2 million watch Emmerdale win top soap gong

Kieron McCarron/ITV

The British Soap Awards return watched by 2 million viewers.

The British Soap Awards returned to our screens on Saturday night, pulling in an average of 2 million viewers for ITV. The awards last took place in 2019 after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The live ceremony, hosted by Philip Schofield, was held at the Hackney Empire in London.

ITV’s Emmerdale picked up the award for Best Soap in its 50th anniversary year.

The Yorkshire soap, which will celebrate its big birthday in October, also picked up awards for Best Leading Performer, Best Dramatic Performance and Best Family.

More: Full list of winners from the 2022 British Soap Awards >

Last night’s ceremony paid tribute to Australian soap Neighbours which comes to an end in August. Jackie Woodburne and Ian Smith, who play Susan Kennedy and Harold Bishop in the show, thanked the UK audience after wrapping up filming on Friday.

The low ratings for the soap awards, down 800k from 2019, mirror the decline in viewers for soap operas.