Inside Soap Awards 2025 Nominations Odds: EastEnders Favourite To Land Best Soap
The longlist nominations for this year's Inside Soap Awards are out - and there are some hugely competitive categories ahead of this year's September ceremony.
The Inside Soap Awards are particularly special because all categories are viewer-voted, meaning those who tune into the episodes get the final say on who picks up the trophies on the night.
EastEnders head into this year's Inside Soap Awards in hugely impressive form, after scooping a massive eight wins at this year's British Soap Awards in May, including the main accolade - Best British Soap.
Surprisingly, Coronation Street was bottom of the pile with just one win, followed by Emmerdale (two) and Hollyoaks (three).
However, the Inside Soap Awards have tended to be a happier hunting ground for Corrie, and there's a strong chance characters will be dancing in the streets of Weatherfield or Walford at the end of this year's event.
That's because in the last five Inside Soap Awards, one of Corrie or EastEnders have won Best Soap.
Inside Soap Awards 2025: Best British Soap Odds
Soap | Odds | Probability |
EastEnders | 5/4 | 44.4% |
Coronation Street | 11/8 | 42.1% |
Emmerdale | 5/2 | 28.6% |
Hollyoaks | 3/1 | 25% |
You have to go back to 2019 until that was broken - when Hollyoaks scooped the gong, while Emmerdale hasn't won the accolade since 2017.
The fact that EastEnders is in its 40th anniversary year could sway the public, and the BBC show is a narrow 5/4 favourite on betting sites to land the biggest award of the night, followed by 11/8 chance Corrie.
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Lacey's To Lose
EastEnders could have further joy in the Best Actress category.
Lacey Turner has a longlist nod for Best Actress for the first time since 2022, when she lost out to her on-screen mother, Gillian Wright (Jean Slater).
But she did win the All Time Icon award that same year for her perfect portrayals of Stacey Slater.
Best Actress could be Lacey's to lose this year, after her incredible performances following Stacey's ex-husband Martin Fowler's (James Bye) tragic passing.
Lacey even came back from maternity leave to shoot the show's 40th anniversary live episode, just weeks after giving birth to her third child.
Inside Soap Awards 2025: Best Actress Odds
Best Actress | Odds | Probability |
Lacey Turner (Stacey Slater, EastEnders) | 6/4 | 40% |
Beth Cordingly (Ruby Miligan, Emmerdale) | 13/8 | 38.1% |
Isabelle Smith (Frankie Osborne, Hollyoaks) | 15/8 | 34.8% |
Sue Devaney (Debbie Webster, Coronation Street) | 2/1 | 33.3% |
Cait Fitton (Lauren Bolton, Coronation Street) | 5/2 | 28.6% |
Emma Atkins (Charity Dingle, Emmerdale) | 3/1 | 25% |
Vicky Myers (Lisa Swain, Coronation Street) | 7/2 | 22.2% |
Amy Walsh (Tracy Robinson, Emmerdale) | 4/1 | 20% |
Jennifer Metcalfe (Mercedes McQueen, Hollyoaks) | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Michelle Collins (Cindy Beale, EastEnders) | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Diane Parish (Denise Fox, EastEnders) | 7/1 | 12.5% |
Nadine Mulkerrin (Cleo McQueen, Hollyoaks) | 8/1 | 11.1% |
And, like EastEnders, she is also in top form ahead of the Inside Soap Awards, after winning the Best Leading Performer prize at this year's British Soap Awards.
Lacey is the 6/4 frontrunner on betting apps to win Best Actress at the 2025 Inside Soap Awards, followed by Emmerdale's Beth Cordingly (Ruby Miligan) at 13/8, and 15/8 Hollyoaks chance Isabelle Smith, who portrays Frankie Osborne in the show.
Elsewhere, Coronation Street pair Sue Devaney (Debbie Webster) and Cait Fitton (Lauren Bolton) will no doubt be in contention.
Steve's Strong Form
At this year's British Soap Awards, none of the male actors made it into the Best Leading Performer shortlist - but one of them will win Best Actor at the Inside Soap Awards.
