D3ATH ISN’T THE END – Inside Soap Awards 2025 brings BACK “Best Exit”: Martin, Craig, Leyla & Amy (Emmerdale) – Who gets Inside Soap’s crown?

The nominations for the 2025 Inside Soap Awards have been revealed, with one category set to make a surprise return after six years away.

After a string of iconic characters have bid farewell in recent months, bosses have brought back the Best Exit award.

A whole host of gripping storylines and showstopping moments, along with the iconic characters at the forefront of them, lead this year’s nominations.

These include Corrie’s Debbie being diagnosed with dementia, Phil’s mental health struggles in EastEnders, Robert crashing Aaron and John’s wedding in Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks‘ hard-hitting teen sexual exploitation plot.

It comes at a time where many of TV’s biggest soaps are facing huge shake-ups, with ITV favourites Coronation Street and Emmerdale set to have their weekly episode counts slashed in 2026.

Once again, a string of big names will battle it out for Best Actor, including Corrie’s Jack P Shepherd, Emmerdale’s Danny Miller and EastEnders’ Steve McFadden.

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The nominations for the 2025 Inside Soap Awards have been revealed, with one category set to make a surprise return after six years away

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After a string of iconic characters have bid farewell in recent months, bosses have brought back the Best Exit award

Meanwhile nominees for Best Actress include Corrie’s Sue Devanet, EastEnders’ Lacey Turner, and Hollyoaks’ Jennifer Metcalfe.

Nominations for Best Storyline once again include Debbie’s battle with dementia on Corrie, Phil’s mental health struggles in EastEnders, Joe Tate’s fight for survival on Emmerdale, and Cleo’s shocking abuse ordeal in Hollyoaks.

‘The Inside Soap Awards remain the only trophies of their kind to be voted for entirely by the real experts – the soap viewing public,’ said Inside Soap magazine editor Sarah Ellis. ‘

‘Over 90,000 soap fans vote each and every year; and in addition to our list of nominees, our Soap Superstar category allows readers to put forward their own suggestions of who they feel deserves to be honoured.

‘The past 12 months have been an epic time in soap, and I can’t wait to see who the readers of Inside Soap have decided to crown their favourites this year.’

2025 also sees the return of the Best Exit category, paying tribute to those characters who’ve either met tragic ends, or moved on to pastures new this year.

‘Sadly, we’ve had to say goodbye to some truly beloved soap characters over the past 12 months,’ Sarah said.

”Who didn’t cry their eyes out at Martin’s shock d3ath during EastEnders’ live episode?

‘And we’re still not over poor Craig’s tragic demise in Corrie, or the loss of Leyla and Amy in the devastating Emmerdale limo crash. But it’s up to the fans which exit will get their vote.’

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A whole host of gripping storylines and showstopping moments, along with the iconic characters at the forefront of them, lead this year’s nominations

Voting for the Inside Soap Awards 2025 opens at midday on Tuesday, July 8, and winners will be announced at a star-studded ceremony in London this September.

Fans can vote online by visiting www.insidesoap.co.uk/awards or by filling in the voting form in the Inside Soap magazine.

The move comes after it was revealed earlier this year how ITV bosses are slashing their soaps’ episode count.

Emmerdale currently airs six episodes weekly, Monday to Friday with a double bill on Thursdays.

Meanwhile, Coronation Street also airs six episodes per week, with two episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Next year, only five 30-minute episodes of each show will air – a real terms cut to soap broadcast time of 17%.

Bosses will introduce a soaps power hour from Monday to Friday with 30-minute Emmerdale episodes airing at 8pm and 30-minute Coronation Street episodes airing at 8:30pm.

However, the start of the new 2026 schedule will at least be marked in style, as both soaps embark on an ambitious, never-before-seen stunt as part of a week of special episodes.

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Nominations for Best Storyline once again include Phil’s mental health struggles in EastEnders, with star Steve McFadden also up for Best Actor

Defending the changes, ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment Kevin Lygo said: ‘The new commissioning pattern is viewer-led.

‘We already give more choice than ever to viewers on how they watch us through ITVX and we want to present their favourite soap to them, in the most digestible way.’

‘In a world where there is so much competition for viewers’ time and attention, and viewing habits continue to change, we believe this is the right amount of episodes that fans can fit into their viewing schedule, to keep up to date with the shows.’

Over on the BBC, fans can watch new episodes of EastEnders from 6am on iPlayer before they’re broadcast that evening on BBC One.