British Soap Awards 2025 took an unexpected turn on Thursday night as Denise Welch received a surprise honour that left both her – and viewers – completely stunned.
During the glittering ceremony at London’s Hackney Empire, stars from Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks gathered to celebrate another year of gripping storylines. Hosted by Jane McDonald, the night featured all the usual accolades — but one unexpected moment stole the spotlight.
As Denise Welch and Martin Kemp were about to present the Best Newcomer award, Martin paused and turned to Denise with a twist: she was about to become the recipient instead. Martin revealed that Denise had made British soap history by having roles in all four major UK soaps — Corrie, Emmerdale, EastEnders, and Hollyoaks.
To commemorate the rare feat, Denise was awarded the newly created CHEE Award — a cheeky acronym using the initials of each soap. Shirlie Kemp joined them on stage to present the special trophy, which was crafted using iconic items from each show: a cobble from Coronation Street, a Dingle wellie from Emmerdale, a pub label from Hollyoaks, and one of Pat Butcher’s legendary earrings from EastEnders.
“Thank you so much!” a surprised and touched Denise said on stage, before joking: “When people ask who I want to win Best Soap, I say I don’t mind – I’ve been in all of them!”
However, viewers were left both amused and baffled. Social media quickly lit up with reactions ranging from “I’m crying at the CHEE award” to “Help? What is going on?” and “Denise Welch winning an old boot award. Hilarious.”
Despite the confusion, many agreed that the moment was a fitting celebration of Denise’s decades-long impact on British television.
