THE British Soap Awards will be back in 2025 after a year’s hiatus, I can reveal. The great and the ghastly from EastEnders, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks will once again battle for gongs in the industry’s biggest event of the year. In 2023, Jane McDonald was drafted in as emergency host to cover long-time presenter Phillip Schofield — who had to relinquish the gig in the wake of the This Morning scandal.
ITV then shelved the annual awards for 2024. But now it’s thought likely that former Loose Women regular Jane will be back for the glitzy night next summer. A source told me: “Bosses know we’re a nation of soap lovers and The British Soap Awards is the biggest and best award ceremony for soap fans.
It’s been sorely missed this year, so everyone’s pleased it’s coming back for 2025. “It’s still very early stages, so there’s been no conversations about a host or location as yet, but execs and viewers were impressed with Jane as the host last year.” A lot has changed in soapland since the 2023 awards.
It will be the first time since 2000 that afternoon soap Doctors isn’t in the running, having been axed by the BBC last year. The last Best Performer winner was Danielle Harold , but she is no longer on EastEnders as Lola Pearce. And Coronation Street’s The Platts, who lifted the Best Family gong, will soon be torn apart when Helen Worth's Gail leaves the cobbles later this year after decades on the soap.
But there’s plenty of new talent.
