Soap award ceremonies rightly reward the big hitters and the blockbuster plots, but we want to take a moment to shine a light on the unsung stars of our favourite soaps, the ones who get overlooked at awards season and are criminally neglected when it comes to giving out gongs.
You may agree, you may not, and you might have your own ideas as to who the unsung heroes of soap are, but here's our top 10 – complete with tailor-made imaginary awards categories and everything. And the winners are…
1. Youngest Lifetime Achievement Award: Ellis Hollins (Hollyoaks' Tom Cunningham)
Ellis is a soap veteran at the age of 18, having played Tom since 2003 when he was just three years old. Three! That's almost 16 years, pretty much his entire life, in the same role without a break. He was in it practically before he could talk.
Tom has been kidnapped, held hostage, fathered a child, grieved for countless friends and family members, been involved in numerous stunts – so the excellent Ellis could be the first soap star to win both Best Young Actor and Lifetime Achievement prizes within the same decade or so. We'd love to read his autobiography.
2. Secretly Hilarious Award: Kate Ford (Coronation Street's Tracy Barlow)
We'll admit it, a few years back Tracy's toxic beeyatch shtick was starting to wear thin, as her interminable feud with Carla Connor dragged on so long we forgot why they even disliked each other in the first place. Corrie has wisely pulled back on making Trace the arch-villain of the street, endlessly plotting to destroy Carla, and instead she's become the next Blanche Hunt, Ms Barlow's much-missed no-nonsense granny, famed for her acid tongue and poisonous putdowns.
While Tracy usually only gets nominated in the Best Bitch category, her cruelly sardonic observations and Kate Ford's comic timing (no-one rolls their eyes quite like her) should be recognised.
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3. Underrated Powerhouse Award: Alex Fletcher (Hollyoaks' Diane Hutchinson)
Alex is such a natural and so consistent as relatable drama-magnet Di that she gets unfairly overlooked when it comes to nominations and accolades, but if there's any justice, the recent storyline with daughter Dee Dee's illness should put a stop to that. Alex broke our hearts with her quiet strength as Diane faced losing her little girl, underplaying brilliantly and avoiding any showy snot-and-tears-for-the-sake-of-it tricks in her performance.
Nick Pickard's great too as hubby Tony, but he got 2017's special achievement British Soap Awards nod so already has something shiny on his mantelpiece.
4. Most Criminally Underused Award: Linda Henry (EastEnders' Shirley Carter)
What exactly happened to the mighty Shirley Carter? A few years back she was at the centre of Albert Square, established in the Queen Vic with a whole family built around her, her own 'You ain't my muvva' moment with secret son Mick, and she was becoming the new Pat Evans.
Now she just seems to shuffle around behind the bar with a hangover trying to get out of cleaning the bogs. For a lack of decent storylines, the brilliant Linda Henry deserves a medal. But some decent storylines would be better.
5. Soap Star Most Unlike Their Character In Real Life Award: James Hooton (Emmerdale's Sam Dingle)
Have you ever seen James being interviewed? The actor rarely does telly chats, but when he was on This Morning a while back, fans couldn't believe he was so well-spoken and clever, a million miles away from nice-but-dim Sam.
Twitter exploded with shocked viewers commenting how different James was in real life to his character. Yes, folks, it's called acting, but convincing the world you're, um, how can we put this, one pig short of a sty means he's done a pretty great job.
6. Scene Stealer Award: Gillian Wright (EastEnders' Jean Walters)
If you can tune out of the screechy white noise of the Slaters' much-heralded return for long enough, you'll see it's queen Jean who emerges as the best of the brassy bunch.
Gillian Wright has always been brilliant in her many stints in the Square, whether it's portraying her character's bipolar struggle or the light 'Sausage Surprise' style comedy. She's proper bossing it this time round, effortlessly stealing scenes from loudmouth Kat and OTT Delboy granny Big Mo. And she's the only one to point out none of the Slater women in that house are actually Slaters any more…
7. Funniest Character Award (not always intentionally): Helen Flanagan (Coronation Street's Rosie Webster)
From a character constantly trying to be the funniest person in the room, to one who has no idea how amusing they are. We're usually laughing at wannabe-WAG Rosie rather than with her, due to her random observations and sweet naivety, but not in a mean way.
Helen Flanagan has been a revelation since coming back to Corrie last year as writers gleefully re-tooled the pouting, selfie-obsessed airhead as Weatherfield's answer to Legally Blonde heroine Elle Woods by having her become a legal secretary. And actually be quite good at it. Rosie is off screen at the moment as Helen is on maternity leave, but we're already looking forward to her return.
8. Most Useful In A Crisis Award: Andrew Scarborough (Emmerdale's Graham Foster)
Attacked in the street by an assailant carrying a load of acid? Your house being bulldozed? Don't worry, Graham will sort it. Fans can't get enough of the brooding butler's shady-but-tragic backstory that's drip fed with new revelations every so often, such as his skill in martial arts, brute strength and knowing exactly what to do in a crisis.
The brilliant Andrew Scarborough has made enigmatic Graham someone who could both save and end your life just as easily. We want a prequel with Graham as a Jason Bourne-style assassin.
9. Life Saver Award: Kim's Rick Astley poster (Hollyoaks)
If we're talking heroes, this is the real deal. What would've happened had that poster of the '80s pop crooner not been there for incarcerated Kim to talk to while she was barricaded in her basement prison for all those weeks? It doesn't bear thinking about.
We always knew Ricky was never gonna give her up, let her down, run around, or desert her – no wonder he even popped up for a cameo when Kim left the show.
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