British soap fans were surprised to spot two former EastEnders cast members among the star-studded crowds at Sunday's Academy Awards, all thanks to award season juggernaut Bohemian Rhapsody. British actress Anita Dobson was seen on the red carpet and sat among the Oscar audience, dazzling in a holographic sequin dress and matching statement earrings. The actress, who starred in EastEnders as Angie Watts from the show's opening in 1985 until 1988, was there in support of her husband, musician Brian May. The Queen guitarist served as a creative and musical consultant on the hit movie and was shown on TV alongside his wife as Rami Malek accepted his award for Best Actor at last night's ceremony.
Anita posing with producer Graham King
Another soap star to shock audiences with his appearance was Ben Hardy, the 28-year-old actor who played Peter Beale in the long-running soap from 2013-15. Ben starred in Bohemian Rhapsody as Queen drummer Roger Taylor, with his real life counterpart also working on the show's creative team alongside Brian. Fans of the soap were left particularly baffled by his appearance and shared their confusion on Twitter, with one writing: "Still trying to wrap my head around Peter Beale being at the actual Oscars", while another joked that the Academy Awards ceremony was "a step up from the Soap Awards".
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Ben Hardy at the Oscars
Bohemian Rhapsody was the biggest winner at Sunday's Oscars, winning four awards for best sound mixing, film editing and sound editing along with Rami's performance accolade. The British-made Freddie Mercury biopic has been a huge hit with cinema audiences and award voters alike, with Rami's sensitive performance as the Queen front man sweeping the board across the awards season. Sealing the night with another win, the Mr Robot actor thanked his family during his acceptance speech, saying: "Oh my God. My mum is in here somewhere, I love you. I love you lady! My family, thank you for all of this. My dad didn't get to see me do any of this but I think he's looking down on me right now, this is a monumental moment."
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