On the Box guide to The British Soap Awards

F E A T U R E S
FEATURES \| INTERVIEWS \| CD REVIEWS \| BOOK REVIEWS \| DVD REVIEWS

2003 UK SOAP AWARDS
Wednesday 14 May 2003 8:00 PM 10:00 PM ITV Network ITV2 - Wednesday 14 May 2003, 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, repeated Wednesday 14 May 2003,10:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Des O’Connor and Melanie Sykes are the hosts for this year’s glittering awards ceremony honouring television’s most popular performers – THE BRITISH SOAP AWARDS 2003.James Nesbitt is back as undercover Detective Sergeant Tommy Murphy in Murphy’s Law, a new series for BBC ONE, who is joined by newly-promoted boss Claudia Harrison (Attachments) as Detective Inspector Annie Guthrie. For one very special night the Queen Vic is closed, the till at the Woolpack is locked, and the Rovers Return stands empty, as the stars of Brookside, Coronation Street, Crossroads, Doctors, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Family Affairs and Hollyoaks come together for an evening of glamour and celebration. Des and Melanie will introduce a star-studded line-up to reveal the winners of the 16 awards. Des O’Connor says: “The soaps are the most watched shows on TV and the characters from them are either loved or loathed by the public. Of course, every soap wants to be top of the ratings, but for this one night all the rivalry is put aside for everyone to join in the mutual celebration. “This will be a fun-filled night of excitement and glamour – a chance for all soap stars to let their hair down and have a wonderful evening together. Mel and I are looking forward to helping make it a very special night for winners and losers and, of course, the TV viewers.” Melanie Sykes says: “I’m a huge soap fan, so co-hosting the British Soap Awards with Des is very exciting. There have been so many amazing storylines this year, I can’t wait to find out who wins.” Now in their fifth year, THE BRITISH SOAP AWARDS are the highpoint of the soap calendar. Last year EastEnders swept the board, picking up 10 awards including Best British Soap and Best Single Episode. Martin Kemp and Kacey Ainsworth were voted Best Actor and Actress, June Brown and John Bardon won Best On-Screen Partnership, Alex Ferns picked up Best Newcomer and Villain of the Year, and Martin Kemp and Jessie Wallace won The What’s On TV Awards for Sexiest Male and Female. Brookside won in two categories – Best Storyline and Best Dramatic Performance from Raymond Quinn. Coronation Street’s Malcolm Hebden won Best Comedy Performance, and Night & Day’s Stuart Manning picked up Hero of the Year. The Best Exit Award went to Emmerdale for Batley’s death, and the Spectacular Scene of the Year Award to Hollyoaks for Adam and Mandy’s car crash. In the past twelve months, soap fans have been treated to some spectacular highlights on screen, so expect plenty of nail-biting moments as the envelopes are prised open and this year’s award winners are revealed. As well as the awards ceremony on ITV1, there will be more star-studded coverage over on ITV2, with exclusive access to the pre and post-show parties. NOMINATIONS There are 16 categories in the BRITISH SOAP AWARDS. Six are voted for by viewers, readers of What’s On TV and The Sun TV Magazine, and online at http://www.itv.com/britishsoapawards
