Paige wins woke soap prize
EMMERDALE’S Paige Sandhu has won the first gender-neutral Best Leading Performer award at last night’s British Soap Awards.
The actress, who played serial killer Meena Jutla in the soap, beat fellow cast member Mark Charnock to the top gong after the Best Actor and Actress awards were axed.
And Emmerdale was also crowned Best British Soap, seeing off competition from Coronation Street, Eastenders, Doctors and Hollyoaks. The soap, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this October, also clinched the Best Family Award for The Dingles and Best Dramatic Performance award for Mark’s portrayal of Marlon Dingle.
Paige had also been nominated for the best villain and best storyline awards at the ceremony but lost out.
Speaking about her experience on the show, she said:
“At the time it was such a whirlwind, I was just trying to do my absolute best. I am such a perfectionist and now coming out of it I am so proud.
“Playing Meena was the most fulfilling thing ever, no character compares to her.
“We have put a lot of work into the past year. We are particularly proud of Mark Charnock who has smashed it – such a wonderful human being and also an incredible actor.
Mark, 53, who had been nominated for best single episode following the “Marlon’s stroke” episode said: “It was challenging to film but only in a sense that we wanted to get it right.
“The main thing is the response from people who have gone through it which has been fantastic.”
The red carpet event held at London’s Hackney Empire returned after the previous two years were cancelled because of the pandemic.
Eastenders won four awards, Coronation Street three, Hollyoaks two and Doctors one.
teetering on the edge of inheriting a unifying role as Head of the Nation has entered a divisive debate firmly on the side of Boris Johnson’s opponents.
“One day those occupying the roles of Prime Minister and Home Secretary will be devising immigration policy as members of His Majesty’s Government.”
Conservative MP for Dudley North Marco Longhi said: “I think those who comment against the Rwanda plan completely miss the point, which is that we need to remove the incentives and reduce that strong magnet the UK provides for attracting people to come.
“Because if people want to come they will use these criminal people traffickers and put themselves in significant danger, not just when they come to cross the Channel but also when they make a long journey from their place of origin to Calais.
“We need to remove the incentives to make that difficult journey, and work with other countries to find ways of incentivising people to stay in their own country. It is a policy that will save lives.” But Ashfield Conservative MP Lee
Anderson said the future king is entitled to his opinion. He said: “Just because he’s a prince and heir to the throne, it doesn’t mean he’s not entitled to an opinion. I happen to think he’s wrong. This is about saving lives and putting an end to people smugglers.”
Royal commentator Jennie Bond told GB News “compassionate” Charles was right to hit out at the Rwanda policy, adding he was likely to have known his views would become public. Speaking to Alastair Stewart, she said: “He’s a compassionate man. He’s a deep-thinking, philosophical man and I think he feels the policy is appalling.”
It came as it emerged that the Government spent nearly a billion pounds on hotels for asylum seekers last year. There were 48,540 asylum applications relating to 56,495 people in the UK in 2021. This is 63 per cent more than the previous year and the highest number for almost two decades.