The BBC One soap celebrated 40 years on television last year and shows no signs of slowing down, with the show taking home the top honour at the ceremony.
In attendance for EastEnders were cast members Michelle Collins, Jessie Wallace, Diane Parish, and Aaron Thiara, as well as former executive producer Chris Clenshaw and his successor, current boss Ben Wadey.
Beating rival nominees Casualty and Coronation Street, the Soap award was accepted by the team, which was fronted by Parish, who spoke on stage in what is her twentieth year as character Denise Fox in the soap.
Kyri Zindilis, Diane Parish, Aaron Thiara, Jessie Wallace, Michelle Collins, Chris Clenshaw, Kieran Grimes, cast and crew onstage during the 2026 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at The Royal Festival Hall on May 10, 2026 in London, England. John Phillips/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA
The character is set to get a major story this year as it has been confirmed she will be diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, a form of blood cancer.
Wadey said: "We knew, as yoy say, Di Parish, 20 amazing years at EastEnders, that we wanted something that pushed her forward and really looked at Denise as a character; who is she? Who is Denise Fox after 20 years in our show? And it's a story that allows us to examine her, and having seen some of the early material, you can see just how incredible Di is going to be playing this, it's gonna be really, really strong and emotional story coming out."
Fans will have to wait and see whether Denise pulls through this illness and whether partner Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) will adequately support her.
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