Inside Soap Awards: Danny Dyer, 43, and Kellie Bright, 44, joke about their ages during win

EastEnders stars Danny Dyer, 43, and Kellie Bright, 44, joked about their ages at the virtual 2020 Inside Soap Awards on Monday night.

The two stars, who play on-screen couple Mick and Linda Carter, scooped the Best Partnership gong during the soap star-studded event.

Appearing from the EastEnders set while wearing their character’s costumes, Danny and Kellie made sure they stood at a social distance as they proudly celebrated their win.

‘We’re VERY old now!’: EastEnders stars Danny Dyer, 43, and Kellie Bright, 44, joked about their ages at the virtual 2020 Inside Soap Awards on Monday night

Danny said: It really does mean a lot this, the fact that anyone votes for us is always a revelation to me. We’re old now, we’re like veterans!’

Tow which Kellie quipped: ‘We’re very old now! I am really chuffed because I thought once we had won it once, we wouldn’t win it again.’ 

Danny continued: ‘We’re over the moon about this. Congratulations to everyone else who nicked one of these as well.’  

He added: ‘We have been through so much together on this show. It is always a joy to come and work with Kellie. She is a brilliant actress.’ 

Winners! The two stars, who play on-screen couple Mick and Linda Carter, scooped the Best Partnership gong during the soap star-studded event

Winners! The two stars, who play on-screen couple Mick and Linda Carter, scooped the Best Partnership gong during the soap star-studded event 

'Veterans': Danny said: It really does mean a lot this, the fact that anyone votes for us is always a revelation to me. We're old now, we're like veterans!' (pictured in 2017 soap still)

‘Veterans’: Danny said: It really does mean a lot this, the fact that anyone votes for us is always a revelation to me. We’re old now, we’re like veterans!’ (pictured in 2017 soap still)

While Kellie sweetly said: ‘I love Danny and I’s relationship on and off screen, so anything that celebrates that is really lovely. Mick and Linda’s love for each other is so honest and true. 

‘People look at them and go, “I wish my husband was a bit more like Mick”, or, “I wish my wife looked at me the way Linda looks at Mick”. People want a happy ever after to believe in.’ 

EastEnders emerged triumphant from the virtual 2020 Inside Soap Awards on Monday night as the show was voted this year’s Best Soap. 

The BBC series won a total of five awards at the virtual ceremony while its ITV rival Coronation Street was close behind with four gongs.

Sweet: While Kellie sweetly said: 'People look at them and go, "I wish my husband was a bit more like Mick", or, "I wish my wife looked at me the way Linda looks at Mick". People want a happy ever after to believe in.'

Sweet: While Kellie sweetly said: ‘People look at them and go, “I wish my husband was a bit more like Mick”, or, “I wish my wife looked at me the way Linda looks at Mick”. People want a happy ever after to believe in.’

Jessica Plummer won the award for Best Actress for her role as Chantelle Atkins in EastEnders, describing the win as ‘one of the biggest achievements of my career’. 

The star, 28, who is currently taking part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! said: ‘This is probably one of the biggest achievements of my career. It was an honour to even be nominated, so I’m completely blown away.

‘I came off social media for a quite long time (for me!) after my final episode aired as I personally had to mourn my character and all the changes in my life, but when I came back, the reception I got from everyone was so heartwarming. 

‘Chantelle was a loved character and it really was an honour to play her.’

Success: EastEnders emerged triumphant from the virtual 2020 Inside Soap Awards on Monday night as the show was voted this year's Best Soap

Success: EastEnders emerged triumphant from the virtual 2020 Inside Soap Awards on Monday night as the show was voted this year’s Best Soap 

Meanwhile, Ian Bartholomew took home the awards for both Best Actor and Best Villain for his role as the terrifying Geoff Metcalfe.

The actor also had a joint win for Best Show-Stopper with actress Shelley King who plays his wife Yasmeen, the victim of Geoff’s abuse.

Speaking about his wins, Ian said: ‘For me, witnessing Shelley crumbling as Yasmeen, and watching this character that I was playing destroy her in front of me was actually really quite upsetting. 

‘I felt bad doing all those things, but we both wanted to do it as well and as truthfully as we could.’ 

Win: Jessica Plummer won the award for Best Actress for her role as Chantelle Atkins in EastEnders, describing the win as 'one of the biggest achievements of my career'

Win: Jessica Plummer won the award for Best Actress for her role as Chantelle Atkins in EastEnders, describing the win as ‘one of the biggest achievements of my career’

On winning Show-Stopper, Shelley said: ‘People were shouting at me from their cars, going, ”Yeah, good on ya, yas!” It was lovely.’   

Another winner on the night was Emmerdale with the show taking home the gong for Best Family for the Dingles.

