The British Soap Awards were announced at a red-carpet ceremony at The Lowry theatre on Saturday, with the long-running EastEnders winning the Best Soap Award.
Nonagenarian actress Dame Sheila Hancock presented the award to Perry Fenwick – who has been playing the part of Billy Mitchell since 1998 – saying she was “deeply honoured to be asked to do this. I have such admiration for you.”
The drama also picked up the Best Leading Performer for Danielle Harold, who played Mitchell’s granddaughter Lola Pearce-Brown, a character who was written out of the show this year; Villain of the Year for Aaron Thiara as Ravi Gulati; and Best Young Performer for Lillia Turner, 13, as Lily Slater.
Elsewhere, the Coronation Street cast took home six awards, including Best Single Episode; Best Dramatic Performance (Charlotte Jordan as Daisy Midgeley); Best Comedy Performer (Dame Maureen Lipman as Evelyn Plummer), Best Newcomer (Channique Sterling-Brown as Dee-Dee Bailey); and Best Family Award for the Platts, who beat the Millars (Doctors), the Slaters (EastEnders), the Dingles (Emmerdale) and the McQueens (Hollyoaks).
The show also won Scene of the Year for its depiction of the acid attack on Daisy and Ryan (played by Ryan Prescott) by Justin Rutherford (played by Andrew Still). “It was amazing to be part of something that could bring a light to something so sensitive and something that is happening way more than we actually know,” Prescott said.
Hollyoaks won two awards: Best Storyline for a Plot and the Tony Warren Award for head of casting Peter Hunt.
Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon Dingle in the Yorkshire-set drama Emmerdale, took home the Outstanding Achievement Award, saying: “What a job. I've loved every minute of it.”
Finally, the Best On-screen Partnership award went to Doctors actors Chris Walker and Jan Pearson for their performances as Rob and Karen Hollins.