They are: Best Actor Best Actress What’s On TV Magazine Award for Sexiest Male What’s On TV Magazine Award for Sexiest Female Villain of the Year Best British Soap The other 10 are awarded by a panel made up of expert critics plus representatives from each soap. They are: Best Comedy Performance Best Dramatic Performance Hero of the Year Spectacular Scene of the Year Best Single Episode Best Storyline Best On-Screen Partnership Best Newcomer Best Exit Special Achievement Award The judging panel is chaired by Mark Wells, Carlton Television’s Controller of Entertainment. The critics are: Richard Arnold - GMTV Hellen Gardner - Soaplife Stafford Hildred - Sun TV Magazine Stephen Murphy - Inside Soap Jaci Stephen - This Morning and Daily Mail Colin Tough - What’s On TV The nominations are as follows. PANEL VOTED CATEGORIES BEST COMEDY PERFORMANCE Brookside - Vince Earl Coronation Street - Andrew Whyment EastEnders - Shane Richie Emmerdale - Mark Charnock BEST DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE Brookside - Raymond Quinn Coronation Street - Sue Nicholls EastEnders - Natalie Cassidy Emmerdale - Leah Bracknell HERO OF THE YEAR Brookside - Neil Caple Coronation Street - Sue Nicholls EastEnders - Kacey Ainsworth Hollyoaks - Marcus Patric BEST EXIT Coronation Street - Brian Capron EastEnders - Jack Ryder Emmerdale - Freya Copeland Hollyoaks - Lesley Johnston
BEST NEWCOMER Brookside - Jack McMullen Crossroads - Freema Agyeman EastEnders - Shane Richie Hollyoaks - Lee Otway BEST ON-SCREEN PARTNERSHIP Brookside - Philip Olivier & Steven Fletcher Brookside - Sarah White & Jack McMullen Coronation Street - Suranne Jones & Simon Gregson Emmerdale - Mark Charnock & Sheree Murphy BEST STORYLINE Brookside - Anthony’s journey as he faces the consequences of his actions (Raymond Quinn & Neil Caple) Coronation Street - Richard Hillman’s reign of terror (Brian Capron, Helen Worth & Sue Nicholls) EastEnders - Little Mo survives prison, stands up to Trevor and marries Billy (Kacey Ainsworth, Alex Ferns & Perry Fenwick) Emmerdale - Zoe suffers from schizophrenia (Leah Bracknell & Peter Amory) SPECTACULAR SCENE OF THE YEAR Brookside - Helicopter crash (Philip Olivier, Katy Lamont & Greg Milburn) Coronation Street - Richard Hillman’s final demise (Brian Capron, Helen Worth, Tina O’Brien & Jack P. Shepherd) Doctors - Car crash involving Kali And Phil (Christopher Timothy, Maggie Cronin & Richard Standing) Hollyoaks - Bus teetering on cliff (Marcus Patric, Darren Jeffries & Stefan Booth) BEST SINGLE EPISODE Coronation Street - Richard’s confession to Gail EastEnders - Hallowe’en Night (Trevor & Little Mo) Emmerdale - Marlon & Tricia’s thwarted wedding Family Affairs - The birth of Grace Ellis VIEWER VOTED CATEGORIES BEST ACTOR Brookside Anthony Murray - Raymond Quinn Marty Murray - Neil Caple Jimmy Corkhill - Dean Sullivan Coronation Street Richard Hillman - Brian Capron Ashley Peacock - Steven Arnold Ken Barlow - William Roache Crossroads Rocky Wesson - Roger Sloman Ethan Black - John Bowler Max Samson - Stuart Milligan Doctors Dr. ‘Mac’ McGuire - Christopher Timothy Dr. Ben Kwarme - Ariyon Bakare Dr. Marc Eliot - Tom Butcher EastEnders Phil Mitchell - Steve McFadden Billy Mitchell - Perry Fenwick Trevor Morgan - Alex Ferns Emmerdale Bob Hope - Tony Audenshaw Cain Dingle - Jeff Hordley Marlon Dingle - Mark Charnock Family Affairs Matt Ellis - Matthew Jay Lewis Roy Farmer - Miles Petit Robert Davenport - Brian Cowan Hollyoaks Norman Sankofa - Jamie Luke Ben Davies - Marcus Patric Adam