EastEnders celebrated a bittersweet but significant victory at this year’s BAFTA TV Awards, taking home the coveted title of Best Soap — a moment that carried extra weight given that rival ITV soap Emmerdale had to withdraw from the competition. The win came as a proud highlight for the long-running BBC drama, which faced off against other strong contenders including Casualty and Coronation Street, ultimately triumphing in a category known for fierce fan loyalty and intense industry respect. The ceremony, held at London’s prestigious Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, saw Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw take to the stage to accept the award on behalf of the entire EastEnders team. During his heartfelt speech, Clenshaw expressed deep gratitude to the fans who have supported the show through its many ups and downs over the past 40 years. Cast members stood proudly by his side, soaking in the applause as they were honoured not just for recent storylines, but for their continued role in shaping British television history. The victory marked both a nostalgic and forward-looking moment for the soap, as it reasserts its cultural relevance and emotional connection with viewers across the UK.
However, the win comes after ITV competitor Emmerdale withdrew its entry for the award back in March after one of the scriptwriters was found guilty of domestic abuse.
Bosses at the channel pulled out of the nomination after writer Martin Fustes pleaded guilty to assaulting his girlfriend.
According to The Sun, ITV felt it was inappropriate to be included after the recent developments, as the soap has recently featured and won acclaim for a storyline about domestic abuse.
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EastEnders bagged a bittersweet win as Best Soap at BAFTA TV Awards after ITV rival Emmerdale was forced to withdraw from nominations
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Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw (pictured) accepted the award and thanked fans for their support over the last 40 years while cast members stood proudly beside him on stage
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However, the win comes after ITV competitor Emmerdale withdrew its entry for the award back in March after writer Martin Fustes pleaded guilty to assaulting his girlfriend (pictured outside Hull Crown Court)
A spokesperson for ITV and Emmerdale told MailOnline at the time: ‘ITV and Emmerdale have taken the decision to withdraw from the Soap category from this year’s awards.
‘This is in consideration of recent news involving a member of the scriptwriting team.’
The Sun reported how BAFTA members had been told that anyone who had voted for Emmerdale had to recast their votes following the withdrawal.
The top writer for Emmerdale told his partner he wanted to kill her and chop up her face, a court heard.
Martin Fustes, 47, assaulted the terrified woman and the made vile threats on January 27 after a late-night argument at their home in Beverley, East Yorkshire, where they lived with their children.
She feared she was going to die after abusive boyfriend Fustes turned nasty and began suffocating her by putting his hands over her nose and mouth and told her he wished she could be set alight and hanged from a tree.
Fustes admitted assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, and an offence of intentional suffocation when he appeared before Hull Magistrates’ Court on January 31.
At his sentencing at Hull Crown Court on February 28, he was given a two-year suspended prison sentence, 150 hours unpaid work, 15 days rehabilitation and a 26-session probation service domestic abuse programme.
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The BBC drama beat Casualty and Coronation Street and scooped the prize at the prestigious ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London on Sunday
He was also ordered to pay £2,000 compensation, £150 in costs and was given a ten-year restraining order.
Fustes has been an Emmerdale writer for at least 10 years, according to a fan page of the ITV soap, and is understood to have even penned domestic violence storylines -a key focus in the soap over the last 12 months.
An ITV spokesperson said at the time: ‘We were shocked and appalled to learn about the recent court case involving Emmerdale writer Martin Fustes. Mr Fustes is a freelance writer and he has been informed that he will no longer be writing for Emmerdale.
‘Everyone at ITV and Emmerdale abhors domestic abuse, which is why we have been highlighting the issue in a major storyline over the last 12 months. The Emmerdale production team were not aware of these charges against Mr Fustes until we were alerted over the weekend.’
