Coronation Street Annual Awards 2023

Each year, I hand out my own personal awards to the Corrie cast and characters, part Inside Soap Awards, part Smash Hits Poll Winners Party. Without further ado:

Best Actor: Ryan Prescott (Ryan Connor). Ryan's had very little to do over the past few years apart from steal for Debbie Webster and be a handsome lunk lurking in the background, using the Bistro as a drop-in point between home and the gym. It doesn't help that he's had three different heads during the character's time in the show but this version seems to have bedded in with both the viewers and the street's female population. He's had a time of it this year with the acid attack, catfishing, steroids, sex work, affair with Daisy, feud with Daniel and he has shown his acting chops when he's finally got an actual storyline to get said chops into.

Best Actress: Elle Mulvaney (Amy Barlow). Having graduated as a child actor on the soap, Elle has shown she has range and isn't just a Tracy clone. Out-acting some of the more seasoned actors on the show, the weary sorrow she carried around with her following the Aaron storyline was impressive for a 20 year old actor and she was also a very believable drunk.

Best Couple: Paul and Billy. Whether they're frotting on the sofa, getting illegally married in a church, trying to have sex in a bath, or just supporting each other, these two have charmed a nation. It helps that the pair have great chemistry (and Jonathan H and Damon A-R often writing for them). Can't believe I ever wanted Billy to get back with the Toddster.

Best Young Actor: William Flanagan (Joseph Winter-Brown). Joseph knows his lot in life and that's to be a long-suffering older sibling of the attention-hungry younger children. He was even accidentally poisoned this year. I look forward to his time as tearaway or an even more resigned teen.

Best Old Actor: Dame Maureen Lipman (Evelyn Plummer). The way Dame Maureen said "No, ta" to Tyrone's offer of a cup of tea whilst she prepared - unbeknownst to her grandson - to leave the street with her daughter back in June was an acting masterclass.

Villain of the year: No contest - it has to be Stephen. Whether spiking Carla with LSD, murdering people with hole punches, having inchoate rage in the bin area, breaking Elaine and Jenny's hearts, or lying his way out of everything, Stephen Reid was great this year. I was sad to see him get killed, I'd've liked to see him stalking the street in his beige leather blouson for years to come.

Best New Character: Cassie. I was a bit dubious about Claire Sweeney joining the cast as Tyrone's real mum. Why did they kill off Margi Clarke? But she's settled right in and I'm loving her chaotic energy.

Blushing Bride Award: Gemma. We have to remember that Corrie isn't real. It attempts to reflect real life (hence the recent racist gang grooming teens and the internet/real life stalking storylines) but we shouldn't take it and its storylines too seriously. Which leads me to Gemma. Would I like to hang out with her in real life? No, she'd be exhausting. Did I find it amusing when she sat in the Barlow kitchen during the prep for the Daniel/Daisy wedding, stuffing her face with free cake and generally lowering the tone? Absolutely. I think we as viewers need to remember that characters a) push forward a storyline and b) exist to fill a role - harridan, girl next door, slob, baddie, battleaxe. Commenting on their moral failings doesn't have much point.

Having said all that:

Parenting Of The Year Award: Sarah banging on about her work meeting to her mother before finally  asking about her ill son (who Gail was looking after) before trying to gaslight Harry into believing the snog with Damon was innocent.

Best Cameo: Arabella Weir as snobby Yvette. 

Most Missed: Where is Aggie???

Best Recasting: Ruby (Billie Naylor).

Most Inappropriate Relationship: Aadi and Courtney aka Ms Scouse McBoobs. Gave me the ick.

Distinguished Career Award: The scaffolding at number 1. It lasted longer than Bill Roache's time on t'cobbles.

Most Boring Storyline: Boring Stu and whiny Eliza. I just kept hoping that her dad would take her away and we never have to see either again.

Most Moving Speech: Alya in her victim statement when she talked of how much she'd done for her community, unlike Blake, the racist perp.

Runner up: Evelyn and Cassie's rencontre in the hospital where they critique each other's failings and you just end up feeling sorry for both of them.

Customer Service Award: Leanne snarling at the customers and rolling her eyes when anyone asks for another bottle of wine or some bread, or sighing sarcastically when asked to do some marketing for t'Bistro.

Best Dressed: Deedee Bailey

Worst Dressed: Max Platt. Come on, costume design, we know teenage boys dress badly but surely there's something else for Max in wardrobe other than bagging grey sweatpants?

Alumni Most Likely To Award : Not everyone can be a Sarah or a Suranne when they leave the Street, so it was good to see Ellie Leach (Faye Windass) rocking the dance floor (those lifts!)

Runner up: Millie Gibson (Kelly Neelan), coming to a BBC prime-time screen near you.

Corrie Twitter Award: Hilda Ogden On Sea:

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!

Rachel Stevenson - on twitter

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