Morgan - David Brown BEST ACTRESS Brookside Bev McLoughlin - Sarah White Nikki Shadwick - Suzanne Collins Brigid McKenna - Meg Johnson Coronation Street Shelley Unwin - Sally Lindsay Gail Hillman - Helen Worth Audrey Roberts - Sue Nicholls Crossroads Angel Samson - Jane Asher Kate Russell - Jane Gurnett Betty Waddell - Anne Charleston Doctors Dr. Helen Thompson - Corrinne Wicks Dr. Jude Carlyle - Natalie Robb Kate McGuire - Maggie Cronin EastEnders ‘Little’ Mo Mitchell - Kacey Ainsworth Sonia Jackson - Natalie Cassidy Kat Slater - Jessie Wallace Emmerdale Zoe Tate - Leah Bracknell Tricia Dingle - Sheree Murphy Viv Hope - Deena Payne Family Affairs Karen Ellis - Tanya Franks Eileen Day - Rosie Rowell Geri Evans - Anna Acton Hollyoaks Mandy Richardson - Sarah Dunn Izzy Cornwell - Elize Du Toit Lisa Hunter - Gemma Atkinson WHAT’S ON TV MAGAZINE AWARD FOR SEXIEST FEMALE Brookside Emily O’Leary - Jennifer Ellison Nikki Shadwick - Suzanne Collins Laura Stevens - Elizabeth Avis Coronation Street Karen McDonald - Suranne Jones Tracy Preston - Kate Ford Maria Sutherland - Samia Ghadie Crossroads Lola Wise - Freema Agyeman Helen Raven - Lucy Pargeter Tracey Booth - Cindy Marshall-Day Doctors Dr. Helen Thompson - Corrinne Wicks Dr. Jude Carlyle - Natalie Robb Dr. George Woodson - Stirling Gallacher EastEnders Kat Slater - Jessie Wallace Sam Mitchell - Kim Medcalf Zoe Slater - Michelle Ryan Emmerdale Louise Appleton - Emily Symons Katie Addyman - Sammy Winward Chloe Atkinson - Amy Nuttall Family Affairs Yasmin Matthews - Ebony Thomas Gemma Craig - Angela Hazeldine Lucy Day - Julia Lee Smith Hollyoaks Izzy Cornwell - Elize Du Toit Becca Hayton - Ali Bastian Dale Jackson - Laila Rouass WHAT’S ON TV MAGAZINE AWARD FOR SEXIEST MALE Brookside Tim O’Leary - Philip Olivier Steve Murray - Steven Fletcher Sean Smith - Barry Sloane Coronation Street Joe Carter - Jonathan Wrather Ciaran McCarthy - Keith Duffy Dev Alahan - Jimmi Harkishin Crossroads Ryan Samson - Luke Roberts Jimmy Samson - Graham McGrath Joe Lacey - Richard Burke Doctors Dr. Oliver Berg - Laurence Penry-Jones Dr. Ben Kwarme - Ariyon Bakare Dr. Marc Eliot - Tom Butcher EastEnders Alfie Moon - Shane Richie Jamie Mitchell - Jack Ryder Martin Fowler - James Alexandrou Emmerdale Cain Dingle - Jeff Hordley Scott Windsor - Ben Freeman Ronnie Marsden - Ray Ashcroft Family Affairs Cameron Davenport - Rupert Hill Jake Walker - Seb Castang Pete Callan - David Easter Hollyoaks Luke Morgan - Gary Lucy Ben Davies - Marcus Patric Scott Anderson - Daniel Hyde VILLAIN OF THE YEAR Brookside Terry Gibson - Greg Milburn Dan Morrisey - Matthew Crompton Coronation Street Richard Hillman - Brian Capron Aidan Critchley - Dean Ashton Crossroads Angel Samson - Jane Asher Ethan Black - John Bowler Doctors Kate McGuire - Maggie Cronin Liam McGuire - Tim Matthews EastEnders Trevor Morgan - Alex Ferns Phil Mitchell - Steve McFadden Emmerdale Ray Mullan - Seamus Gubbins Cain Dingle - Jeff Hordley Family Affairs David Easter - Pete Callan Claire Toomey - Tina Hall Hollyoaks Scott Anderson - Daniel Hyde Laura Burns - Lesley Johnston BEST BRITISH SOAP Brookside Coronation Street Crossroads Doctors EastEnders Emmerdale Family Affairs Hollyoaks The winner of the Special Achievement Award will be announced on the night. THE BRITISH SOAP AWARDS 2003 is a Carlton Production for ITV. The director is Ian Hamilton, the producer is Sue Andrew and the executive producer is Mark Wells.