Days Of Our Lives
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Leo Revealed to be Craig’s Boyfriend
Monday’s Days of our Lives officially confirmed, what many suspected, that Craig Wesley’s (Kevin Spirtas) new boyfriend is someone we all knew. And voila! It was in the form of Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart).
It all goes down when Chloe (Nadia Bjorlin), with Brady (Eric Martsolf) in tow, are waiting to meet the new man in Craig’s life while trying to calm her nerves over it. Chloe has been upset what this has done to her parents, Craig and Nancy (Patrika Darbo), and their marriage falling apart.
While the three of them are sitting at a table waiting for the man to join them, Craig is antsy cause the guy is a little late, but he keeps singing the guy’s praises especially his humor! Chloe says humor is a good trait to have in a relationship.
Then, when Chloe points out she doesn’t even know Craig’s new man’s name, Brady turns and is shocked to see Leo Stark enter the room and heading straight to their table.
It is then Leo goes to hug Craig and tells him “Happy Valentine’s Day”. Thus, Chloe and Brady come to the stunning realization that Craig’s boyfriend is trouble-personified in Leo Stark.
On his return to DAYS, Greg Rikaart spoke to Soap Opera Digest (in their latest issue on newsstands now) and shared: “I found out that I was coming back to be the love interest of a character who had been there. That relationship would, of course, have ramifications for other characters on the show, who are not at all pleased about Leo’s return and also his involvement with that character. There become multiple efforts from many different people to try and sabotage that relationship, much to Leo’s chagrin.”
So, what are your thoughts on Leo and Craig together in Salem? Comment below.
This is a very distasteful storyline on all levels. It completely trashes Nancy’s character. Making Leo Craig’s love just cheapens whatever they were attempting with telling this story.
Total disrespect to history and throwing the overweight, confident woman under the bus.
Total fast forward material!!
Wait until Nancy meets/sees Leo!
i like Sonny and Will’s relationship. not Allies and Chanels. with regards to Greg and Leo. not so much. I think Leo is conning Craig and he is too blind to realize it, don’t think it will work out. I think Craig is going to be really hurt and used by LEO.
So they had a potential here to tell a serious story about a man coming out later in life (as opposed to Will or Allie in their late teens) and instead they use it to prop the idiotic Leo Stark.
Leo’s actually good for comic relief now and then, like in the Peacock “special episodes”, but who’s going to believe he’s in a “serious relationship” with Craig??
100% it could have been an awesome serious storyline of real life problems and now it’s just a cartoon just like almost everything else with days these days…. I wish I liked the other soaps but days is my only one and it’s getting so bad.. the only reason I watch is because I love all the actors.
Maybe Craig has some kind of brain tumor, I’ve read of stuff like that being the reason for people doing the unthinkable. He’s supposed to be a smart, knowledgeable physician , but he isn’t thinking with his brain.
ReRon hasn’t used the brain tumor excuse on Days yet, so that’s always possible. I expected him to give that excuse to Ben… since he’s copied the Frodd redemption formula otherwise.
Never heard of brain tumors changing sexual orientation…. or did you mean the severely impaired judgment in choosing a boyfriend??
Satan
I meant the latter. How could someone of Craig’s caliber even look at this P.O.S with any seriousness?
I don’t believe that Craig would really fall for someone like Leo. I do think Leo is funny and am glad to see him back. It’s just odd that Craig would want to be with a guy like Leo. I could see maybe an affair, but not leave his family.
Momo
I feel the same. I can see maybe a fling to see what it’s like with this bafoon, but anything serious is unbelievable. I did not see Craig years ago so I know very little about him. I can sure see why he’d want to step out on that harpy of a wife but to hook up with Leo is just crazy!
Craig and Nancy were in-step when they were first on. They were both in on him trying to get Chief of Medicine or whatever post it was and were not against playing dirty. They were high school sweethearts or college sweethearts. So they have a long history of being in love and being together and being in sync.
Nancy wasn’t like she is now. I guess thinking (and then finding out) your husband is cheating does that to you.
Momo
I did not watch Days at the time you mention. I only know what I’ve read and seen in flashbacks, Ghoul Girl, etc.
