Revealed: The top 20 greatest TV soap moments of all time!

The moment EastEnders’ Kat Slater revealed she was Zoe’s mum is the number one TV soap moment of all time according to a new study.

17:37 04 July 2014

A poll commissioned by TalkTalk TV has revealed the top 20 greatest TV soap moments of all time.

Topping the list is the moment EastEnder’s Kat Slater revealed she was Zoe’s mum. Screened in 2002, the scene that showed the emotional exchange between the two characters sent shockwaves through the audience.

The second place went to another Walford moment – the death of infamous Dirty Den in 2005 where he said: “You’ll never get me out of the Vic!” This was followed by the tram crash in Coronation Street which was watched by 15.9 million viewers.

Aside from the top 20 greatest TV soap moments of all time, the study also revealed that two thirds of us have missed the original airing of a crucial moment in TV history.

Soap legend Julie Goodyear MBE, best known for playing landlady Bet Lynch in long-running soap Coronation Street, said: "How we watch TV has changed dramatically since I first started on Coronation Street; people would ignore the telephone while major programmes were on for fear of missing out.

”Now, we can catch-up on all sports, soaps and series in our own time and even pause and rewind live TV.

”For big TV moments like the World Cup, people miss out on the live action by being stuck at work.

”Catch-up changes all this and enables us to watch anything we’ve missed, whenever we want.”

UK TV's greatest episodes: Britain's top 20 soap moments

1.      Kat Slater revealing she was Zoe Slater’s mum and not sister – EastEnders
2.      Murder of Dirty Den – EastEnders
3.      The 2010 tram crash – Coronation Street
4.      Richard Hillman’s attempt to drown the Platts- Coronation Street
5.      Deirdre being jailed for fraud- Coronation Street
6.      Ronnie swapping her baby with Kat’s- EastEnders
7.      The plane crash in 1995 – Emmerdale
8.      Little Mo’s domestic abuse- EastEnders
9.      Phil Mitchell getting shot- EastEnders
10.     Richard Hillman driving his car into a canal - Coronation Street
11.     Janine killing Barry - EastEnders
12.     Sarah Lou’s teen pregnancy - Coronation Street
13.     Max Branning’s affair with Stacey Slater - EastEnders
14.     Tiffany is run over and killed - EastEnders
15.     ‘Dirty’ Den Watts in a canal-side shooting that turned out to be faked - EastEnders
16.     Trevor Jordache’s body being found - Brookside
17.     Trevor Jordache killed and buried under the patio - Brookside
18.     Mike Baldwin dies – Coronation Street
19.     Mike Baldwin collapsing in the road and finally talking to Ken Barlow - Coronation Street
20.     Pauline Fowler's death - EastEnders