All My Children
Carolyn Hinsey's Tell-All: "Afternoon Delight: Why Soaps Still Matter" due out in 2011
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Big news today, when TV Guide exclusively announced that Carolyn Hinsey, long-time noted soap opera journalist and columnist (Soap Opera Digest and the New York Daily News) has a new tell-all book coming out that should rip the lid off of some of the backstage drama that soap fans will want the real inside scoop on. Hinsey teased TV Guide with a few nuggets from her book titled: Afternoon Delight: Why Soaps Still Matter scheduled for release in 2011.
Hinsey stated:”Guiding Light wasn’t canceled, it was murdered. After 20 years covering this crazy genre, I know where the bodies are buried. I think fans would be more understanding of certain changes if they knew an actor was let go, for example, because he was too drunk to remember his lines. By the same token, when All My Children mangles its negotiations with big stars like Eden Riegel [Bianca] and Thorsten Kaye [Zach], they deserve to know that, too.”
TV Guide also mentions that, “Along with that wisdom and advice, Hinsey promises heavy doses of scandal and dish.” Hinsey elaborated, “‘I plan to put a light on the entire industry from a loving, informed place. The roaches will scatter, and the stars will shine.”
Alan Dysert, who played Sean Cudahy on ABC’s All My Children has died. He was 75-years-old. The news of his passing came from his wife Michele who shared via a Facebook post that Dysert died back on October 23.
“My heart is broken as I share that my beloved husband, Alan, passed away on October 23, 2026. While I am struggling to imagine life without him, I am forever grateful to have experienced what so many people spend their lives searching for — the love of a lifetime,” Michele expressed.
While a cause of death was not made public at this time, Michele admitted that Alan, “faced more than his share of health challenges over the years, yet he continued to approach life with determination, humor, and gratitude.”
Photo: ABC
Dysert wrote about his battle with a rare, aggressive and incurable cancer in his 2023 autobiography, Lights, Camera, Cancer! He spoke of having undergone four major cancer-related surgeries, and many rounds of chemotherapy and CT scans.
SEAN CUDAHY WAS ‘BAD GUY’ PERSONFIED
On All My Children, Dysert played Sean Cudahy, the con man villain to his brother, good guy, Tom Cudahy played by Richard Shoberg. Dysert played the role between 1980 and 1990 returning for multiple story arcs, which included being revealed to be the murderer of Sybil Thorne. He was also involved in several affairs including with the impressionable Devon McFadden (Tricia Pursley).
THE LIVES HE TOUCHED
Alan’s longtime agent Melinda Eisnagule told PEOPLE his death is a “loss to our community and to the acting community at large. He touched so many lives and made the industry and the world a better place every day with his positive energy and kindness.”
Dysert leaves behind his wife, Michele and his two sons Cody and Cooper and will be remembered by those who knew him for a career that spanned the theatre, film, TV and performance coaching, and of course being a part of the legacy of All My Children.
Share your remembrances and condolences on the passing of Alan Dysert, All My Children’s Sean Cudahy, via the comment section below.
All My Children
Mark Consuelos Celebrates Kelly Ripa’s 56th Birthday on ‘Live,’ But Remember When Wendy Williams Outed the Couple as Married Before Anyone at ‘All My Children’ Knew?
On the Friday, October 2 episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, the morning talk show marked the 56th birthday of Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley Vaughan Santos, All My Children).
During the opening segment, Mark Consuelos (ex-Mateo Santos, All My Children) humorously comparing his wife to both Gandhi and Groucho Marx, reflecting on both her comedic ability and peaceful ways.
Later, they went on to discuss the origins of her name and the most popular picks to name babies back in the year she was born, 1970. They were Kimberly, Lisa, and Jennifer for girls and Michael, David, and James for the boys.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Ripa recalled that she learned she was almost named Kim. However, their neighbors at the time had two daughters Kelly and Kim, which is what her parents wanted to call them, but they settled on Kelly and and her younger sister, Linda.
At the conclusion of the episode, Mark rolled out a huge cake for his wife. It was, “Happy birthday from all of us here at Live and at home.” Next, he cut the cake, and Ripa grabbed his face and gave him a “thank you” kiss.
Photo: JPI
KELLY AND MARK TRIED TO KEEP THEIR VEGAS WEDDING ON THE DOWN LOW
All of this brings back memories of how Kelly and Mark’s Las Vegas wedding ceremony went public in 1996 while the two were still on All My Children playing Mateo Santos and Hayley Vaughan. In essence, they were outed by then radio host Wendy Williams! They discussed it on the talk show back in 2024.
In fact, the duo hid their marriage from their All My Children castmates for months, until they found out Williams got wind of the nuptials and spread the intel on the airwaves.
The two recalled their secret wedding on a 2024 episode of Live! “We’d eloped. It’d been a few months at that point. We’d been married for three months, nobody at All My Children knew we were even dating, much less married to each other. We’re brushing our teeth and we’ve got Wendy Williams’ radio show on. We’re listening, and she’s like, ‘I’ve got celebrity dish!”