Iam very old and old-fashioned, so it’s very hard watching scenes with Leo and Craig. At first sight , Nancy seemed much older than Craig and when I checked their ages, was not surprised that she is 74 and he is 62. Maybe back in the day they looked equal in age but to me this makeover Bonnie has done, doesn’t help the age thing. Craig’s little boy toy is still young and whatever, that doesn’t help Nancy either.
Craig looks better with Leo than his ridiculous wife nancy!
Heidi
I think you’re right!
Big fan of Greg Rikaart on both Y&R and Days. Sadly, Y&R under utilizes him and has basically reduced Kevin to almost and under 5. Yes, Leo is over the top which is a lot of fun to watch as Greg stretches his acting abilities. I’m hoping that they keep the humor in Leo but tone it down so he can become a viable character for additional appearances. And, I hope they take the grifter out of him and allow a real relationship with Craig even if it doesn’t last. I get the people who are upset and feel that they are tarnishing Nancy. But, a late in life coming out is not uncommon and I believe that Craig can still love and want to be there for Nancy even if no longer in a romantic capacity.
THANK YOU, CHAZ. I’ve adored Greg since the early YR days. To me, he’s got it all– terrific, versatile actor with a sense of humor, great smile, gorgeous hair, and never afraid to speak out on his beliefs. Leo is the ideal bad boy and let’s face it, Craig’s “love” life won’t be boring with Leo in the boudoir.
Soaphound and Chaz
While I agree with you both I love Greg too from all the years on Y&R. He started out bad with the terrible things he did to Lily and Collen, wasn’t she the one he tried to burn up?,but after Michael came he calmed down and turned good. I loved his first wife but detest her as Gwen on Days. I think most of us love Gloria but personally, I can’t stand Chloe, I had always hoped he and Mariah would get together.
Craig is too good for Leo. I want the Wesley family to become a new addition to the show and for Craig and Nancy to become friends again eventually. I hope Craig finds love and peace with a different and decent guy after Leo breaks his heart.
I don’t want to offend anyone but I also do not think that my being able to turn off the show makes it OK. I do n’t think it is the right time of day to be showing this adult material. It is not appropriate for young children who are watching with parents or other adults.
Also, I bet the Cordays, Irna Phillips, et all are turning over in their graves.I myself was appalled , especially at Greg Ricartt/Leo Starks disgusting performance on Mondays show. Maybe it was meant to be funny or cute, but not to these old eyes.Yes, I clutched my pearls so tight, I almost strangled myself, but still could not stop watching this train-wreck. Where is Devil Johnny when he’s really needed with his pitchfork?
I can’t stand the Devil days but the normal ones are pretty good, case in point , the double weddings . Leo was sure thrown for a loop when he received pre-nup papers from Craig, which I thought was an odd choice of serving them. Wouldn’t this be something that would be discussed face to face? I don’t care if they get married or not, in fact for someone as intelligent as Craig to not be able to see through this Shmuck, deserves him!
Beyond the Gates
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the full list of nominees for the upcoming 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, and it was CBS daytime’s The Young and the Restless and broadcast television newest soap opera, Beyond the Gates that racked up the most nominations with 18 and 16, respectively.
The full reveal on Tuesday follows the announcement of several major categories including Lead Actor and Actress on Monday via Extra and Entertainment Tonight and The View today revealing Daytime Drama Series and more.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmys ceremony is set to take place on Friday, October 30 at the historic Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.
Photo: CBS
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS expressed, “We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television, As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
“Each year, the Daytime Emmy Awards celebrate the creativity, passion, and dedication that drive this vibrant community of storytellers,” said Rachel Schwartz, Head of the Daytime Emmy Awards. “Congratulations to this year’s nominees, whose work continues to entertain, inspire and connect with audiences every day. We look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements in Hollywood this October.”
The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Gold & Silver Circle Inductees, and ceremony host will be announced at a later date.
Now below, check out the nominees in the daytime drama, talk show, entertainment news series and creative arts categories and congratulations to all!
