TV Baftas BETTING: Best Soap

Eastenders leads the way

The Soaps: Eastenders (8/11), Holby City (11/4), Emmerdale (4/1), The Bill (6/1)

The big news on Albert Square this month is that Bianca has spent years plying her loins around Manchester, but now she's decided that nowhere quite beats the deeply fragrant allure of the caff in Walford, where she will no doubt bump into Ricky and pretend to be surprised. "What the hell are you doing here?" she will shriek, to which the brainless mechanic would be wise to explain that he only occasionally leaves, and has pretty much lived in the same one hundred meter radius for most of his life.

But will they win a Bafta? That's the big question on Dirty Den's lips... (what do you mean "he's dead"?)

Click here for your free £10 bet with Paddy Power

Eastenders
Of all the soaps, Eastenders is by far the most successful, having scooped the gong four times in the last ten years (1999, 2000, 2002, 2006). And with Corrie out of the running for being a bit too rubbish at the moment, the grumbling Londoners might just have it in "the old horses, hen, ducks, rubber johnnies and stag" (slang for "bag").

Holby City
After last year’s ridiculous victory for Casualty - which no one has even watched since 1989 - the money men are understandably cautious about the inclusion of hospital spin off drama/soap Holby City (which was presumably axed in the early 1990s). The award has been thrown in the direction of Eastenders or Coronation Street eight times in ten years, so when it comes to the other nominees, the people in charge just blurt things out. Next year, expect to see Eldorado in there.

Emmerdale
Since dropping the "Farm", Emmerdale has become one of the steamiest and most sensual programmes around. The show won this exact award in 2001 when up against both of the bigger soaps, so if there is a dark horse in the competition, this is it.

The Bill
Just to be nominated is award enough for The Bill, previously only featuring in the shortlist in 2004 and 2005. Won't win.