EastEnders icon Steve McFadden - who is well known for playing hard-man Phil Mitchell - is 13/8 favourite for the gong, fresh from scooping Best Dramatic Performance at the British Soap Awards.
Steve hasn't won Best Actor at the Inside Soap Awards since 2016, but rarely does his character get to show a vulnerable side like Phil has in the past 12 months.
Inside Soap Awards 2025: Best Actor Odds
Best Actor | Odds | Probability |
Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell, EastEnders) | 13/8 | 38.1% |
Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle, Emmerdale) | 15/8 | 34.8% |
Jack P Shepherd (David Platt, Coronation Street) | 2/1 | 33.3% |
Jacob Roberts (Kit Green, Coronation Street) | 3/1 | 25% |
William Ash (Caleb Miligan, Emmerdale) | 7/2 | 22.2% |
Gareth Pierce (Todd Grimshaw, Coronation Street) | 4/1 | 20% |
Paul Bradley (Nigel Bates, EastEnders) | 9/2 | 18.2% |
Danny Miller (Aaron Dingle, Emmerdale) | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Kieron Richardson (Ste Hay, Hollyoaks) | 11/2 | 15.4% |
Scott Maslen (Jack Branning, EastEnders) | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Ashley Taylor Dawson (Darren Osborne, Hollyoaks) | 7/1 | 12.5% |
Rory Douglas-Speed (Joel Dexter, Hollyoaks) | 8/1 | 11.1% |
Earlier this year, Phil was battling with his mental health demons, and more recently he has been caring for his lifelong friend Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley), who was diagnosed with dementia.
Paul has also been playing out the hard-hitting plot well and is 9/2 to scoop the Best Actor award.
Usual suspects, including Emmerdale's Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle) and Corrie's Jack P Shepherd (David Platt), will give Steve some strong competition for the Best Actor title.
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet down
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Best Exit For Bye
Like at this year's British Soap Awards, it could be a hugely successful night for EastEnders if they also secure victory in the Best Exit category.
Inside Soap Awards fans can be forgiven for doing a double take at that last sentence, because that category hasn't been seen at the ceremony - which will take place in London this September - since 2019.
However, after several high-profile soap departures in the last 12 months, Inside Soap Awards bosses have brought it back.
That could be good news for former EastEnders actor and aptly-named star James Bye, who is just about odds-on to win Best Exit after he bowed out in explosive fashion during the soap's 40th anniversary week in February.
Poor Martin Fowler was crushed by a steel beam in the Queen Vic pub, after the boozer exploded following a car crash.
Martin appeared to be hanging on, but he went into cardiac arrest when firefighters removed the beam.
It was a tragic but hugely dramatic way to end an epic live episode, and it would be a surprise if James' top-notch acting skills didn't see him rewarded with the Inside Soap Award.
Inside Soap Awards 2025: Best Exit Odds
Best Exit | Odds | Probability |
James Bye (Martin Fowler, EastEnders) | 10/11 | 52.4% |
Colson Smith (Craig Tinker, Coronation Street) | 7/4 | 36.4% |
Natalie Ann Jamieson (Amy Barton, Emmerdale) | 2/1 | 33.3% |
Tyler Conti (Abe Fielding, Hollyoaks) | 5/2 | 28.6% |
Roxy Shahidi (Leyla Harding, Emmerdale) | 3/1 | 25% |
Natalie Cassidy (Sonia Fowler, EastEnders) | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Nikki Sanderson (Maxine Minniver, Hollyoaks) | 7/1 | 12.5% |
Charlotte Jordan (Daisy Midgeley, Coronation Street) | 10/1 | 9.1% |
James is 10/11 to win Best Exit, but he could face stiff competition from the likes of Coronation Street star Colson Smith (7/4), who also suffered a tragic end when his character, policeman Craig Tinker, was brutally attacked by villain Mick.
There were also a couple of icy deaths in Emmerdale when characters Amy Barton (Natalie Ann Jamieson) and Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi) passed away after a limo crashed into a frozen lake.
While in Hollyoaks, Abe Fielding (Tyler Conti) was strangled, and Nikki Sanderson's character Maxine Minniver made an emotional departure.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