Lisa Riley, who plays Mandy, accepted the award, she said: ‘We are all so proud, we really do feel like one big, happy northern family. 

Honoured: Ian Bartholomew took home the awards for both Best Actor and Best Villain for his role as the terrifying Geoff Metcalfe

Honoured: Ian Bartholomew took home the awards for both Best Actor and Best Villain for his role as the terrifying Geoff Metcalfe

‘We love what we do, and we really care, so obviously that comes through on the screen. And as we always say – Dingle till we die.’ 

Other winners at the ceremony included Mollie Gallagher who won for Best Newcomer for her role as Nina Lucas on Coronation Street.

Meanwhile, Casualty star Cathy Shipton won for Best Drama Star for her role as Lisa ‘Duffy’ Duffin and Neighbours won for Best Daytime Soap.  

The Inside Soap Awards were revealed on the Inside Soap Facebook page and YouTube channel on Monday evening. 

INSIDE SOAP AWARDS 2020: WINNERS

BEST ACTRESS

JENNIFER METCALFE (Mercedes McQueen, Hollyoaks)

JESSICA PLUMMER (Chantelle Atkins, EastEnders)

NATALIE J ROBB (Moira Dingle, Emmerdale)

SHELLEY KING (Yasmeen Metcalfe, Coronation Street)

BEST ACTOR

ASHLEY TAYLOR DAWSON (Darren Osborne, Hollyoaks)

IAN BARTHOLOMEW (Geoff Metcalfe, Coronation Street)

JEFF HORDLEY (Cain Dingle, Emmerdale)

MAX BOWDEN (Ben Mitchell, EastEnders)

BEST NEWCOMER

CALLUM KERR (George Kiss, Hollyoaks)

JAZ DEOL (Kheerat Panesar, EastEnders)

MAX PARKER (Luke Posner, Emmerdale)

MOLLIE GALLAGHER (Nina Lucas, Coronation Street)

BEST VILLAIN

BOBBY GORDON (Toby Faroe, Hollyoaks)

IAN BARTHOLOMEW (Geoff Metcalfe, Coronation Street)

MARK WOMACK (DI Mark Malone, Emmerdale)

TOBY-ALEXANDER SMITH (Gray Atkins, EastEnders)

FUNNIEST PERFORMANCE

JESSAMY STODDART (Liberty Savage, Hollyoaks)

LISA RILEY (Mandy Dingle, Emmerdale)

LORRAINE STANLEY (Karen Taylor, EastEnders)

MAUREEN LIPMAN (Evelyn Plummer, Coronation Street)

BEST PARTNERSHIP

DOLLY-ROSE CAMPBELL & SAM ASTON (Gemma Winter & Chesney Brown, Coronation Street)

IMRAN ADAMS & ROSS ADAMS (Mitchell Deveraux & Scott Drinkwell, Hollyoaks)

KELLIE BRIGHT & DANNY DYER (Linda & Mick Carter, EastEnders)

LUCY PARGETER & DOMINIC BRUNT (Chas & Paddy Dingle, Emmerdale)

 BEST SHOW-STOPPER

CAIN DISCOVERS NATE’S SECRET ON THE LAKE (Emmerdale)

THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY RIVER DISASTER (EastEnders)

TONY RESCUED/BREDA DIES (Hollyoaks)

YASMEEN FIGHTS BACK AGAINST GEOFF (Coronation Street)

BEST FAMILY

THE BARLOW-McDONALDS (Coronation Street)

THE DINGLES (Emmerdale)

THE McQUEENS (Hollyoaks)

THE TAYLORS (EastEnders)

FEEL-GOOD MOMENT

CHAS GIVES BIRTH TO BABY EVE (Emmerdale)

GEMMA GIVES BIRTH TO QUADS (Coronation Street)

SIENNA GETS HER TWINS BACK (Hollyoaks)

WALFORD CELEBRATES PRIDE (EastEnders)

BEST DRAMA STAR

ALEX WALKINSHAW (Adrian ‘Fletch’ Fletcher, Holby City)

CATHY SHIPTON (Lisa ‘Duffy’ Duffin, Casualty)

DEREK THOMPSON (Charlie Fairhead, Casualty)

ROSIE MARCEL (Jac Naylor, Holby City)

BEST DAYTIME STAR

BHARTI PATEL (Ruhma Carter, Doctors)

RAY MEAGHER (Alf Stewart, Home and Away)

STEFAN DENNIS (Paul Robinson, Neighbours)

BEST DAYTIME SOAP

DOCTORS

HOME AND AWAY

NEIGHBOURS

BEST SOAP

CORONATION STREET

EASTENDERS

EMMERDALE

HOLLYOAKS