Eastenders wins top soap accolade
EastEnders continued its winning streak as it was named top soap at a TV awards event tonight while two of the stars of one its most gripping plots were named best actor and actress.
Kacey Ainsworth who plays abused Little Mo in the Albert Square show took the actress prize at the Inside Soap Awards while her bullying husband Trevor - played by Alex Ferns – won the male title.
But Ferns lost out to Coronation Street serial killer Brian Capron (played by Richard Hillman) as the premier bad boy of soap.
Long-serving Corrie stars Jack and Vera were given the lifetime achievement award at the ceremony after putting in more than two decades service on the show.
EastEnders proved to be the big winner of the night with six titles, while Coronation Street landed five.
The Street has staged a strong revival this year to regain its crown as the rating-topping soap, after losing it to its east London rival.
However EastEnders has still continued to be ahead in terms of awards and it swept the board at The National Soap Awards in May of this year.
It had viewers on the edge of their seats earlier this year when Little Mo stood trial for attempted murder after whacking Trevor with an iron, following a prolonged bullying ordeal.
Other prizes for the show at tonight’s bash at London’s Mayfair Club included Jack Ryder (who plays Jamie Mitchell) and Jessie Wallace (Kat Slater) being named the sexiest soap stars.
There was further joy for Wallace as the plot where she revealed she was really the mother of her “sister” Zoe was named best storyline.
Best dressed soap star was Coronation Street’s glamorous Tracy Shaw.
Steven Murphy, editor of Inside Soap magazine said: “We have established ourselves as one of the major events in the TV awards calendar.
The full list of winners is as follows:
* Best soap – EastEnders.
* Best actress – Kacey Ainsworth (Little Mo, EastEnders)
* Best actor – Alex Ferns (Trevor Morgan, EastEnders)
* Best young actor – Raymond Quinn (Anthony Murray, Brookside).
* Funniest character – Malcolm Hebden (Norris Cole, Coronation Street).
* Best couple – Dot and Jim Branning (June Brown and John Bardon, Eastenders).
* Best bitch – Karen McDonald (Suranne Jones, Coronation Street).
* Best bad boy – Richard Hillman (Brian Capron, Coronation Street).
* Sexiest male – Jack Ryder (Jamie Mitchell, EastEnders).
* Sexiest female – Jessie Wallace (Kat Slater, EastEnders).
* Best newcomer – Seamus Gubbins (Ray Mullan, Emmerdale).
* Best storyline- Kat reveals she’s Zoe’s mother (EastEnders).
* Best drama – The Bill
* Best dressed soap star – Tracy Shaw (Coronation Street).
* Inside Soap outstanding achievement award – Jack and Vera Duckworth (Bill Tarmey and Elizabeth Dawn, Coronation Street).
