Ultimate soap

Bet Lynch behind the bar, Frank Butcher chatting to Hilda Ogden and Alfie Moon having a pint with Kylie.

11:11 25 October 2004

Imagine the scene - Bet Lynch behind the bar at the Rovers, Frank Butcher chatting to Hilda Ogden in a tone only dogs can hear, while Alfie Moon sits in a corner having a pint with Kylie's alter ego Charlene Robinson.

This would be one of the scenes that would come about if soap fans had their way, after 5,000 addicts voted on who their ultimate soap cast would be.

"It's great to see a cast of old favourites as well as new talent," said a spokeswoman for Woolworths, who carried out the survey.

EastEnders' bespectacled garage owner Frank (Mike Reid) and Corrie's leopard print queen Bet (Julie Goodyear) were both voted into the fantasy lineup.

The Woolworths poll also found that Hilda (Jean Alexander), although not her flying ducks, would be welcomed back and that Charlene (big hair not withstanding) is the sexiest woman in soap history - Elsie Tanner must be gutted.

The man people want in the cast more than any other is of more recent vintage, with Alfie (Shane Richie) finding favour with most voters.

But he will not be able to pull the pints in the Queen Vic, as the Rovers Return was seen as soapland's favourite watering hole.

Neither Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) nor Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) made it into the top spot for best villain, which went to wifebeater Trevor Morgan (Alex Ferns). Albert Square has also provided the best female baddie, with Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) voted in as the nastiest woman.

Brookside made and appearance, with the gone-but-not-forgotten Corkhills seen as the best family. They beat off challenges from Corrie's Battersbys and EastEnders' Mitchells and Slaters.

The favourite male category was dominated by loveable losers - Les Battersby (Bruce Jones), Jack Duckworth (Bill Tarmey) from Corrie and Emmerdale's Zak Dingle (Steve Halliwell) all made the list, as did Charlene's paramour Scott Robinson (Jason Donavan).

Dennis Watts (Nigel Harman) was seen as the most fanciable male of all time.