All My Children
Celebrity Escort Chris Gaida Talks About Susan Lucci In New Book, Arm Candy!
Courtesy/ArmCandy
Celebrity escort to the stars, Chris Gaida, has written a new book that is set to hit bookstores at the end of this month on January 31st entitled, Arm Candy!
Fans have often seen these escorts, who walk and assist celebrities through the crowd at the Daytime Emmys, Golden Globes, movie premieres, anywhere there is a red carpet event. Gaida has had the opportunity to walk with some of the biggest stars in motion picture and television and details it all in his new book!
In Arm Candy, Gaida reveals that he has spent a good deal of time with All My Children icon Susan Lucci, escorting her at the Daytime Emmys and several other events. The celeb escort to the stars relates that La Lucci is one of his all-time favorite celebrities, and in an excerpt from the book Gaida talks about how gracious Susan really is! Check it out in this exclusive below!
Gaida on Susan Lucci: “The thing I discovered about Susan Lucci is that she truly LOVES her fans. Every time I have escorted her she has gone out of her way to meet them and take pictures. This night was no different. The crowd started to worm around the extensions, walking on the carpet and surrounded us and the other soap stars. She tried to greet them all and was posing in pictures one after another. This seemed like it could quickly become dangerous, so I rushed her along and told fans that we had to keep moving. Of course, many didn’t think I meant those words as they continued to try to get close to her and beg for a quick photo. She was very gracious and wanted to accommodate them, but I insisted that she didn’t have the time to stop anymore. Usually I am very nice with this. I understand the fans’ point of view, however, things were getting out of control. I get to the party at this point. If she stopped to meet everyone, we would needed to make sure Susan was safe. Besides, I am sure we all wanted to be there for hours.
When we reached the elevators, three hotel security officials were already positioned there for some added assistance. They had blocked off fans from this elevator bank so only people attending the party or people with rooms, requiring that elevator could enter. There were a few party guests already by the elevator doors anxiously waiting. When the elevator door opened, the people waiting filled the elevator. Just as the door was about to close, one security guard held the doors open and asked everyone to exit the elevator so that Susan, Helmut, our guests and myself would not have to wait. They clearly recognized Susan as a star and wanted to give her their version of VIP treatment.
Horrified at such a request, Susan told those people to do no such thing and she would wait for the next elevator. She thanked security, but told them it was not right. These people were waiting first. The last thing she wanted was for them to be inconvenienced for her. The people did exit and gave up the elevator. Susan was embarrassed and thanked them repeatedly as we entered the elevator quickly. The elevator doors closed with only us in it. We headed to the Penthouse Suite. She was now out of the public eye, so I knew the next moment would confirm what I already knew about her. After about two seconds of silence, she stated she felt bad the security guard asked them to get out for her. She hoped none of those people were in a hurry or upset about the inconvenience. Her publicist and I reassured her they were okay and that everyone knew it was security’s doing, not hers.
This was one of those special, private moments where a celebrity reveals their true identity. I already knew Susan was an incredible human being, but I was still so very proud to be by her side. Most people would not have said anything or even worried about it, but she cared moments later.”
So soapers, Gaida confirms what many of us know, that Susan is one of the most approachable and considerate stars of them all! Wouldn’t you agree? If you have had any encounters with Susan Lucci, share them with us here! And make sure to pick up a copy of Arm Candy to get some more inside scoop on some of the biggest celebs and more on Susan Lucci!
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.
All My Children
‘All My Children’ Revival Updates: Lifetime EVP Speaks on Why Proposed Movies are Great Fit, Mark Consuelos Wants To ‘Give Back’ to Fans
The All My Children revival via movies at Lifetime is still in the works from former series stars and marrieds, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, through their production company, Milojo.
The co-hosts of Live with Kelly and Mark were featured this week in a Los Angeles Times article which detailed their efforts to bring some of the citizens of Pine Valley back to your screens.
As previously reported, and reaffirmed by the L.A. Times, the All My Children movies will be set in the present day and focus on what beloved characters such as Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and Maria Santos Gray (Eva LaRue) are doing now. In addition, Kelly Ripa confirmed that she and Mark Consuelos will also appear on screen briefly most likely appearing in their signature soap roles as Hayley and Mateo Santos.
Photo: ABC
ALL MY CHILDREN MOVIES BRING NOSTALGIA THAT CAN BE MADE TO FEEL NEW AGAIN
Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vice president and head of programming for A&E, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movie Network said of the All My Children reboot, “Lifetime is always interested in shows that kind of tap into a powerful nostalgia that can be made fresh for today’s audience. There’s a whole generation of women that have missed these stories and these characters.”
As for working with Kelly and Mark on the Lifetime movie versions of the soap, “They’re exactly the kind of partners you want at a brand,” expressed Bryant. “They’re trusted voices because every day they’re talking to their audience, which, a lot of times, is our audience. They bring a real credibility and have an authentic point of view. You meet Kelly and Mark and kind of what you see is what you get, and I think they bring that same authenticity to their development standards.”
Albert Bianchini, executive producer for Milojo, says he knows All My Children is so wildly popular with the fans of daytime. That was punctuated when seeing it in person, and how the energy was off the charts back in January of 2025 when Kelly participated along with Susan Lucci, former head writer, Lorraine Broderick and casting director, Judy Blye Wilson in a conversation with Andy Cohen at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.
