Coronation Street's Gareth Pierce pays tribute to survivors as Todd's story is honoured at Inside Soap Awards

Note: This article contains reference to subject matter such as domestic and coercive abuse, which some viewers may find upsetting.

Coronation Street star Gareth Pierce has paid tribute to real-life survivors of domestic abuse following his triumph at the 2026 Inside Soap Awards, with the series itself also being honoured.

Over the course of the past year, Pierce's Todd Grimshaw was involved in an issue-based storyline on the ITV soap, with the popular character being a victim of abuse in his relationship with Theo Silverton.

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After months of torment at the hands of his partner, Todd eventually left the relationship, with Theo subsequently being killed. This led to a murder-mystery storyline, where it was eventually revealed that Sarah Platt was the culprit.

It proved to be a successful night for Corrie at the Inside Soap Awards on Monday (21 September), with the series taking the top honour of Best Soap. James Cartwright, who played Theo, won the award for Best Villain.

Pierce also won the award for Best Actor and made a heartfelt speech, saying: "This is dedicated to the entire team. There are so many people in every single department to make these stories as truthful as possible."

The actor paid tribute to charities Stonewall and Galop for their work on the storyline, before he praised Cartwright for his "unflinching" performance. Pierce also highlighted the writers and directors for giving him full "trust" in the arc.

He thanked his family for keeping him "grounded", before concluding: "For survivors that did see parallels across the storyline, I'm in awe of your strength and courage. There is hope and there is help. Thank you very much."

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Corrie took home a further four trophies on the night, with Vicky Myers winning Best Actress for her performance as Lisa Connor-Swain. She got a second gong for Best Partnership, which she took home with Alison King.

Jude Riordan, who plays Sam Blakeman, won the award for Best Young Performer, while Daniel Brocklebank won Best Exit following his departure as Billy Mayhew. Corriedale, the crossover with Emmerdale, won Best Showstopper.

Coronation Street airs on weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.

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Coronation Street is working on Todd and Theo's story with support from Galop, the LGBTQ+ anti-abuse charity. For more information and resources, visit the charity's website or contact the national helpline on 0800 999 5428.