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From THAT Brookside lesbian kiss to Scott and Charlene's Neighbours wedding, 20 truly iconic television soap moments that had us cheering on our sofas

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Published: 18:06 EST, 2 September 2015 | Updated: 19:01 EST, 2 September 2015

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With cat fights, streets brawls, love affairs, and murderous plots aplenty if we lived anywhere near the characters in our favourite soaps in real life, no doubt our bags would be packed and the house placed promptly on the market.

But the British love affair with the soap opera is alive and well and the nation is still as gripped as ever to the twists and turns around every corner of the cobbles, the square and the fictional farms of our favourite shows.

Avid soap fan or not, you will have had to have been living under a rock not to have pondered 'Who killed Lucy Beale?', missed the 'Free the Weatherfield One' campaign, or have shed a tear of unadulterated joy as everyone's favourite Antipodean 'neighbours' Scott and Charlene tied the knot. Here are the top 20 soap moments that have left us cheering in our living rooms.

1.The moment Sonia Jackson gave birth not knowing she was pregnant, in October 2000, may have had us all scratching our heads, wondering how the trumpet playing teenager hadn't noticed the sudden weight gain - but it was television gold.

2. Striking a blow for gay rights or satiating a thirst for men who just wanted to watch pretty girls kiss? Either way Beth and Margaret's lesbian smooch, in Brookside, January 1994, certainly got a few people hot under the collar - in many ways.

Beth and Margaret's lesbian smooch, in Brookside, January 1994, certainly got a few people hot under the collar - in many ways

The moment Sonia Jackson gave birth not knowing she was pregnant, in October 2000, may have had us all scratching our heads, wondering how the trumpet playing teenager couldn't have worked it out - but it was television gold

3. As everyone's favourite Ramsey Street sweethearts, Scott and Charlene got married in Neighbours, in 1987, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. The moment is so iconic it seems, that it was voted the most memorable in the long-running series' history by fans, and lead both Minogue and Donovan to pursue their acting and singing careers overseas.

4. When Eastenders' Sharon was unmasked as the scarlet woman of Albert Square in 1994, it was the ultimate betrayal. Married to one Mitchell and sleeping with the other - she was sensationally outed in The Queen Vic, by husband Grant who revealed his beloved wife's infidelity by playing a cassette tape confession. The brutal slap delivered by spurned wife Kathy Mitchell to her devious sister-in-law's face also delivered a certain kind of delicious finality to the sordid events.

Eastenders' Sharon was unmasked as the scarlet woman of Albert Square in 1994, and it was the ultimate betrayal. Married to one Mitchell and sleeping with the other - she was sensationally outed in The Queen Vic

The brutal slap delivered by spurned wife Kathy Mitchell to her devious sister-in-law's face also delivered a certain kind of delicious finality to the sordid events

5. Any TV fan worth their salt will remember the moment petulant EastEnders' character Zoe Slater dramatically wailed: 'You ain't my mother!' at her supposed sister, Kat - only to be swiftly told that, in fact, she was.

The iconic 2001 episode was cooked up following the perfect great soap recipe - a huge row, tears and a shock revelation just as the episode comes to a close.

Any TV fan worth their salt will be remember the moment petulant EastEnders' character Zoe Slater dramatically wailed: 'You ain't my mother!' at her supposed sister, Kat - only to be swiftly told that she was

The iconic 2001 episode was cooked up following the perfect great soap recipe - a huge row, tears and a shock revelation just as the episode comes to a close

6. The murder of Dirty Den, in EastEnders, saw one of the best-loved villains in soap history, apparently gunned down by a mystery sniper hiding behind an innocent looking bunch of daffodils - leaving 'Enders fans cheering into their cuppas. But soap fans never saw his body fall into the water after the 'fatal' shots were fired in February 1989... and Dirty Den wasn't dead after all.

7. Kat and Alfie's on, off, then on again love affair has earned them a reputation as EastEnders' answer to Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, although admittedly a slightly budget version. But the pair's tempestuous relationship has led to some truly heartwarming scenes, most notably when he admitted that he couldn't 'live without her' . Shame it was just minutes after he had wed Roxy Mitchell in 2013.

EastEnders' Nasty Nick Cotton has had more returns to the Square than Kathy's Cafe has served hot dinners

8. When EastEnders' Stacy and her father-in-law Max embarked on an ill-advised (and frankly cringey) affair, we watched with baited breath for the mismatched couple to be caught out. Lo and behold in a typically unmerry Christmas on the Square, the pair's affair was revealed - leaving us feeling like punching the air with glee.

When EastEnders' Stacy and her father-in-law Max embarked on an ill-advised (and cringey) affair, we watched with baited breath for the mismatched couple to be caught out

9. When Sally Webster discovered in September 1997 that her bumbling mechanic husband was sleeping with older vixen Natalie Barnes (played convincingly by the fabulous Denise Welch) the brassy blonde got a swift sharp slap around the chops - and quite rightly too.

