“Thank you to all the supporters of the show.”
It was a big night of soap wins at this weekend’s first ever RadioTimes.com Soap Awards sponsored by Inspired Villages.
While there was a whole host of awards bagged by all the soaps, it was EastEnders that scooped up the most, with some of Walford’s most memorable moments and characters being honoured on the night.
One of them was Danny Walters, who starred as Keanu Taylor and won the award for Best Exit, having certainly left the Square in a suitably dramatic fashion.
Of course, his departure on the soap was wrapped up in the iconic Sixmas storyline, which is still having dramatic consequences in the programme today.
But the star was quick to shout out fans of the show after accepting the award. On his reaction to winning Best Exit on the night, Walters said: “Very happy, very lucky that I’ve won this. I wasn’t expecting it, really.
“But thank you to all the people who have voted and to all the supporters of the show. Yeah, thank you. At least it’s nice to leave a show with something.”
You can watch the video interview above, along with other heartfelt reactions to many of EastEnders’ wins at the RadioTimes.com Soap Awards.
While Taylor won’t be returning to the Square, he has given some important intel on those final scene decisions that saw Keanu turn on Sharon and strangle her.
There were many moments in that Christmas 2023 episode that had us all with our jaws on the floor, but it was also Keanu’s drastic change of heart (and character) that left many shocked.
But, as Taylor told us, it was a part of Keanu’s character arc that was needed in order for the story to feel as emotional as it ended up being.
He chatted exclusively with RadioTimes.com, explaining: “The only thing that Keanu ever wanted was to be a dad, and to have a son, Albie, and as soon as that was taken away from him, his whole purpose and his character completely changed within a split second.
“So, I think it was a side of Keanu we saw, it was quite a vulnerable side, that was scared, that feared losing his child.
“It was such a whirlwind of emotions that was going on with Keanu’s character at that time on that stairwell in The Vic, that he just lost character.”
Taylor continued: “And in that split second, when a character loses character, that’s when the character is at his lowest point.
“And then, that’s obviously what happened with Keanu’s demise after that. So it was very out of character, but I think it was needed for that story to work.”
Read more:
- EastEnders’ Balvinder Sopal teases big drama for Suki, Eve and the ‘dysfunctional’ Panesars
- Coronation Street’s Peter Ash on how Rob Burrow inspired Paul’s heartbreaking MND storyline
- Hollyoaks’ Kieron Richardson reveals Ste’s darkest moment and dramatic future ahead
- Emmerdale’s Lucy Pargeter on how cancer changed Chas and her take on Belle and Tom’s storyline
The RadioTimes.com Soap Awards 2024, sponsored by Inspired Villages, took place on 13th July. Find out more about the winners!
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