BAFTA favs priced up: Emmerdale looking to retain soap crown

The 2018 BAFTA TV Awards are now just six weeks away, and our trading team have been busy pricing up the potential winners of each category.

In the race for Best Soap, it’s Emmerdale at even-money heading the market. The series – which has run since 1972 – is currently bidding to win this award twice on the spin for the first time in its history.

Meanwhile, The Crown is 8/11 to pick up the Best Drama prize, with star Claire Foy the same price to bag the Leading Actress gong.

And our traders aren’t ruling out a treble of prizes for the program, with Supporting Actress Vanessa Kirby an 11/8 shot.

In the Leading Actor category, Sean Bean is Evens following his turn in Broken. Line of Duty regular Adrian Dunbar is a shade longer at 5/4 to be named Best Supporting Actor.

However, the shortest odds of all lie with The Handmaid’s Tale in the International Category. The show – based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel – is just 1/2 to triumph at next month’s ceremony.

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “Claire Foy looks set to be crowned Leading Actress but this year all eyes will be on the Emmerdale crew in their attempt to retain Best Soap for the first time ever.”

Ladbrokes Latest Betting:

BAFTA 2018 Favourites

International – The Handmaid’s Tale – 1/2

Drama Series – The Crown – 8/11

Entertainment Programme – Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway – 8/11

Soap and Continuing Drama – Emmerdale – Evens

Leading Actress – Claire Foy (The Crown) – 8/11

Leading Actor – Sean Bean (Broken) – Evens

Supporting Actor – Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty) – 5/4

Entertainment Performance – Sandi Toksvig (QI) – 6/4

Supporting Actress – Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) – 11/8

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing