Congratulations are in order for the Emmerdale team after scooping up some big wins at TV Choice Awards.
The cast got glammed up to hit the red carpet ahead of the ceremony, which saw them take home two out of three available soap awards.
After a dramatic year in the Dales, the Yorkshire-based soap took home the coveted award for Best Soap, beating out competitors EastEnders, Coronation Street and Doctors.
It has been a year of huge storylines for the show, from Heath Hope’s devastating death at the beginning of 2024, to April Windsor’s (Amelia Flanagan) harrowing ordeal after running away from home.
Actress Beth Cordingly also scooped up the prize for Best Newcomer for her role as feisty but troubled Ruby Fox-Miligan.
Ruby first arrived in the village as Caleb Miligan’s (William Ash) estranged wife, and was quick to set the cat among the pigeons, garnering a reputation for causing chaos wherever she went.
She was quick to expose Caleb’s affair with Tracy Shankley (Amy Walsh), knock Ethan down in a hit and run, and embark on an ongoing feud with Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb).
Her antics earned her a place in viewers hearts, which was further cemented when details of her childhood were revealed.
Ruby has been at the centre of a huge storyline which has seen her open up about the sexual abuse she faced at the hands of her father, Anthony Fox, as a teenager.
In recent weeks, she discovered that daughter Steph Miligan (Georgia Jay) wasn’t husband Caleb’s biological daughter, meaning that she was Anthony’s.
After the truth was revealed, Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) attacked Anthony, leaving him for dead in the depot, before Ruby arrived and suffocated him to death.
Emmerdale’s success comes after news that the show is set to be hit by cuts next year.
From 2026, Emmerdale and Coronation Street’s output will be reduced to five episodes a week.
The 30 minute episodes will air in what bosses call a ‘soap power hour’ from Monday to Friday, with Emmerdale hitting screens at 8pm, followed by Corrie at 8.30pm.
The change comes amid audience research into viewing patterns, and will result in up to 75 job losses across the soaps.
To mark the changes, both soaps will air a never before seen stunt during a week of special episodes.
Coronation Street also had cause to celebrate during this turbulent time, after actor Peter Ash took home the award for Best Soap Performance for his role as Paul Foreman.
Paul’s final storyline on the cobbles saw him diagnosed with motor neurone disease, and followed his journey as his condition deteriorated.
