A good'ol knees-up

DON’T expect any surprises at The British Soap Awards tonight – everyone knows who won as the ceremony took place at the weekend.

That means we can concentrate on the fashion faux pas and slurred acceptance speeches instead of keeping our fingers crossed that our favourite soap star wins.

We already know that the queen of soaps, Barbara Windsor, didn’t go home empty-handed. The actress who plays the Queen Vic’s Peggy Mitchell carried off a lifetime achievement award.

Her prize topped a good night for the BBC’s EastEnders, which was named the best British soap for the second year running.

That was bad news for the nation’s other favourite, Coronation Street, following its snub at the recent TV Baftas when the series wasn’t even nominated.

EastEnders took seven awards, one more than the Street. BBC1 daytime soap Doctors picked up three awards, while ITV’s Emmerdale won the award for the most spectacular scene. That was the one where Victoria falls through the ice. C4’s Hollyoaks went home empty-handed.

On the red carpet outside BBC Television Centre, EastEnders actor Steve Mc- Fadden said that “it’s the best soap – it’s well-written, well acted, the camera team are fantastic”. And I’m not about to argue with a man who plays one of the thuggish Mitchell brothers. Give him a prize, someone.

He also presented Barbara Windsor, who plays his on-screen mother, with her lifetime achievement award. “This is extra special, the Soap Awards, because it’s our show,” she said.

“We all know what we go through, we’re doing about eight episodes at the same time, all across each other, and they are long hours”. Just in case you think she’s complaining, she added, “I love it, I love the whole process”.

Best on-screen partnership went to Nitin Ganatra and Nina Wadia, who play Masoon Ahmend and Zainab Masood in EastEnders.

Wadia also won the best comedy performance.

Earlier this month, she praised the soap for showing the multi-cultural realities of London. She thought it important that viewers judged her onscreen family, the Masoods, as characters rather than as Muslims.

She felt EastEnders had become more realistic since she’d been cast as Muslim Indian matriarch Zainab Masood.

Maisie Smith, who plays Tiffany Dean in the soap, won best dramatic performance from a young actor or actress.

VILLAIN of the year – always a hotly contested category – went to Coronation Street’s Gray O’Brien, who plays Tony Gordon. He, you’ll recall, arranged for his wife-to-be’s lover to be killed by a hit-and-run driver. Best exit went to Rob-James Collier, who played Liam Connor, victim of that accident.

The Street also produced the best newcomer, Craig Gazey, who plays Graeme Proctor. Writer Peter Whalley scored for the ITV drama with a special achievement award for his work on the Weatherfield soap.

On the sexiest front, Scott Maslen, formerly of The Bill and now Jack Branning in EastEnders, was judged sexiest male.

The sexiest female title went to Michelle Keegan, the Street’s Tina McIntyre.

EastEnders’ Sean Slater, actor Robert Kazinsky, won best actor and Katherine Kelly, who plays Becky Granger, picked up best actress.

Coronation Street’s Samia Smith was not a winner but probably summed up the occasion by commenting that “all the soaps work really hard and every year it’s anybody’s game. It’s sort of a popularity contest sometimes”.

If two hours of soap stars in pretty frocks picking up prizes isn’t enough, you can switch over to ITV2’s After Party with Michael Underwood, Angeline Bell and Joe Swash getting merry with the winners and commiserating with the losers.

As well as winning a lifetime achievement award, Barbara Windsor has taken another honour – she’s been named the celebrity with the most infectious giggle.

Her naughty giggle took the top spot in a Maltesers poll. She was followed by Alan Carr’s cheeky cackle and Ricky Gervais’s silly snigger.

Singer Alesha Dixon won Strictly Come Dancing last year but could only manage fourth place on the giggle list.