Merlin star Colin Morgan triumped over a tough field to pick up the prize for Best Drama Performance at the National Television Awards on Wednesday night.


Morgan’s turn as the boy wizard in the BBC1 Saturday-night fantasy drama series drew more votes than performances by Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch, Doctor Who’s Matt Smith and Daniel Mays, who played Ronnie Biggs in ITV’s Mrs Biggs.

“I’d just like to thank everyone who voted for me,” said Morgan, “I just want to thank you for your support.”

“I had a fantastic time on Merlin, it was brilliant,” he added, before paying tribute to his fellow nominees.

Merlin came to a dramatic end over the Christmas period, after five successful series.


Backstage, Morgan told us “It’s great to end Merlin on a high,” before thanking fans again and talking about his role in new series Quirke. Read the story here.