The British Soap Awards tonight aired the moment EastEnders clinched the top gong for this year’s serial dramas.
The star-studded ITV awards took place on Saturday after a one-year hiatus, with the broadcast delayed until tonight (Thursday, June 5).
Jane McDonald was on hosting duties for the ceremony at Hackney Empire, and the red carpet was awash with the familiar faces who had swapped the cobbles and the Dales for a night of showbiz.
They were there to celebrate a big year in soapland, after EastEnders rang in its 40th anniversary and Corrie reached the epic milestone of 65 years on screen.
The award was presented by Sir David Jason, who received a standing ovation as he walked onto the stage.
The Only Fools and Horses legend said: ‘Throughout my career, I’ve been lucky enough to work with some incredibly talented people, and they all pull together to bring magic to our television screens.
‘Making a remarkable show takes, you all know, remarkable people, and that’s why this award celebrates the extraordinary things achieved by each and every one of you here today.’
A huge cheer went up in the room when Sir Jason announced it was the Walford gang who won it.
Adam Woodyatt stood at the podium to accept the award, on behalf of all the cast who trooped up on stage.
‘We couldn’t be happier,’ smiled Woodyatt, holding the gong. ‘We’ve had the best 40th anniversary ever.
‘It’s just been a fantastic time. When Chris [Clenshaw] started telling us what he had planned for the 40th anniversary, I turned around and said, he’s just bonkers. We’re never going to do it. And we did.
‘Hopefully we’ll be back next year for another one.’
The BBC One soap has had a huge of a year, celebrating four decades on air with an explosive anniversary week that saw the return of Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) and a surprise appearance from Angie Watts (Anita Dobson) as the Queen Vic was blown to smithereens.
The storyline that perhaps resonated with viewers the most was Phil Mitchell’s (Steve McFadden) mental health battle, which won the popular serial a number of those gongs tonight.
The top gong wasn’t the only win for the soap, with EastEnders clinching an impressive eight awards in total.
These were Best Single Episode, Scene of the Year, Villain of the Year, Best Dramatic Performance, Best Leading Performer, Best On-Screen Partnership and Best Comedy Performance – quite the haul the team will have had to take home.
The previous British Soap Awards, which aired in 2023, also saw EastEnders pick up Best Soap.
