Coronation Street has been named Best Soap at the 2024 Inside Soap Awards as the programme scooped six trophies.
The ITV show also won Best Partnership (Peter Ash and Daniel Brocklebank), Best Actor (Ash) and Best Storyline for a tale in which Paul Foreman (Ash) was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND), and followed how this affected his relationship with his husband Billy Mayhew (Brocklebank).
At the awards, which are run by the Inside Soap magazine, Charlie Wrenshall won Best Young Performer for his role as Liam Connor, and Maureen Lipman won Best Comic Performance for the fourth year in a row, for her role as Evelyn Plummer.
Inside Soap editor Gary Brocart-Gillatt said: “The story of happy-go-lucky Paul Foreman’s MND diagnosis, and the effect it had on both Paul and those who loved him, has been the stand-out TV of 2024 for our voters.
“It’s no surprise that Peter Ash’s tender portrayal of Paul has won him our Best Actor prize, and that’s no small achievement in what has been a truly golden year for soap.”
The Outstanding Achievement Award was given to the cast and crew of the BBC’s daytime soap Doctors, which was axed last year, its final episode airing in December.
Brocart-Gillatt said: “The BBC’s cancellation of Doctors, a wonderful launch pad for new writing and acting talent, was incredibly disappointing to see.
“We also know how much Doctors’ viewers love the show, so it’s on their behalf that we’ve awarded our Outstanding Achievement trophy to the team.”
Emmerdale’s Eden Taylor-Draper won Best Actress for her performance as marital coercive control victim Belle King, while the ITV soap’s Dingle clan, who will soon celebrate 30 years at the centre of the series were named Best Family.
EastEnders’ Navin Chowdhry was named Best Villain for his role as Nish Panesar in the BBC series.
Best Showstopper, which is awarded to a showcase episode, was awarded to the Walford-based soap for its Christmas Day episode, in which Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) killed Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), kicking off the show’s ongoing murder conspiracy.
Hollyoaks star Isabelle Smith won Best Newcomer for her portrayal of Frankie Osborne in the Channel 4 soap’s hard-hitting storyline of sibling sexual abuse.
Inside Soap readers named Neighbours their Best Daytime Soap and the Australian show’s Ryan Moloney, who plays Toadie Rebecchi, their Best Daytime Star.
Adam Thomas won Best Drama Star for his role as Donte Charles in the BBC’s Waterloo Road, while actress Balvinder Sopal was named Soap Superstar of 2024, for her performance as EastEnders’ Suki Panesar.
Best Pet went to Minnie, who plays Belle’s dog Piper in Emmerdale, who was a victim of Tom King’s mind games with her owner.
The Inside Soap Awards are voted on by more than 90,000 readers every year, having run since 1996.
Minnie the dog, who plays Piper in Emmerdale, with the Best Pet Award at the Inside Soap Awards, at Salsa Temple in London. Picture date: Monday September 30, 2024.
Source: Press Association