EAST LANCASHIRE'S soap sensation Julie Hesmondhalgh received Coronation Street's only accolade when she scooped the title of Best Soap Actress at the TVQuick Awards in London last night.

In an evening where the show's arch-rival EastEnders swept the board, Julie, 29, from Church, Accrington, was voted favourite by readers of the national magazine.

Julie, who plays the controversial character of transsexual Hayley Cropper, collected her award in front of a celebrity audience at a ceremony hosted by comedian Jack Dee.

She said: "I'm a bit embarrassed because I feel like all I've said in the past year is 'That's not very nice Janice' and 'A Daily Mail please Rita', but, oh well, if it does something for the transgendered people in this country then so be it." Of the 18 titles handed out at the ceremony which raises money for the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Appeal, the BBC and its stars took 12.

The ceremony attracted a host of stars including Amanda Burton and John Thaw, who joined Julie in picking up awards.

Lori Miles, editor of TVQuick, said: "There were some truly outstanding performances on TV this year and every gong was truly deserved."

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