10. Johnny coming out as gay in EastEnders in 2014 to hardman Danny Dyer's character Mick Carter, resulted in a surprisingly touching scene. Listening as his son, played by Sam Strike, broke the news that he is gay, the pub landlord surprised us all by cradling him and telling him everything will be OK.

11. The 'Free Deirdre Rachid' campaign in Coronation Street was the stuff of plot-writing genius. Deirdre was jailed for a total of three weeks after being found guilty of mortgage and credit card fraud after being tricked by her pilot conman boyfriend Jon Lindsay. The nation got behind her campaign to be freed in 1998 - so much so, that despite her being a fictional character, former Prime Minister Tony Blair said he would help to get her freed from prison.

12. It seems that 'she of the large spectacles' found it very hard to stay out of trouble, especially in the romance stakes. Deidre's love triangle with rivals Ken Barlow and Mike Baldwin sent the cobbles into a spin. After a passionate tryst with factory owner and Ken's arch rival Mike Baldwin, Deirdre finally returned to long-term lover, Barlow. The news flashed up on screens at Manchester United's Old Trafford, with the words, 'Ken and Deirdre reunited. Ken 1 - Mike 0', leading the crowd to erupt with cheers.

It was one of the most hotly anticipated episodes in EastEnders history, with millions of fans tuning in to finally find out who had killed tragic Lucy Beale- before 11-year-old Bobby was unmasked as his half-sister's killer

The 'Free Deirdre Rachid' campaign in Coronation Street was the stuff of plot writing genius. Deirdre was jailed for a total of three weeks after being found guilty of mortgage and credit card fraud after being tricked by her pilot conman boyfriend Jon Lindsay

After a passionate tryst with factory owner and Ken's arch rival Mike Baldwin, Deirdre finally returned to long-term lover, Barlow

12. Who killed Lucy Beale? It was one of the most hotly anticipated episodes in EastEnders history, with millions of fans tuning in to finally find out who had killed tragic Lucy - before 11-year-old Bobby was unmasked as his half-sister's unlikely killer. Almost 12 million people tuned in to watch the dramatic episode which marked the soap's 30th anniversary

13. When bumbling, lovable Harold was killed off in Neighbours, in 1991, apparently swept out to sea, all that was left of the affable stalwart was his glasses.

Lovable Harold was one of Neighbours' longest serving and most loved characters when he was killed off in 1991. But luckily the writers saw fit to bring him back a few years later - which definitely got us cheering!

So when five years later he returned to Erinsborough, found wandering the aisles of a Salvation Army shop by Helen Daniels, we couldn't have been happier to see him reunited with his beloved Madge - even if he didn't have a clue who she was because he had lost his memory.

14. EastEnders' Nasty Nick Cotton has had more returns to the Square than Kathy's Cafe has served hot dinners, but perhaps his best was in 2014 when he 'returned from the dead' to give his long-suffering mother Dot one last round of grief.

15. If we were married to the lank-haired whinger Ian Beale, we might have considered hiring a hitman too. In 1996, loose-moraled wife Cindy decided to take out a hit on her perennially irritating husband - leading her to a much deserved stint in prison.

If we were married to the lank-haired whinger Ian Beale, we might have considered hiring a hitman too. In 1996, loose-moraled wife Cindy decided to take out a hit on her perennially irritating husband

16. Another of TV's least liked characters, was Brookside's abusive Trevor Jordache. Surely there wasn't a person in the country who would have convicted beaten wife Mandy when she snapped after years of abuse and murdered him in front of daughter Beth in 1993?

The pair buried the body under the patio - only for it to be discovered three years later.

Another of TV's least liked characters, was Brookside's abusive Trevor Jordache. Surely there wasn't a person in the country who would have convicted beaten wife Mandy when she snapped after years of abuse and murdered him in front of daughter Beth in 1993?

17. Despite their rocky romance, Emmerdale's Lisa and Zak Dingle got married in January 1998, with the former perched prettily atop a tractor looking resplendent in a white meringue-style gown, giving hope to lonely romantic female farmers everywhere.

18. Then, just like a welly-wearing Mary (or Sonia Jackson), Lisa gave birth to a baby she didn’t know she was expecting, in a barn.

As everyone's favourite Ramsey Street sweethearts, Scott and Charlene got married in Neighbours, in 1987, there wasn't a dry eye in the house

19. Hollyoaks tough guy Warren Fox was thrown into a fire at The Loft in 2009, after mad-eyed Clare Devine hit him with a baseball bat and set the club alight. Everyone had - quite fairly - assumed Warren, who had been beaten, tied to a chair, and then trapped under burning beams, was dead. But this is Hollyoaks, and one year later, Warren was back wreaking misery.

20. Pat and Frank - the original great love to hit Albert Square.

But in 2000 when the pair, by now married to other people, had an affair, we were all secretly rooting for impotent car dealer Roy, who discovered his wife's deceit, and throws Pat out, leaving her penniless and homeless.