Nigel Harman

Do a double-take, blink a few times... and then zoom in closer.

The wait is over.

The sexiest stars in soapland have been crowned at the British Soap Awards...

EastEnders has capped a spectacular return to form by taking - count them - seven prizes at the British Soap Awards. And that included the most mouth-watering of gongs, Best Soap.

This is it girls. It's bye bye Dennis Rickman.

She's not wrinkly, grey or indeed a man...

But Davina McCall is set to become the new Michael Parkinson.

Billie Piper goes up against EastEnders' Jessie Wallace and June Brown, Corrie's Sally Lindsay and Life Begins' Caroline Quentin for most popular actress at the National TV Awards.

Billie's nomination comes for her role as Rose in Doctor Who - her first real foray into acting.

She may have once been a drab dog-lover, but Corrie's hairdresser Maria Sutherland is now officially top soap totty.

Actress Samia Smith (formerly Ghadie), who plays scissor-happy Maria, has been crowned Sexiest Female at the Inside Soap Awards.

Never mind EastEnders, Albert Square heart-throb Nigel Harman is about to become a West Ender.

Nigel, who plays Dennis Rickman on the soap, has signed up to star in the London production of musical Guys And Dolls.

Another one, as they say, bites the dust.

Hot on the heels of Sharon and Dennis, another major character is set to exit Albert Square.

Nigel Harman - aka Dirty Den's son Dennis in EastEnders - has revealed why he has to leave his award-winning role in the BBC soap.

Since appearing on screen in April 2003, the long-lost fruit of Den's loins has become one of the series' most popular characters.

The nation's favourite telly stars were out for the British Soap Awards at the weekend.

And here's a full list of all the winners - and there's one or two surprises...

Letitia Dean is to make a comeback to EastEnders - again.

The star - who plays Sharon - has left the soap six times fearing she would be typecast.

EastEnders hunk Jake Maskall has just disappointed his female fans by revealing that he's gay.

"Sorry girls - no chance," he said.

Sharon Watts is coming back to Albert Square AGAIN - for dad Dirty Den's second demise.

New EastEnders boss John York is desperate to get busty blonde actress Letitia Dean, a real ratings puller, back into the Square, according to The Sun's TV Biz.

Could Jeremy Edwards move from the Celeb BB House to Emmerdale? Is the Trueman family about to be axed?

Ocean's Twelve stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts have been voted the most beautiful people on the planet in a new poll.

New mum Jools tops the women's list above Hollywood beauty Angelina Jolie and former Friends star Jennifer Aniston, who trailed in third.

Will Young has been voted the man with the sexiest bod in showbusiness by the readers of Heat magazine.

Last year's number one, Justin Timberlake, didn't even make the top five - how quickly we forget, eh?

Actress Patsy Kensit has been nominated for the Most Popular Newcomer category in the National Television Awards for her role in Emmerdale.

Kensit, 36, who starred alongside Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 2, will battle it out against a 12-year-old Sam Aston, Coronation Street's Chesney Brown.

Coronation Street stars have reacted with disbelief after EastEnders scooped the top gong at the Inside Soap awards for the eight successive year.

The ailing BBC soap took the Best Soap crown - beating its rival by just 2% of the vote - despite seeing viewing figures slump to just 6.