Mo Gilligan sparks gasps at NTAs as he makes dig at Miriam Margolyes amid Andi Peters 'race' row
Mo turned an NTA presentation into a pointed jokeMo Gilligan appeared to make a pointed joke about Miriam Margolyes and Andi Peters at the NTAs.
The comedian delivered the gag while presenting Factual Entertainment at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday night. Inside the venue, it prompted laughter, gasps and nervous reactions.
The line referenced Miriam Margolyes’ remarks to Andi Peters on This Morning the previous week. Her questions about his family background had made their live interview increasingly uncomfortable.
Mo Gilligan’s NTAs joke divides viewers
Introducing himself, Mo first gave his own name before switching identities for the punchline.
Mo said: “If you know me, I’m Mo Gilligan. And if you don’t know me, then I’m Andi Peters…”
The audience was heard gasping at the joke.
That comparison came moments before Mo announced the category winner.
Some viewers loved the swipe and shared their amusement on social media. One said Mo made them laugh, while another found the joke funny.
However, the joke did not land with everybody watching. One unimpressed viewer said it “fell flat”.
Reaction was mixed, with the punchline clearly not working for everyone.
Miriam Margolyes’ This Morning exchange explained
During last week’s This Morning appearance, Miriam was promoting her book, Miriam’s Full English.
She asked Andi about his heritage and wrongly suggested his parents had different ethnic backgrounds. Andi clarified that both his parents are black.
Miriam then used an outdated and offensive American expression concerning skin colour. Producers intervened through Andi’s earpiece as the conversation unfolded live.
According to MailOnline, ITVX later removed the clip from its recording after the live broadcast.
Miriam subsequently addressed the criticism and said she had not intended to upset the presenter.
She explained: “I didn’t want to embarrass or hurt Andi because he seems very nice.”
Miriam added that she wanted to know what Andi thought because that interested her.
Her comments focused on her interest in identity. She also presented inclusion as an important theme within her book.
Andi Peters response
Andi later reacted after Jeremy Vine praised how he managed the uncomfortable live exchange.
He wrote on X: “Thanks JV. As you know, we have to be ready for ANYTHING!!!”
The NTA presentation then returned to the award itself. Mo revealed that Gogglebox had won the Factual Entertainment prize.
The Channel 4 programme beat 24 Hours in Police Custody, Secret Garden and Sort Your Life Out. The Martin Lewis Money Show Live was also nominated.
Gogglebox’s victory delivered the category’s official result. However, Mo’s cutting introduction ensured his appearance also attracted plenty of attention.
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.
