British Soap Awards: EastEnders wins as Jane McDonald hosts

EastEnders has won the apical prize astatine the British Soap Awards, portion Coronation Street took location the astir trophies.

Jane McDonald hosted the awards successful Salford connected Saturday night.

She replaced erstwhile This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield aft helium discontinue ITV past week.

Accepting the champion British soap grant alongside the EastEnders cast, Perry Fenwick, who plays Billy Mitchell, said: "From the bottommost of our hearts, honestly, we are thrilled to bits."

The play besides clinched the apical starring performer grant for Danielle Harold's portrayal of Lola Pearce-Brown, a quality who precocious died pursuing a encephalon tumour.

Harold dedicated the prize to everyone who had been straight affected by encephalon tumours, adding: "Their clip has been truthful precious to them and adjacent much to maine and I can't convey each of you capable for helping me."

The soap besides won villain of the twelvemonth and champion young performer astatine the ceremonial astatine the Lowry Theatre successful Salford Quays.

Coronation Street won a full of six prizes including champion azygous occurrence and country of the twelvemonth for the show's depiction of an acerb attack.

Ryan Prescott, whose quality Ryan Connor was injured successful the attack, said determination had been 330 acerb attacks successful Manchester successful the past year.

"It was astonishing to beryllium portion of thing that could bring a airy to thing truthful delicate and thing that is happening mode much than we really know," helium said.

Hollyoaks won champion storyline and the show's caput of casting was awarded the Tony Warren Award, antecedently known arsenic the outstanding accomplishment grant (off screen). The grant is named aft the creator of Coronation Street, who died successful 2016.

Doctors actors Chris Walker and Jan Pearson won the champion on-screen concern grant and Emmerdale's Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon Dingle, took the outstanding accomplishment award.

Singer and question presenter McDonald said presenting the awards was her imagination occupation arsenic a "massive instrumentality of the soaps".

She is besides known for being a panellist connected Loose Women and presenting the Bafta-winning Channel 5 bid Cruising With Jane McDonald.

As the awards came to a close, McDonald said: "I'm disconnected for a knees-up with each my favourite soap stars, I'm truthful excited."

Schofield near ITV past week aft helium admitted to having an matter with a younger antheral workfellow and lying astir it.

In an interview with the BBC, the ex-This Morning presenter said helium had "lost everything" and did not spot a aboriginal for his career.