coincidence or not?” Sugar added after the duo won the TV Presenter award for a record-breaking 23rd time.

Ant and Dec beat Alison Hammond, Bradley Walsh, Claudia Winkleman and Stacey Solomon. The businessman continued to claim the NTAs were a “fix”, saying: “The Chase another ITV show. Who counts the votes? Coincidence!”

He then hit out at his followers as he ranted: “For the record The Apprentice has won every other TV award except NTA COINCIDENCE!” In one of the most emotional moments of the night, Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story picked up the award for Authored Documentary.

 

Sugar fumed: “Kate Garraway it is truly a very sad story. ANOTHER ITV award to one of their employees.” Sugar’s followers pointed out that the NTAs are voted for by viewers, he hit back: “You are deluded. There are ways to fiddle votes. ITV got done 10 years ago for fiddling the prize competitions.”

The Apprentice won the BAFTA for Best Feature in 2006 and was nominated in the same category the following year, but was beaten by The Choir. The BBC show has been nominated at the NTAs on numerous occasions but has never been successful. The BBC show has won several other awards over the years including a TV Choice Award, Rose d’Or and a RTS Craft and Design Award.