British Soap Awards 2018: EastEnders’ Jake Wood dedicates award to Barbara Windsor and sends her a ‘big hug’ from the cast after Alzheimer’s news
EASTENDERS star Jake Wood dedicated a prize to Barbara Windsor at the British Soap Awards tonight and sent her a "big hug" from all the cast after her Alzheimer's news.
The actor, who plays Max Branning, gave a sweet message to the veteran star as he picked up the soap's Best Scene prize.
Jake was on stage along with his onscreen daughter Jacqueline Jossa to collect a joint prize with Doctors.
They won for the tragic roof plunge over Christmas in which Lauren and her sister Abby fell from the top of the Queen Vic.
They shared the prize with Doctors in the awards' first ever tie - and Jake made a special mention of Dame Barbara in his speech.
He said: "I want to send a big EastEnders hug to Barbara Windsor and her husband Scott.
"We love you very much, thank you very much."
Barbara's husband Scott Mitchell told The Sun last month how the 80-year-old had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for four years.
He bravely spoke of their experience of the disease and Barbara was praised by fans and charities for being so open.
Scott spoke movingly of his marriage to Barbara but said she was struggling to remember they were wed.
He told The Sun: “She’ll look at her wedding ring and say, ‘Are we married?’
“But that’s the thing about this cruel disease, isn’t it?”
Barbara was officially diagnosed four years ago but daily medication kept the more excessive symptoms largely at bay.
But in recent weeks there was been such a marked deterioration that Scott made the difficult decision to speak out.
What are the winners of the British Soap Awards 2018?
THE BRITISH Soap Awards are always a big night for the stars of your favourite shows. Here are the winners...
- Best Actor - Jack P Shepherd, (David Platt) Coronation Street
- Best Actress - Lucy Fallon, (Bethany Platt) Coronation Street
- Best British Soap - Coronation Street
- Villain of the Year - Connor McIntyre, (Pat Phelan) Coronation Street
- Best Single Episode - Three Mothers, Three Daughters, Hollyoaks
- Best Male Dramatic Performance - Ross Adams, (Scott Drinkwell) Hollyoaks
- Best Female Dramatic Performance - Lucy Fallon, (Bethany Platt) Coronation Street
- Best Comedy Performance - Ian Midlane, (Dr Al Haskey) Doctors
- Best Young Actor - Isobel Steele, (Liv Flaherty) Emmerdale
- Scene of the Year - joint winners Bollywood Proposal, Doctors and Lauren and Abi Brannings' rooftop fall, EastEnders
- Best On-Screen Partnership - Malique Thompson Dwyer and Theo Graham, Hollyoaks
- Best Newcomer - Lorraine Stanley, (Karen Taylor) EastEnders
- Best Storyline - Lily's self harm, Hollyoaks
The winner of the Outstanding Achievement was Rudolph Walker from EastEnders- See our guide for a full list of the nominations.
He said: “She’s not frightened of me, so I’m thankful for that. Over the last couple of days, the conversation has turned to, ‘I just think it’s wonderful that you come here to look after me’ — and she keeps thanking me.
“I say, ‘Barbara I’m not here to look after you, I’m here because I love you’.”
You can read Scott's moving interview in full, here.
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