National Television Awards 2012: Coronation Street cast pay tribute to Betty Driver as they win Best Soap

Coronation Street stars paid tribute to late cast member Betty Driver as they picked up the award for Best Serial Drama on the National Soap Awards tonight.

Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Webster at the soap, accepted the award – which was presented by Paul O’Grady, saying: ‘Thank you such a lot for this, thanks everybody whose voted for Coronation Street.’

‘This one is for Betty Driver,’ dedicating the award to the late Corrie star, who died in October last year aged 91, she added.

Paying tribute: Coronation Stret Stars dedicated their award for Best Serial Drama to their late co-star Betty Driver on the National Television Awards tonight

Sharing the instant: The solid posed such as the awards for Best Serial Drama and Serial Drama Performance backstage

She continued: ‘We’ve had an excellent couple of years, we’ve had fantastic storylines, we’ve got an excellent bunch of writers.’

Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson took over, saying: ‘Betty was a marvel. She was inside the show for 42 years and was a lovely  woman. She’d were so proud.’

He next paid tribute to Tony Warren, calling him an ‘amazing man’.

On the red carpet: Shobna Gulati and Michelle Keegan opted for prime-octane glamour

Taking the plunge: Georgia May Foote chose an attractive backless number, while Catherine Tyldesley wore a daring gown with a clear section

The award-winning scriptwriter created Coronation Street 51 years ago. 

Veteran actress Betty, who played barmaid Betty Williams for 42 years within the ITV soap, died aged 91 last October.

Driver played Betty, nee Turpin, in additional than 2,800 episodes of
Coronation Street, and was famed for serving up her Lancashire hotpot
stews at lunchtimes within the Rover’s Return.

Alternative approaches: Alison King opted for a corseted midnight blue gown, while Kate Ford chose a sexy cream dress embellished with black lace

Elegant in black: Debbie Rush, who posed alongside co-stars Ian Puleston-Davies, wore silk dress with pink flowers

Glad to be back: Michael Le Vell, who plays Kevin Webster, has just returned to the soap after a 3-month break

Driver’s contract was meant to just last three months, but she ended up staying within the role for 42 years until her death.

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Beloved co-star: Corrie veteran Betty Driver died aged 91 in October last year

Corrie was up against TV favourites including EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks for the title of Best Serial Drama.

Katherine Kelly, who recently left the show, also up the award for serial drama performance as fiery Becky McDonald.

Kelly was unable to be present to choose up the award, as she is in the middle of rehearsals for She Stoops to overcome on the National Theatre.

Stars of the ITV soap weren’t looking so glamorous arriving at Euston station this afternoon.

Make-up free and carrying their very own luggage, the famous faces looked faraway from glamorous as they headed to their hotel within the Capital.

Keen to make her way during the
train station was young actress Michelle Keegan who had dressed
comfortably for the adventure from up north.

The
24-year-old looked fresh faced as she pulled along a black holdall
along wearing dark skinny jeans, matching sheepskin boots and a khaki
body warmer.

She completed her casual look with a corpulent knit beanie hat and carried a headband over her arm.

She stayed practically her female co-star Catherine Tyldesley – who joined the soap as Eva Price last year.

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Not so glamorous: Coronation Street actress Michelle Keegan (R) and Catherine Tyldesley look dressed down as they come at Euston station today

The blonde had made a little more effort wearing some make up and an off the shoulder jumper.

She too pulled along her own luggage and wore tan-coloured boots and a leopard-print scarf.

Dark-haired Alison King also went make-up free as she arrived wearing boot cut jeans an entire-length black coat.

The 38-year-old hadn’t packed lightly as she pulled a suitcase along in addition to carrying her dress for this evening.

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Still have the capacity to look good: Keegan and her co-star Alison King (R) are in London to wait the National Television Awards on the O2 Arena tonight

The pair were closely followed by Anthony Cotton and previous Coronation Street star Suranne Jones.

Cotton – who appeared on I’m a star…Get Me Out Of Here last year is clearly still very on the point of Jones and tweeted a photograph of her while at the train.

The 36-year-old was wanting to leave the station as he was heading straight to London tailors October House.

‘I’m here for me suit…’ he posted in addition to a photograph of the tailors.

He later tweeted a sneak peek of his outfit which incorporates a smart white shirt.

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Still good friends: Antony Cotton travelled to the Capital with former Coronation Street star Suranne Jones

Cotton
is clearly sharing a room together with his co-star Ryan Thomas as he also
sent him a message, saying: ‘Can you are making sure the air-con is on in our
room please? Ta babes. TXT BK x’

But Thomas was nowhere to be seen as he walked throughout the airport with Jones who played Karen McDonald from 2000 to 2004.

The brunette chatted on her cellular phone as she hurried along holding a heavy looking garment protector – that without a doubt contained a glamorous dress for this evening.

She had also dressed comfortably for the adventure wearing Converse trainers and thin jeans.

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Holding their very own: Jack P Shepherd (L) and Chris Fountain looked serious as they carried their very own suits in the course of the station