We normally think that it’s a two horse race between Corrie and EastEnders when it comes choosing the nation’s favourite soaps, but never – NEVER – underestimate the power of Emmerdale.
In fact the mighty countryside soap has triumphed at this year’s Soap Awards for a second year running.
The Yorkshire-based drama scooped six awards going on the night, including BEST ACTOR actor for John Middleton, BEST ACTRESS for his onscreen wife Charlotte Bellamy and BEST SOAP!
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But while it was a great night for Emmerdale, EastEnders were humiliated by missing out on EVERY category they were nominated in.
The only award they took away with them on the night was committee-judged The Tony Warren award which went to the show’s scriptwriter Gillian Richmond.
So who won what?
The BEST ACTOR and BEST MALE DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE gongs went to John Middleton, who brilliantly played dementia suffering vicar Ashley Thomas in Emmerdale.
He beat the likes of soap heavy weights including Scott Maslen (Jack Branning – EastEnders), Danny Dyer (Mick Carter – EastEnders), Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald – Corrie), William Roache (Ken Barlow – Corrie), Jack P Shepherd (David Platt – Corrie), Danny Miller (Aaron Dingle – Emmerdale), Matthew Wolfenden (David Metcalfe – Emmerdale), Jamie Lomas (Warren Fox – Hollyoaks).
Charlotte Bellamy, who plays Ashley’s wife Laurel in Emmerdale, scooped the BEST ACTRESS award over big names such as Lacey Turner (Stacey Branning – EastEnders), June Brown (Dot Branning – EastEnders), Diane Parish (Denise Fox – EastEnders), Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor – Corrie), Lucy Fallon (Bethany Platt – Corrie), Jane Danson (Leanne Tilsley – Corrie), Natalie J Robb (Moira Dingle – Emmerdale).
Corrie’s Kym Marsh scooped the BEST FEMALE DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE award for her role as Michelle Connor in Corrie, who this year saw her heartbreakingly lose her baby.
Accepting her award she touchingly paid tribute to her real life son Archie, who she lost during her pregnancy.
“Thank you so much, this means so much to me, ” she said. “It was perhaps the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do in my career.
“It took us back to places that we never really wanted to go to again but we did because we wanted to tell the story.
“As we are sitting here enjoying ourselves someone is losing their baby.
“I’m so proud of the show for telling the story in its entirety, reaching out to people and breaking the silence and the taboo.
“To my partner Matthew, thank you for putting up with my moods. My wonderful children, David, Emily and Polly you’re the reason I smile everyday. I’d like to dedicate this to my son Archie.”
BEST SOAP, as we said, went to Emmerdale for a second year in a row, while Dolly-Rose Campbell (above), who plays Gemma Winter in Corrie won BEST COMEDY PERFORMANCE.
Her co-star Elle Mulvaney (Amy Barlow) won BEST YOUNG PERFORMANCE (above), while former Corrie star Lucy-Jo Hudson won VILLAIN OF THE YEAR for her role of Rhiannon Davis in daytime soap Doctors.
BEST NEWCOMER went to Rob Mallard, who played evil Dan Osbourne in Corrie, while Richard Linnell & Kassius Nelson – who play Alfie Nightingale & Jade Albright in Hollyoaks – won BEST ON SCREEN PARTNERSHIP.
BEST SINGLE EPISODE was given to the Emmerdale episode which saw events take place from Ashley’s Point Of View (Emmerdale), while SCENE OF THE YEAR was given to Hollyoaks when Jade Says Goodbye To Alfie.
Emmerdale triumphed again in the BEST STORYLINE category, which went to – surprise surprise – Ashley’s heart wrenching dementia plot.
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Meanwhile, Nick Pickard – the William Roach of Hollyoaks who has been in the show since day one back in 1995 – was awarded OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT , no doubt for surviving all those serial killers who have come and gone during the past 22 years of the show.
The Soap Awards will be screened on Tuesday evening on ITV.