The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Emmerdale stars clean up at 2017 British Soap Awards
ITV show takes six gongs, including best soap
Emmerdale was the big winner at the British Soap Awards 2017, where many stars wore tributes to the victims of the Manchester terror attack.
The depiction of Ashley Thomas’s battle with dementia helped the ITV show score six gongs, including best British soap, best storyline, best actor and best male dramatic performance for actor John Middleton, (who played Ashley), best actress for Charlotte Bellamy (Ashley’s wife Laurel) and best single episode.
The ceremony took place in Salford less than two weeks after a terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester devastated the city.
Host Phillip Schofield opened the show saying: “As an Oldham lad it is an honour to host the show in this wonderful city, whose spirit has inspired the world over the last two weeks.”
Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley paid tribute to the victims with a clutch bag embossed with a Manchester bee and the words We Stand Together, while her co-star Nathan Curtis wore a bee pin and Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas wore a pin reading Mancunian.
Middleton hailed “the integrity with which the story was told” as he collected the best dramatic performance prize.
Coronation Street collected four prizes at the ceremony, where Kym Marsh was given the award for best female dramatic performance for her turn in a devastating stillbirth storyline.
Rob Mallard, who recently joined the soap as Ken Barlow’s son Dan Osbourne, won the best newcomer prize and dedicated it to his partner and co-star Daniel Brocklebank.
Coronation Street’s fourth prize was won by Elle Mulvaney, who took the best young performance gong for her portrayal of Amy Barlow.
Hollyoaks won three awards, including best on-screen partnership for Richard Linnell and Kassius Nelson for their roles as Alfie Nightingale and Jade Albright, scene of the year for Jade saying goodbye to Alfie and the outstanding achievement award, which was won by Nick Pickard after 21 years on the show.
Villain of the year went to Lucy-Jo Hudson for playing Rhiannon Davis in Doctors while the Tony Warren Award went to EastEnders’ scriptwriter Gillian Richmond.