The biggest night in soapland descended into chaos after the British Soap Awards faced a bomb threat and the biggest stars in the UK were forced to flee the venue
The British Soap Awards was threatened with a bomb scare.
The award show took place on 31 May at London’s Hackney Empire and was hosted by acting royalty Jane McDonald, David Jason and Larry Lamb.
However, the night did not go to plan as the stars were ordered to emergency evacuate the premises just before 1am. A source spoke to The Mirror about the incident and said: “It was total panic. Security rushed around and told everyone to get out immediately.”
“At first, they didn’t say why, but soon we were told there was a bomb threat. Everyone was left standing outside, confused and shocked.”
They added: “It was surreal. One minute we were celebrating, the next we were out on the pavement wondering what was going on.”
Footage shows EastEnders’ Tameka Empson and Hollyoaks’ Emmett J Scanlan standing on the streets as the soap stars were safely escorted out of the building.
At this year’s awards, EastEnders took home eight gongs, while the show’s closest rival Hollyoaks was given three.
The London-based soap was given the prestigious Best Soap ward for the live episode in celebration of the series’ anniversary.
The plot saw Anita Dobson return as Angie Watts while Martin Fowler died in Stacey’s arms. EastEnders legend Lacey Turner was given Best Leading Performer ahead of her departure.
Phil Mitchell actor Steve McFadden won Best Dramatic Performance, but did not attend the awards show.
EastEnders also took home Comedy Performance and Villain of the Year.
It was not a great night for Emmerdale and Coronation Street, who not only took home the least gongs but are also facing some serious scheduling shake-ups.
Starting January 2026 both shows will be cut down to five 30-minute episodes a week, shedding an hour of soap action, for ITV’s “Power Hour”. Emmerdale will be kicking off at 8 pm followed by Corrie at 8:30 pm, Monday through Friday.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
