Inside Soap Award Winners 2012

The bastion of British soap opera news, Inside Soap has revealed its award winners for the past year. A collection of the good, the bad and the bitchy. ATV Today’s Vivian Summers looks at the winners and losers.

The best actor award, and the old joke that Hollyoaks doesn’t employ actors, just cute people, can be shot right down right away as Emmett J Scanlan who stars as Brendan in the Channel 4 teen saga took the gong.

It’s slightly less of a prestigious win when noted that Shane Richie was also listed as an actor, let’s face it dears, Shane Richie in EastEnders is playing Shane Richie, just a less annoying and none singing version. Small mercies and all that for the latter.

Best actress swiftly follows and Antony Cotton isn’t nominated, which is a shame as he seems to think he is the new Bet Lynch. Which I suppose he is, just without the wit, the wig, the leopardskin, the personality, the acting ability or the legendary fag. So quite similar all said and done.

The well deserved winner was Gillian Wright of EastEnders who portrays dear Jean Slater.  She follows in the footsteps of many other Walford greats such as Ethel Skinner, Aunt Nellie and Rolly.

Others nominated included Michelle Keegan of Corrie and Karen Hassan of Hollyoaks.

Best Young actor for Inside Soap readers had to be Alex Bain who plays Simon Barlow in Coronation Street. Well deserved. Out of the four nominees, two we won’t name as I find them both equally hideous, the only other worthy of the gong would have been the lovely Ellis Hollins in Hollyoaks. Better luck next year Ellis.

Best newcomer this year went to a long running character that’s had more actresses play her than the number of washes Pauline Fowler managed in the Laundrette.

Hetti Bywater as Lucy Beale took the award for EastEnders.

The question of who is soap makes you laugh is a tough one. You have to of course vote for the intentional hilarity rather than the stuff not planned which rules out most of EastEnders’ storylines, but it was the Walford teen-loving soap that took the gongs this year.

Teen-loving teenagers voted Ricky Norwood th e funniest thing in soap with a manhood. Arthur Chubb gives viewers more titters than Noris Cole of Coronation Street and Steve McDonald combined apparently.

For the ladies it was ‘Enders Tameka Empson as Kim Fox that won the prize. I’m wondering if enough Coronation Street viewers buy the magazine to make a mark, after is Kim really more amusing than Mary Taylor of Corrie and her hilarious one-liners? Answers on a SAE to TV Times…

Who is Inside Soap readers’ best baddie? It’s another prize taken by the Hollyoaks posse with Emmett J Scanlan as Brendan Brady taking the top spot.

Other nominated included the believably menacing Cain Dingle, actor Jeff Hordley, of Emmerdale and panto villain Derek Branning, actor Jamie Foreman, for EastEnders.

Inside Soap’s bitch. The award which should be dedicated to Richard Arnold, so we’ll dedicated to him. The prize went to wide-grinning, although not as wide as Corrie’s Kate Ford, Charlie Brooks of EastEnders. Yes its the horrid, wicked, smirking, Pat Butcher-hating Janine Butcher that gets the gong.

Kate Ford’s Tracey Barlow for Corrie was also a contender, but she’ll just have to grin and bear it for another year.

Sexiest male was David Witts as Joey Branning in EastEnders, which is just as well as best actor award isn’t likely to ever come his way if we’re honest darlings is it?

Sexiest female was the lovely, and she can act too which is helpful, Michelle Keegan of Coronation Street. Michelle also took the award for best dressed soap star.

Best Daytime soap went to, surprisingly, Neighbours. The Australian import from the creators of Crossroads. Speaking of Midland sagas Doctors didn’t quite manage to beat it, but I wonder how many of the Doctors viewers buy the magazine, I suspect People’s Friend and The Weekly News are more their publications if we’re honest.

Best daytime star went to Ryan Moloney of Neighbours who plays Toadie.

Best drama was bestowed upon the recently relocated from England to Scotland school serial Waterloo Road.

Best soap went to EastEnders, somehow.

Inside Soap is onsale every week in all good, and not very fussy, retailers.