A ‘ring of steel’ was reportedly hung around the cast of EastEnders at the National Television Awards on Wednesday because of a stalker.
Several soap stars, including Jessie Wallace, Adam Woodyatt and Jacqueline Jossa, attended the ceremony at the 02 London.
But according to The sunthe group was plagued by an over-enthusiastic fan who was feared to attend the ceremony.
Extra security was reportedly deployed to protect the stars and photos of the stalker were circulated among the troops so they knew who to look out for.
A source said: ‘With so many A-listers in one place, the O2 was already incredibly secure, but the threat to the EastEnders cast meant extra measures were put in place.
It was claimed that a ‘steel ring’ was placed around the cast of EastEnders at the National Television Awards on Wednesday because of a stalker (Jacqueline Jossa pictured)
The cast is being plagued by an over-enthusiastic fan who was feared to attend the ceremony (Jessie Wallace pictured)
‘A photo of the suspected stalker was sent to staff so they knew who to look out for.’
The stalker is said to have spammed the EastEnders stars’ online messages to say they had tickets to the NTAs and were hoping to meet the actors.
The cast were also reportedly protected at the nearby Enderby House pub, where they all gathered for drinks before the awards show.
The insider added: ‘Bosses have to draw the line somewhere and when the stalker made it clear he was planning on attending the event, something had to be done.’
Security measures have already been put in place at the NTAs where fans can purchase tickets to enter the red carpet.
MailOnline has contacted an EastEnders representative for comment.
Despite being nominated for multiple awards, the BBC show failed to win any, with viewers saying it was ‘robbed’.
The programme was nominated for Best Drama Series, which was controversially won by ITV’s Emmerdale.
Extra security was reportedly deployed to protect the stars, while photos of the stalker were circulated among the troops so they knew who to look out for (Adam Woodyatt pictured)
The stalker is said to have spammed the EastEnders stars’ online messages to say they had a ticket to the NTAs and were hoping to meet the actors (Bobby Brazier pictured)
The insider added: ‘Bosses have to draw the line somewhere and when the stalker made it clear he was planning to attend the event, something had to be done.’
Actress Angela Wynter was also in the running for the individual category of Best Drama Series, for her portrayal of Yolande Trueman, opposite her co-star Diane Parish, who plays Denise Fox.
But they both missed out on the awards, with Coronation Street’s Peter Ash instead winning the prize for his portrayal of Paul Foreman, highlighting his character’s emotional journey with motor neurone disease (MND).
Ant and Dec took home the Best Presenter award for the 23rd time, a record, as they were the big winners of the evening.
As Ant and Dec continued their record-breaking winning streak, it was Mr. Bates Vs. The Post Office that emerged as the night’s big champions, taking home three prizes.
Toby Jones won the award for Best Drama Series Performance for his critically acclaimed performance in the series.
The cast were also reportedly protected at the nearby Enderby House pub, where they all gathered for drinks ahead of the awards show.
EastEnders failed to take home the Serial Drama Award that night, which was won by Emmerdale
Despite being nominated for multiple awards, the BBC show failed to win any awards, with viewers saying the show was ‘robbed’ (The Six pictured from left to right; Stacey Slater, Suki Kaur Panesar, Linda Carter, Sharon Watts, Denise Fox and Kathy Beale)
In his speech, the actor congratulated real-life Post Office campaigner Sir Alan Bates after he married his long-term partner Susanne on Richard Branson’s private island last weekend.
Despite a year of scandal and controversy, Strictly Come Dancing won the Talent Show award.
Amid concerns over the show’s future following allegations of abuse against professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, the BBC show beat Britain’s Got Talent, The Great British Bake Off, Masterchef and The Voice to win one of the night’s big prizes.
The NTAs are voted for by the public, and Strictly’s win is a clear sign that viewers are still behind the show, which is gearing up to return for its 20th series on Saturday night.
