Awards snub for EastEnders

EastEnders has been snubbed for a Best Soap Bafta - Britain's TV Oscars - for the first time since the award was created five years ago.

BBC bosses were said to be ' shellshocked' by the decision to omit the top-ranked show from the shortlist.

ITV rival Coronation Street is now odds-on to scoop the Bafta for the second year running at next month's ceremony.

EastEnders has won the award three times and insiders thought that plotlines such as the return of Dirty Den gave it a good chance this year.

'This is a huge blow to EastEnders' executive producer Louise Berridge, who has ramped up its storylines to compete with Coronation Street,' TV journal Broadcast said. Analyst Guy Abrahams agreed that BBC drama chiefs would feel hard done by.

He added: 'Awards mean a lot in this industry and to not even be nominated is a bodyblow. However, the BBC will point to the ratings as proof that EastEnders is still a huge success.'

The corporation received another blow on Tuesday when EastEnders lost out to Coronation Street for the Best Soap award from the Royal Television Society.

As well as its trademark northern humour, the Street has sharpened up with a series of gritty plotlines.

The other Bafta-shortlisted soaps are ITV's The Bill and BBC hospital dramas Casualty and Holby City.

Neither the BBC nor Bafta would comment on the leak.