BBC EastEnders hit with major blow ahead of 40th anniversary episode
EastEnders has missed out on the title of being the best British soap of all time as the BBC soap comes third in the list, with the likes of Coronation Street and Emmerdale moving ahead
The crown for the best British soap of all time has been “revealed” and it’s not EastEnders, which is gearing up to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
Betway has crunched the numbers and announced that the top spot goes to none other than Coronation Street.
Despite EastEnders’ explosive storylines since its debut in 1985, including dramatic fights, heartfelt marriages, and tearful goodbyes on Albert Square, new data from Betway shows that it hasn’t clinched the title of the nation’s favourite soap opera.
As fans approach the iconic show’s milestone this month, Betway’s research, which calculates a unique index score based on factors like award wins and nominations, on-screen d.e.a.t.h.s, weddings, divorces per episode, Google searches, and overall ratings, reveals that EastEnders falls short of the top accolade.
With a lower score indicating a better rank, Coronation Street has emerged victorious. Coronation Street may have fewer award wins (six) and less Google search interest (578,940,028) compared to EastEnders, but it boasts 17 award nominations and the highest viewer rating among soaps at 5.6/10.
The beloved Corrie also leads with the most episodes aired (11,456) and the highest number of weddings (108) since its inception in 1960.Meanwhile, Emmerdale, another ITV heavyweight, was hot on Corrie’s heels, reports Plymouth Live.
Emmerdale holds an impressive 18 award nominations but falls slightly behind with a lower viewer rating of 4.9/10 and fewer Google searches (455,620,028).
However, the show holds the record for the second-highest number of episodes and tops the list for the most d.e.a.t.h.s (50.2) and divorces (53.87) compared to any other soap opera. EastEnders clinched third place on the list, with 12 award wins and an overall rating of 4.7/10.
Although the BBC soap didn’t have as many d.e.a.t.h.s (171), weddings (56) or divorces (35), it did lead the pack with the highest number of Google searches at 1,548,040,90. Hollyoaks came in last on the list with only two award wins but had 20 award nominations overall.
Despite having only 5,987 episodes since its debut in 1995, the Channel 4 drama has certainly delivered plenty of action, securing first place with the highest d.e.a.t.h count at 261. A special hour-long episode is set to air tonight (Wednesday, February 19) to mark the show’s 40th anniversary as the aftermath of the Queen Vic explosion is set to change lives forever.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am