EYEWITNESS
Next Ripa continued, “The celebrities,’ I guess they had a broad use of the term back then, was the fact that ‘two soap stars from All My Children, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos eloped in Las Vegas.’ There was this eyewitness that worked in the Clark County courthouse that said we eloped, and the news broke, and we had to tell everybody we were married.”
Live With Kelly and Mark airs weekdays in syndication. Check your local listings for times in your area.
Share your birthday wishes for Kelly in the comment section, and let us know your thoughts on how Wendy Williams broadcast the news, unbeknownst to the All My Children newlyweds, that they tied the knot in Vegas? Check out Mark and the ‘Live’ studio audience singing ‘happy birthday’ to Kelly in the post below.
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All My Children
‘All My Children’ Movie Writers for Lifetime Revealed: Ron Carlivati, Jamey Giddens and Leo Richardson
This week began and as reported with a spotlight article on Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos and how their production entity, Milojo, has been teeing up the All My Children reboot with Lifetime.
The L.A. Times featured the married couple, co-hosts of Live with Kelly and Mark, and former All My Children cast members (where they met and fell in love) about their plans to bring two All My Children movies to Lifetime and how they are working with the Agnes Nixon estate to make it come to fruition,
On Wednesday, it was revealed by Daytime Confidential, that All My Children reboot producer, Andrew Stearn handpicked none other than Ron Carlivati (ex-head writer, One Life to Live, General Hospital and Days of our Lives) and Jamey Giddens (who is the new co-head writer of The Young and the Restless, following his tenures on the writing teams of Beyond the Gates and Days of Our Lives), as the two scribes who will bring the first of two of Kelly and Mark’s All My Children movies to the page.
Photo: IMDb
RON CARLIVATI AND JAMEY GIDDENS CONFIRM THEIR BOARDING THE ALL MY CHILDREN MOVIE PROJECT
The second installment is said to be written by primetime writer Leo Richardson whose credits include: Star, Katy Keene and more recently the Penn Badgley (ex-Phillip Chancellor IV, The Young and the Restless) starring series, You.
Richardson also wrote for three years on the U.K.’s long-running soap, EastEnders. All My Children revival fans will recall Richardson’s name was attached as the writer for the first incarnation of the All My Children movies, entitled, Pine Valley.
Ron Carlivati took to X and confirmed he is indeed boarding the All My Children movie project. Carlivati shared, “So excited to share this news! Thanks to Andrew Stearn, Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, Albert Bianchini and the Agnes Nixon estate for entrusting Jamey Giddens and me with the first of two planned All My Children movies for Lifetime! Stay tuned!”
Photo: Jeremy Smith/imageSPACE
Jamey Giddens confirmed DC’s announcement by taking to his account on X and expressing, “I’ve been booked and busy in 2026. Thanks to Andrew Stearn, the Agnes Nixon estate, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos for entrusting Ron Carlivati, and me with the first of two planned All My Children movies for Lifetime!”
Some fans seemed to question how Giddens could be writing for the first All My Children movie at Lifetime, when he is the new co-head writer at The Young and the Restless with Dan O’Connor. Jamey answered that head on via X and explained, “We turned in our All My Children script months ago. My sole focus as of this past Monday, is Genoa City, Wisconsin! #YR”
ERICA KANE, MARIA SANTOS AND HAYLEY AND MATEO SANTOS TO APPEAR IN THE ALL MY CHILDREN MOVIE REVIVAL?
In the planned stories, Susan Lucci’s Erica Kane and Eva LaRue’s Maria Santos will be two characters whose lives we will get to see for the first time since the series was canceled by ABC back in 2011 after 41 years on the air. As well, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos confirmed they will make brief appearances on-screen; one could assume as Hayley and Mateo Santos.
“It’d be wonderful to give the fans something that they’ve been yearning for so many years,” shared Mark Consuelos to the LA Times. “All My Children gave me my family. I met my wife there. It gave me my start in the business. It gave us so much. It would be a dream to be able to give back.”
So, what do you think of Ron Carlivati and Jamey Giddens getting nod to write the All My Children movie #1 script and Leo Richardson #2? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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News2 days agoY&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
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Previews3 days agoTHE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
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General Hospital2 days ago‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
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Days Of Our Lives3 days ago‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
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Days Of Our Lives6 days ago‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
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Carolyn is great
This should be a great read. Noticed AMAZON.com already has it available for pre-order. I am hoping she sheds light, and lots of it, on Brian Frons and his involvement with all three ABC soaps, particularly One Life To Live and why they are preceived (rightfully so, I think) as the red headed step child. I am curious what really happened with KISH, why there is no promo for OLTL and why the vets are sacrified in favor of the younger, newer actors. Also hope to find out what happened to some really big soap faves (Bobbie Spencer on GH, I think Jacqueline Zeaman is her name. Same with Lucy Coe on GH, played by Lynn Herring. Dicie, Cady McClain, on AMC. ) The truth about Robin Strasser and ger past diva-like behavior; Victoria RowelI and what castmates think, etc. I could go on and on. Hope the book addresses all this and more. This book could be explosive!