© Steven Bergman/AFF-USA.COM Credit: AFF/Alamy Live News
“I’ve never seen a crowd like that in my life. People were lined up around the block, recalled the Bianchini. “Everyone wanted to know, ‘When is (All My Children) coming back? We want more.’ We got to see that in real life and Kelly got to feel it in real life, and it made so much sense. I just know that the minute it gets out in the world, people will want more and more and more. There’s just a love there.”
Kelly Ripa added that they are, “working closely with Bob and Sarah Nixon, who are also serving as producers.” She recalled, “She (Agnes Nixon) was so far ahead of her time. She covered topics that weren’t being covered. It was extraordinary the audiences that the show drew, and she served them real stories that were affecting Americans across the country but weren’t necessarily being represented anywhere.”
“It’d be wonderful to give the fans something that they’ve been yearning for so many years,” shared Mark Consuelos. “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.”
THE CANCELLATION AND STOPS AND STARTS OF ALL MY CHILDREN REBOOTS
All My Children aired on ABC from 1970 to 2011. It got a second chance at life when Prospect Park resurrected the show and brought it to The OnLine Network and Hulu for one season in 2013.
Recently, the series made a return through the estate of Agnes Nixon and is streaming internationally on BEONDTV and through their partnership with PlutoTV Canada with episodes starting in 1995. Fans hope original episodes will some day soon be available in the U.S. as well, but that could prove more difficult since ABC owns the rights to the episodes stateside.
Now 13 years later, while there is no word yet on a definitive production start date to the two movies at Lifetime, all the people involved seemed determined to make it come to life.
So, what do you think of the executive vice-president of Lifetime and LMN being enthusiastic about Kelly and Mark’s All My Children movie revivals? Are you wanting to see this come to fruition? Kelly and Mark seem to have made this a very high priority. Do you hope that by 2027 we might be able to get this to the finish the line and into production? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Starting on May 1, All My Children fans in Canada will be able to see classic episodes of the beloved former ABC soap opera when they stream on Pluto TV Canada.
Pluto TV picked-up the All My Children Channel that the Nixon family has created in partnership with BEONDTV +. The show which aired for 41 years on ABC and ended on the network in 2011, had so many memorable storylines and characters; the least of which is the enduring run of Erica Kane played by soap icon, Susan Lucci.
As previously reported, starting with episodes from the year 1995, which was the 25th anniversary of the soap. Pluto TV Canada viewers will be able to catch 8 episodes on repeat per day. With the success of the venture, the Nixons are hopeful that they will bring viewers many more years of the show to come.
Photo: ABC
Sarah Nixon, producer, shared with Michael Fairman TV exclusively, “We are thrilled that Pluto TV has launched All My Children in Canada! Let’s hope the engagement from our incredibly loyal fans across the border will encourage ABC to bring it to the U.S.! We share what Aggie (Agnes Nixon) always felt, that it is the enthusiasm and love from the fans that has kept this legacy beloved and relevant – to this day!”
In addition, 0ne week ago, during Susan Lucci’s visit to Los Angeles promoting her book La Lucci, she was joined by her former Pine Valley castmates, Rebecca Budig (ex-Greenlee, AMC, now Taylor, B&B) and Eva LaRue (ex-Maria, AMC) and the trio posed for a pic. At that time, LaRue shared via Instagram, “NEW All My Children channel streaming classic episodes 24/7 now on Pluto TV Canada! Fingers crossed to watch soon on Pluto US.”
That was also confirmed this week by TV Watercooler’s Jeevan Brar who took to X and expressed, “The All My Children channel begins streaming this Friday, May 1 on Pluto TV Canada.
So, Canadian viewers, excited about Pluto TV’s All My Children channel? United States fans, hopeful from Sarah’s message that perhaps soon, we can see the beloved soap once again as well? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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I love Susan Lucci! She is the best! By the way, Happy Birthday Michael. I hope you are having a great one.
Susan is very generous..
I wonder if she would lend her escort to me for a day or two..
I would love to be escorted, on his arm , to Target and Walgreen’s 🙂
I hope that she will honor her fans & return to #AMC. If not on contract, at least an appearance every now & then. I know she’s moved on & is busy but I still hope she will give it the old college try.
Agnes Nixon is now with PP and Susan will be there for her most cherished friend Agnes..
We will see Erica in Pine Valley.. 🙂
This book sounds fantastic! I can’t wait to read more.
This is so nice to hear. I hope she comes back to AMC. I quit watching awhile ago, but will check out the new show when it returns.
Great to hear the details from behind the scenes! Can’t wait to read more!
At the Super Soap Weekends in Orlando Florida, Susan was always there for her fans,she always stopped to talk to us.She was always interested and made sure we were having a good time. We would standing by the bathrooms at MGM and wait for her and all the others actors from AMC,OLTL and GH. Everyone was so nice and would take pictures with us and let us take their pictures and Susan and Helmut come over to us and show us pictures and talk us like we were their friends , those were great memories.
I really would love to see Susan on the AMC reboot; it wouldn’t be AMC without her but I am fearful she has two ironclad contracts with Deadly Affairs and Devious Maids I hope people see the value of her on all three shows. At least recurring role but surely someone cna figure something out. I hear her part on Devious Maids isn’t that big so maybe she could handle it – although the other rumour is that she is stealing scenes. Idon’t think she will want to disappoint any fans BUT she isn’t getting younger. And more important maybe AMC or PP don’t want her? Sad if this is true.