Jane McDonald’s debut as host of the British Soap Awards was praised by viewers on Tuesday night after she was announced as a last-minute replacement for Phillip Schofield.
The singer and self-professed soap opera fan, 60, sparkled in a sequined gold dress as she took the stage for the ceremony at the Lowery Theatre.
Jane kicked off the star-studded ceremony, telling the audience, “I have to say I’m a huge fan of the soap operas, so this is my dream job. Welcome everyone, thank you for having me.’
Her performance was also met with excitement from the cast members, with Hollyoaks actress Nikki Sanderson revealing that fellow cast member Ross Adams, who plays Scott Drinkwell, was particularly excited about the new host.
She said, “Ross Adams is like her biggest fan ever, as soon as he found out he fangirled all over it. So it’s really exciting for us that she’s doing it, but really exciting for Ross.”
Sensational! Jane McDonald’s debut as host of the British Soap Awards was praised by viewers on Tuesday night, after she was announced as a last-minute replacement for Phillip Schofield
Astonishing! The singer and self-professed soap opera fan sparkled in a sequined gold dress as she took the stage for the ceremony at the Lowery Theater
Viewers certainly seemed to agree as they took to Twitter to praise Jane’s stint as host, with many begging for her to become a regular at the awards.
One tweeted, “It’s fair to say Jane McDonald is doing a great job under what must be some serious pressure,” while a second added, “Jane McDonald is the perfect host for this, I want her to do it every year.”
A third tweeted, “Love Jane McDonald as the new host. I hope she’s got the job now.’
One viewer added, “Jane McDonald really is a breath of fresh air, isn’t she?”
Another fan praised: “Jane McDonald fits like a glove at the Soap Awards.”
The evening saw a host of famous faces gather gongs for their work, with EastEnders winning the coveted Best Soap award, while Charlotte Jordan triumphed in Best Dramatic Performance for playing Daisy Midgeley in Coronation Street.
The soap won Villain of the Year for Aaron Thiara, who plays Ravi Gulati, and Best Young Performer, which went to Lillia Turner as Lily Slater.
Coronation Street took home the most accolades of the night, with six awards including Best Single Episode and Scene of the Year for Justin Rutherford’s (Andrew Still) depiction of an acid attack, who portrayed Daisy Midgeley (Charlotte Jordan) in the show. had stalked. ).
Stellar! Jane kicked off the star-studded ceremony, telling the audience, “I have to say I’m a huge fan of the soap operas, so this is my dream job. Welcome to you all, thank you for having me’
‘Fits like a glove!’ Viewers certainly seemed to agree as they took to Twitter to praise Jane’s stint as host, with many begging for her to become a regular at the awards.
Ryan Prescott, whose character Ryan Connor was injured in the attack, said there had been 330 acid attacks in Manchester in the past year.
He said, “It was great to be a part of something that could bring light to something so sensitive and something that happens a lot more than we actually know.”
Charlotte won Best Dramatic Performance, while Dame Maureen Lipman, who plays Evelyn Plummer, won Best Comedy Performer and Channique Sterling-Brown won Best Newcomer for her performance as Dee-Dee Bailey.
The Weatherfield-based soap also took home the Best Family award, which went to the Platts.
Hollyoaks was awarded Best Storyline for a plot in which Nikki Sanderson’s character Maxine Minniver was targeted by incel Eric Foster (Angus Castle-Doughty) along with her brother Mason Chen-Williams (Frank Kauer).
The soap’s head of casting was awarded the Tony Warren Award.
Emmerdale’s Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon Dingle, was presented with an Outstanding Achievement award and told the audience, ‘What a job, I loved every minute of it.’
Doctors actors Chris Walker and Jan Pearson took home the Best On-screen Partnership gong for their performances as Rob and Karen Hollins on the daytime soap.
Jane McDonald proved to be a hit as a host after taking over from Phillip Schofield.
The ceremony was hosted by the singer and cruise fan after she stepped in to replace former This Morning co-presenter Phillip as he left ITV amid furor over his extramarital affair with a younger male colleague.
Opera singer and cruise ship favorite Jane, 60, was revealed as Phillip’s replacement on Thursday after he left ITV and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to having an affair with a young male colleague This Morning.
He confessed to having an “ill-advised but not illegal” relationship with a man during his marriage to Stephanie Lowe, previously denying the affair when asked by his agent.
Resigned: Jane was revealed as Phillip’s replacement after he left ITV and was dropped by his agency YMU after admitting an affair with a young male This Morning colleague (Phillip is pictured for last year’s awards)
The presenter, 61, confirmed in a statement last month that he has resigned all his ITV jobs, including the ceremony.
And amid news of Jane taking over, fans hailed the star as the “perfect choice” to officiate at the ceremony.
Prior to hosting the awards, Jane said, “Oh my god…..everyone knows how much I love my soaps, this year I’ve had the honor of being featured in Corrie, EastEnders and Emmerdale so this is just a dream come true .
“Can’t wait to see all our amazing soap nominees and celebrate all their hard work with them – roll on the awards, I can’t wait!”