AWARD ceremonies are a rare opportunity for stars from rival soaps to share the stage and pick up gongs for their roles.
But they often end up with dramas of their own.
Phillip Schofield pulled out of hosting the British Soap Awards this year
Jane McDonald stepped in to present this year
This weekend, the British Soap Awards was mired in controversy as host Phillip Schofield was forced to withdraw, following revelations of an affair with a much younger runner that he had concealed from ITV bosses.
Despite singer Jane McDonald stepping in to present the show at the last minute, protestors gathered outside the The Lowry in Salford.
Along with the soap fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their idols, people were holding placards with photographs of Schofield and his former This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby.
It’s not the first time soap awards have courted controversy, with boozy brawls worthy of Albert Square and worse-for-wear celebs being turned away at the door.
Backstage brawl
Jamie (left) and Asan (right) had to be pulled apart
Jamie was furious at Asan’s jibes
Emmerdale star Asan N’Jie got into a fight with a rival soap actor at the 2019 TV Choice Awards, which ultimately cost him his job.
Asan, 29, began taunting Hollyoaks’ hardman Jamie Lomas, aiming a “sarcastic jibe” at him.
In a scene resembling a punch-up at The Woolpack, Jamie, 48, went for the Dales star and cast members had to pull them apart.
Asan was allegedly heard threatening to knife Jamie, and a clip of the bust up shows him scream: “Do you think you are a f*****g big man? I’m going to f*****g kill you.”
He was thrown out of the bash and sacked from his role as Ellis in the show over the scuffle.
Ender Bender
Jessie in the taxi with a pal before she arrived
Before the 2018 British Soap Awards, Jessie Wallace indulged in a sport of pre-loading – and never even made it on to the red carpet.
The EastEnders star – who plays Kat Slater – allegedly started boozing hours before the ceremony and posted a drunken picture in a taxi, at 3.47pm, with the caption: “Off to the awards we go.”
But, when she carried on drinking at the bar in the venue, and refused to take her seat, EastEnders bosses booked her a cab home at 7pm.
Jessie, now 51, was said to be “furious” at being sent away.
‘Self harm’ controversy
Jacqueline was seen talking to Lacey Turner
When Hollyoaks landed a Best Storyline gong, at the 2018 British Soap Awards, viewers spotted Jacqueline Jossa making an ill-advised comment to fellow EastEnder Lacey Turner.
She found herself at the centre of a row after allegedly sniping: “I think they all self-harm on that show.”
The EastEnders star, 30, was forced clarify her comment, saying she was referring to the winning storyline.
She posted a comment reading: “Just to clear things up, Lacey asked me what the storyline was, as we couldn’t hear. I answered with, ‘I’m not actually sure, I think they all self-harmed on the show’.”
She added: “I haven’t watched the show recently so don’t actually know, but always love it and wasn’t discrediting.
“I know that self-harm isn’t a joke, obviously, and love any soap that tackles hard stories. It’s been taken out of context!”
Trouble and strife
Jacqueline and Dan were said to have rowed at the party
Jacqueline was in a fresh drama the following year, when she appeared to have a bust up with hubby Dan Osborne at the National Television Awards (NTAs) after accusing him of flirting.
A source told the Mirror the EastEnders actress burst into tears after finding Dan, 31, flirting with a group of women at the afterparty, telling him: “I want to go NOW.”
Dan was reportedly keen to stay, leading to a heated exchange between the couple, who have two girls – Ella, eight, and Mia, four.
The source said: “It was awkward because everyone was having fun and they weren’t hiding their fight from those around them.”
Fix claims
ITV were accused of foul play over the win
BBC bosses were left fuming when Coronation Street won the Best Soap gong at the NTAs in 2010, claiming ITV had fixed the result.
The gong was awarded shortly after a three-minute video celebrating the show’s 50th birthday aired at the event, but rival EastEnders, which had turned 25, was given no such tribute.
BBC insiders called the reel a “pretty blatant advert right in the middle of voting”, adding: “It’s as if they fixed it for Corrie.”
The independent body who oversees voting cleared the organisers, saying Corrie was already winning throughout the live voting and the video has no “material impact”.
Three years later ITV was accused of rigging the vote again by airing an hour-long Corrie before the show and axing Emmerdale.
A BBC source moaned: “It seems ITV will stop at nothing to win NTAs. The stars tweet reminding people to vote – then they put a big Corrie episode on moments before the show starts. It is such an obvious tactic and not the first time they have played unfairly when it comes to the NTAs.”
An ITV source responded: “These claims of a fix are just sour grapes. The best soap won and our ratings are better than EastEnders, too.” Ouch!
Hollyoaks vs Hollywood
Eddie Redmayne said Hollyoaks actors behaved badly
Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne once worked as a waiter at the British Soap Awards and says he was humiliated by the Hollyoaks cast – whom he dubbed “b*****ds”.
He told Glamour magazine: “They feed all these soap stars with alcohol and then put them in the studio for the awards, so they’re more rowdy and it makes for better television.
“So, as a waiter, I had to stand there with a tray waiting for them to put their empties on before going in.
“I remember this whole group of actors from Hollyoaks piling on with loads of champagne glasses and it being full, and one of them saying, ‘Guys, guys, watch this! I’m going to put one more on, I’m going to put one more on…’
“And I was thinking, ‘No, please don’t put another…’ and them smashing everywhere. All these Hollyoaks actors were in hysterics and I was like, ‘You b*****ds!'”
Dyer gag
Danny Dyer had a stand off with the presenter
Making EastEnders hardman Danny Dyer a butt of the joke didn’t pan out well for Phillip Schofield.
The pair clashed for two years running at the British Soap Awards, with the host admitting Danny was “scaring the life out of him”.
In 2018, in what may have been a planned stunt, Danny got irritated at the host repeatedly asking if he was “alright”.
He eventually stood and squared up to Phillip, barking: “What, you want to make one with me?”
Phil joked: “Leave it you, back off. Sit down I’m in charge here mate.”
The following year Danny sat stoney-faced as Phillip made a gag about him being a fan of “trim down South” – in reference to Corrie’s Trim Up North barber shop.
The actor failed to respond and turned to the person sitting next to him, ignoring Phil, who laughed awkwardly.
Bright night
Kellie British had a snooze in the cab
Kellie Bright looked like she’d had a fabulous night as she left the Inside Soap Awards in 2017.
The actress – who plays landlady Linda Carter – was pictured having a snooze in the taxi home.
She’d already got in a spot of bother with screen hubby Danny Dyer after losing their Best Soap Partnership gong at the afterparty.
Tumble time
Jennifer fell foul of towering heels
Hollyoaks’ Jennifer Metcalfe was less than steady on her feet when she left the 2017 Inside Soap Awards.
The Mercedes McQueen star stumbled out of the glitzy bash and had to be helped to the car as she almost took a tumble.
Those towering heels may have been the culprit.
