'˜Hero' snapper saves soap star

The Blackpool snapper got more than he bargained for when he covered Monday’s award ceremony in London.

He was photographing Eastenders star, Tameka Empson, when things quickly went wrong.

Tameka won the gong for Funniest Female for her performance as Kim Fox in Eastenders – and she lived up to that title with the humorous incident that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the soap itself.

The 39-year-old actress, who is currently starring on Strictly Come Dancing, will be disappointed that her new and improved balance didn’t come in handy, as she started to fall backwards.

That’s when David’s instincts kicked in and he downed tools to run in and save the day.

He said: “I was the official photographer at the Inside Soap Awards.

“Tameka was on stage with Stephen Murphy (the Inside Soap Editor) and I told her to lift her leg up, to make the shot a little more dynamic, as she’s currently dancing.

“She was very giddy and I think she just overstretched. You could almost see the horror on her face.

“I don’t know what would have happened exactly but it’s fair to say, falling wouldn’t have been good.”

Although the event wasn’t televised, ITV’s This Morning picked the clip up and in turn it’s been viewed by hundreds of thousands of viewers, with presenter Phillip Schofield exclaiming: ‘the photographer’s saved her!’

Of his new-found fame, David, normally behind the camera, said: “I watched it back last night and it’s so funny. It’s gone nuts.

“It was quite a responsibility.

“I’ve had people coming up to me saying ‘you’re a hero!’”

Dame Barbara Windsor, who turned on Blackpool’s 2016 Illuminations, also picked up an award for Best Exit at the ceremony, for the tragic storyline that saw her Eastenders character Peggy Mitchell take her own life after learning she had terminal cancer.