'EastEnders' takes top TV award

'EastEnders' took the top honour at the British Soap Awards by being named best soap for the second year running.

The long-running TV favourite, which was first screened in 1985, saw off competition from 'Coronation Street', 'Doctors', 'Emmerdale' and 'Hollyoaks' at last night's award ceremony in central London.

The BBC1 soap took seven awards, one more than its closest rival 'Coronation Street', as 25-year-old Robert Kazinsky, who plays Sean Slater, won best actor and 37-year-old Scott Maslen, who plays Jack Branning, won the sexiest male award.

Sexiest female went to Michelle Keegan, 21, who plays 'Coronation Street' character Tina McIntyre, while Katherine Kelly, 19, who plays Becky Granger, picked up best actress.

'Doctors' also picked up three top awards, for best single episode, best storyline, and best dramatic performance.

'Emmerdale' won the award for the spectacular scene, with Victoria Falls Through The Ice.

The cast of Channel 4 drama 'Hollyoaks' left empty-handed.

Speaking on the red carpet outside BBC Television Centre, EastEnders' Steve McFadden said: "It's the best soap: it's well written, well acted, the camera team are fantastic.

"We've got high production values, I won't say: 'No expense spared', but you don't move on until you've nailed the scene and that's really important."

McFadden also presented Barbara Windsor, who plays his on-screen mother Peggy Mitchell, with the lifetime achievement award.

"This is extra special, the Soap Awards, because its our show," Windsor said, before picking up her award.

"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."

But she added: "I love it, I love the whole process of this."

'EastEnders' actress Patsy Palmer praised the soap's recent paedophile storyline.

"I think that soaps can really deal with these things well," she said.

"When they do, it reaches a much wider audience and these issues need to be raised.

"I know we hear a lot about this stuff in the press but it's always good to watch someone's journey as they go through it.

"We had a few cases of girls going to the police and stuff so if one girl goes to the police to report sexual abuse then we've done a really good job."

Best on-screen partnership went to the BBC1 soap's Nitin Ganatra and Nina Wadia, who play Masood Ahmed and Zainab Masood, and Wadia also won best comedy performance.

Wadia praised the soap earlier this month for showing the multicultural realities of London.

The 45-year-old said she thought it was important that viewers judged her on-screen family, the Masoods, as characters rather than as Muslims.

Wadia said she felt 'EastEnders' had become more realistic since she had been cast as the Muslim Indian matriarch.

Maisie Smith, who plays Tiffany Dean, scooped the award for best dramatic performance from a young actor or actress.

'Coronation Street' actor Gray O'Brien, who plays Tony Gordon, won villain of the year and Craig Gazey, who plays Graeme Proctor, was best newcomer.

Writer Peter Whalley scooped the special achievement award for his work on the ITV1 soap.

Rob James Collier, who plays Liam Connor, won best exit.

Other stars at the ceremony included 'Coronation Street' actress Kym Marsh, who arrived with 'Hollyoaks' boyfriend Jamie Lomas.

Marsh, 32, a former singer with HearSay who recently lost her baby with Lomas, said: "Everybody has been really supportive. Whenever anyone goes through a difficult time everybody is always supportive and I think that's what we've found at both our works actually."

'Coronation Street' star Samia Smith, 26, said: "All the soaps work really hard and every year it's anyone's game. It's sort of a popularity contest sometimes."

Award winners:

Best soap – 'EastEnders'

Best Actor – Robert Kazinsky (Sean Slater, 'EastEnders')

Best Actress – Katherine Kelly (Becky Granger, 'Coronation Street')

Sexiest male – Scott Maslen (Jack Branning, 'EastEnders')

Sexiest female – Michelle Keegan (Tina McIntyre, 'Coronation Street')

Best villain – Gray O’Brien (Tony Gordon, 'Coronation Street')

Best comedy performance – Nina Wadia (Zainab Masood, 'EastEnders')

Spectacular scene – Emmerdale (Victoria falls through ice)

Dramatic Performance – Anita Carey (Vivien March, 'Doctors')

Dramatic performance from a young actor – Maisie Smith (Tiffany Dean, 'EastEnders')

Best exit – Rob James-Collier (Liam Connor, 'Coronation Street')

Lifetime achievement – Barbara Windsor (Peggy Mitchell, 'EastEnders')

Best on-screen partnership – Nitin Ganatra and Nina Wadia (Masood Ahmed and Zainab Masood, 'Eastenders')

Best storyline – Doctors (Vivien’s rape)

Best newcomer – Craig Gazey (Graeme Proctor, 'Coronation Street')

Best single episode – Doctors ('A Kind of Hush')

Achievement – Peter Whalley (writer, 'Coronation Street').