You don’t need her book to get info on Strasser’s diva behavior. She had a hotline where she bashed OLTL routinely, and she was still on OLTL at that time. Talk abt being professional! I don’t think OLTL is that “red headed step child” that some soap bloggers depict it as such. Zimmer joined it. They moved to AMC’s studios. They’re going HD. B&B isn’t even in HD, and it has much higher ratings than OLTL, w/o even factoring in B&B’s global ratings. If anything, the portrayal of OLTL as being “neglected” by ABCD and Frons is questionable. As for Kish, there was such a brouhaha abt their axing. There were months of reporting abt it from the soap press or places like afterelton, w/c only report on lgbtq aspects of soaps and know nothing abt Daytime. Yet OLTL axed more racial minorities, and continues to do so, w/ Terrell Tilford. Yet there’s not a squeak or complaint abt the “ethnic cleansing” on OLTL.
I am only vaguely familiar with Robin’s antics that you spoke of. I know that she is a great actress and OLTL is lucky to have her.
In terms of ABC soaps, I think it is hard to argue that OLTL receives the same treatment as AMC and GH. They do not get even half the promotion as the other two shows.
I agree that OLTL has let some really good actors go, a few that I would have loved to see stick around. Terrell Tilford is not one of them. My guess is there not any issue over his being let go because his acting was not up to par, and that became very obvious to viewers as his role increased with the Eli storyline. This particular action. I think was justified in regards to TT.
But Charles: if acting talent was the basis for letting go of an actor, then David Gregory should have been fired months ago! He’s awful, but instead, they’ve actually built a family around his char! OLTL seems heavily invested in the Fords and not in their racial minority chars. They even gave the Ford brothers a sauna sequence w/ an incestuous vibe. If acting talent was the only basis for soap actors, then many of the younger actors and some of the older actors on soaps would not even be hired. This is true for all soaps. As for promotion, it’s already grating how people act like ABCD never promotes OLTL. They ripped of Glee, arguably 1 of the most buzzed abt shows ever, and had them sing on The View. But AMC and GH get more buzz bec they had more going for them recently. AMC had the move to LA, the retirement of Canary, the returns of Budig, Barr, etc. Nouri joined as Caleb. And then GH of course had Franco and Vanessa Marcil’s return.
Rick Springfield has a book out on October 14 that should have some GH dish.
If she’s going to share behind the scenes stuff I hope its all both relevant and true and none of it is an excuse to spread nasty things about people she holds grudges against. I don’t know enough about Hinsey to know whether or not thats her style but its a common enough practice in the entertainment industry.
I’m sorry but I don’t trust Ms. Hinsey when she say she is coming from a “loving, informed place”. In the past I have noticed that she plays favorites when it comes to soap stars (Thorsten Kaye) and trashes others for no good reason. The only stars that will be shining will be the ones that she wants to shine.
Of course she name dropped Thorsten Kaye. I bet she’ll be completely unbiased abt him. LOL! I agree w/ everything you wrote. People should consider the source whenever they read abt Daytime. I think Michael Logan is probably the most unbiased. I think he mentioned in a Daytime Confidential podcast that he wasn’t invited to ATWT’s finale. Yet in that same podcast he praised Goutman and ATWT for everything they did up to the finale.
I disagree w/ Hinsey that the audience will choose to come back to soaps over reality shows bec soaps are “like a beloved family member”. If any person feels like soaps or the chars on soaps are like family members, then your family must be completely nutty. LOL. More importantly, reality shows have basically appropriated what soaps (used to) do best, but beat them at their own game. The examples are numerous. How can scheming Daytime villains compare to Project Runway’s Santino or ANTM’s bitches Jade, Bianca, Renee, etc? How can the infidelity and betrayal of soaps compete w/ the drama of an episode of Cheaters, w/c has shown a woman in a short skirt jumping on the hood of a car to stop her lover from leaving her, a drive by slapping between 2 men, a gay guy pushing his shirtless, unfaithful partner into a lake, a gay guy ripping off the wig of his cheating boytoy in drag and an actual wedding being halted by a jilted girlfriend? People get instant gratification in a single ep, w/c portrays all the drama of an infidelity arc on a soap. The difference is that soaps would need to build that storyline for weeks or even months. How can soaps compete w/ the real catfights on Bravo? Can any soap catfight top the reunion where 1 of the NJ housewives threw the gay host to his chair? Can any Daytime catfight top the wig pulling on housewives of Atlanta? How can the wacky, over the top chars of soaps compare to the trashiness and tackiness of the media whore housewives of ny? Can any alcoholic outburst on Daytime compare to the overtanned drunks from the Jersey shore? Reality shows borrowed what soaps do, but brought them to a whole new level of outrageousness. Heck even former Daytime actors have their own reality shows. People are getting elsewhere what they used to get only from the soaps.
I used to enjoy watching ‘As the World Turns’ and ‘Guiding Light’. I believe CBS (along with P&G) made the worst mistake of ending its long-running soaps. I’ve taken notice that we’re in the midst of (what can be labled as) a “reality TV over-load”. I don’t understand why we need more talk shows, game shows, and courtroom/legal shows… which we’ve already got plenty of. I don’t believe this is what legendary soap writer and creator Irna Phillips had in mind.