Holly Willoughby gushes over NTAs 'honour' after presenting best authored documentary
Holly called the documentary "utterly heartbreaking"Holly Willoughby announced that Our Girls: The Southport Families won best authored documentary at the NTAs, prompting an emotional stage embrace.
The TV star announced the result on Tuesday evening as cameras turned towards the three girls’ families. They joined the production team to collect the prize, while guests inside London’s O2 Arena rose in applause.
The BBC film centres on the families of Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe, who were killed at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport in 2024.
The parents appeared overwhelmed as they reached the stage and embraced one another. Audience members also appeared in tears during the standing ovation.
Southport families receive a standing ovation at NTAs
Elsie’s mother, Jenni Stancombe, said the families had never expected to receive the award.
She told the audience: “We know you didn’t vote for us, you voted for our three girls.”
Jenni added: “This is a documentary that should never have been made.”
Their acceptance speech asked viewers to keep Alice, Bebe and Elsie in their hearts.
Following the moment, Holly took to Instagram to express her heartbreak over the documentary. She wrote: “What an honour to present the award for Best Authored Documentary to Our Girls: The Southport Families… A documentary that should never have had to be made… Utterly heartbreaking.”
The win came against a prominent field of nominees. Other entries involved Jesy Nelson, alongside documentaries about Caroline Flack and Ozzy Osbourne. However, the Southport film took the authored documentary prize.
How Our Girls honours Alice, Bebe and Elsie
Our Girls combines personal interviews with family footage, showing the lasting impact of the fatal attack.
Three young girls were killed at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport on July 29 2024. Alice was nine, Bebe was six and Elsie was seven. Several other children and two adults were injured.
Axel Rudakubana later pleaded guilty to their murders and received a minimum prison term of 52 years.
Our Girls: The Southport Families documentary on BBC
The documentary also focuses on the girls’ names and the work inspired by their families. It features Alice’s Wonderdance, which supports aspiring young dancers. The programme also highlights Bebe’s Hive and Elsie’s Story, both supporting bereaved families.
Another section focuses on Alice’s and Elsie’s fathers completing the London Marathon. They raised money for a new playground at the girls’ school.
The Prince and Princess of Wales later visited the completed playground and spoke to pupils and staff. The film connects the families’ grief with practical projects created in their daughters’ memory.
Read more: Sir David Attenborough wins best presenter at NTAs as he beats Ant and Dec
You can watch the National Television Awards on ITVX.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI technology to synthesise source reporting and structured data. It has been reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.
