The British Soap Awards 2023 will see the UK’s popular dramas and performers battle it out be honoured at a star-studded ceremony in Greater Manchester.
Singer and travel presenter Jane McDonald, 60, will host the event on Saturday at The Lowry in Salford Quays.
McDonald was announced on Thursday as replacement for Phillip Schofield, 61, after he quit ITV last week and was dropped by his talent agency YMU following him admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague.
Last year, the award show went gender-neutral and made its return after a three-year gap due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The ceremony saw ITV’s Coronation Street and the BBC’s EastEnders dominate by securing four awards.
This year, Danielle Harold as Lola Pearce-Brown – who recently died in EastEnders after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour – and Charlotte Jordan as Coronation Street’s Daisy Midgeley – who has been the victim of stalking in a long-running storyline – are up for best dramatic performance.
Other nods in the category have gone to Chris Walker as Rob Hollins in Doctors, Jeff Hordley as Cain Dingle in Emmerdale and Nikki Sanderson as Maxine Minniver in Hollyoaks.
Harold and Jordan’s long-running character arcs will also face each other in the best storyline category along with Sanderson, who as Maxine has been targeted by Eric Foster (Angus Castle-Doughty) alongside her brother Mason Chen-Williams (Frank Kauer).
Other storylines such as prescriptions being forged in Doctors and a suicide attempt by Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) in Emmerdale could also go home with the gong.
Recognised in the best single episode category are a Coronation Street instalment which saw Justin Rutherford (Andrew Still) attempt to throw acid on Daisy, and the funeral of Dot Branning (June Brown) in EastEnders.
Other nominated episodes showed Maxine walking home after a night out in Hollyoaks, Paddy attending a men’s support group in Emmerdale and the death of a regular character in Doctors.
The scene of the year nominations also include the acid attack and Paddy’s suicide attempt, along with an explosion causing multiple casualties on Doctors, Maxine being told her experience of abuse is not her fault, and Zack Hudson (James Farrar) and Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) losing their baby daughter on EastEnders.
Lola and Jay Brown and Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) and Paddy are among characters named in the best on-screen partnership category.
Villain of the year will be picked up by Todd Boyce as Stephen Reid in Coronation Street, Laura White as Princess Buchanan in Doctors, Aaron Thiara as Ravi Gulati in EastEnders, Michael Wildman as Al Chapman in Emmerdale or Castle-Doughty as Eric in Hollyoaks.
The gong for best young performer will be Jude Riordan as Sam Blakeman in Coronation Street, Lillia Turner as Lily Slater in EastEnders, Huey Quinn as Kyle Winchester in Emmerdale, or Jayden Fox as Bobby Costello in Hollyoaks.
Best comedy performance will go to Maureen Lipman as Evelyn Plummer in Coronation Street, Ian Midlane as Al Haskey in Doctors, Jonny Freeman as Reiss Colwell in EastEnders, Samantha Giles as Bernice Blackstock in Emmerdale, or Kieron Richardson as Ste Hay in Hollyoaks.
The best family category will be chosen from the Platts in Coronation Street, the Millars in Doctors, the Slaters in EastEnders, the Dingles in Emmerdale and the McQueens in Hollyoaks.
The British Soap Awards take place on Saturday at 7.45pm and will be broadcast on ITV1 between 8pm and 10pm on Tuesday.