Photo: JPI
Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Stacy Haiduk (as Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives
Karla Mosley (as Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Michelle Stafford (as Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless
Heather Tom (as Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful
Tamara Tunie (as Anita Williams Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Eric Braeden (as Victor Newman), The Young and the Restless
Steve Burton (as Jason Morgan), General Hospital
Scott Clifton (as Liam Spencer), The Bold and the Beautiful
Thorsten Kaye (as Ridge Forrester), The Bold and the Beautiful
Christian Jules Le Blanc (as Michael Baldwin), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Linsey Godfrey (as Sarah Horton), Days of Our Lives
Camryn Grimes (as Mariah Copeland), The Young and the Restless
Beth Maitland (as Traci Abbott), The Young and the Restless
Trisha Mann-Grant (as Leslie Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Amanda Setton (as Brook Lynn Quartermaine), General Hospital
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Sean Dominic (as Nate Hastings), The Young and the Restless
Timon Kyle Durrett (as Bill Hamilton), Beyond the Gates
Michael Graziadei (as Daniel Romalotti), The Young and the Restless
Roger Howarth (as Matt Clark), The Young and the Restless
Mike Manning (as Bradley “Smitty” Smith), Beyond the Gates
Lawrence Saint-Victor (as Carter Walton), The Bold and the Beautiful
Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series
Braedyn Bruner (as Emma Scorpio-Drake), General Hospital
Al Calderon (as Javier Hernandez), Days of Our Lives
Alice Halsey (as Rachel Black), Days of Our Lives
Giovanni Mazza (as Gio Palmieri), General Hospital
Ambyr Michelle (as Eva Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Arielle Prepetit (as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Jasmine Burke (as June Hughes), Beyond the Gates
Jeff Kober (as Cyrus Renault), General Hospital
Eva LaRue (as Natalia Rogers-Ramirez), General Hospital
Christopher Sean (as Paul Narita), Days of Our Lives
Ray Wise (as Ian Ward), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Casting for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series
3rd Hour of TODAY
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Live With Kelly and Mark
TODAY With Jenna & Friends
The View
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro, The View
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show
Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall
Jennifer Hudson, The Jennifer Hudson Show
Sherri Shepherd, Sherri
Outstanding Entertainment News Series
Access Hollywood
Entertainment Tonight
Extra
Outstanding Daytime Personality (Daily)
Mona Kosar Abdi, Derek Hough & Terri Seymour, Extra
Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith & Nischelle Turner, Entertainment Tonight
Scott Evans, Zuri Hall, Kit Hoover & Mario Lopez, Access Hollywood
Star Jones & Corey Jovan, Divorce Court
Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program
Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood — An Entertainment Tonight Special
Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter
Variety & CNN Actors on Actors
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Working In the Theatre
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Daytime
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
Have Guitar Will Travel World
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033
Let Frankie Cook,” Getting the Band Back Together
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Outstanding Technical Direction and Video for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 104
The Bold and the Beautiful,” Episode 9511
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”
The Jennifer Hudson Show, ” Episode 4041
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”
Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
General Hospital, Episode 15719
The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Episode 5033
The Young and the Restless,” Episode 13273
So, what do you think of the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations? Who are you happy to see receive a nomination and who do you think was snubbed? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Monday on Entertainment Tonight, the second set of nominations for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced which included the highly-coveted Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actress and Outstanding Daytime Talk Series.
ET followed suit after Extra announced the nominees, as previously reported, in the Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actor and Outstanding Daytime Talk Host.
Now, five leading ladies of the soaps are vying for the gold for Lead Actress and the category marked the first-ever nominations for CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates when two actresses made the final cut. Only General Hospital is not represented among the actresses this year after Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) took home the trophy last year.
Photo: NATAS
THE FIVE LEADING LADIES OF THE SOAPS ARE …
The 2026 Lead Actress nominees are: Stacy Haiduk (Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives, Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless, Heather Tom (Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful, and Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree), Beyond the Gates.
This marks the first Daytime Emmy nominations for Karla Mosley and Tamara Tunie. In addition, this marks the first-time in her career that Stacy Haiduk had received a Lead Actress nod after two Supporting Actress nominations.
Meanwhile, Michelle Stafford had previously won 3 Emmys – 2 for Lead Actress and 1 for Supporting, but this recognition makes it her 11th overall nomination.
Heather Tom currently is tied for the most all-time Daytime Emmy wins with One Life to Live alum and General Hospital guest star, Erika Slezak. The B&B star has 19 nominations throughout her career.
Photo: ABC
DAYTIME TALK SERIES
In the Outstanding Daytime Talk Series category, the nominees are: 3rd Hour of Today, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Live with Kelly and Mark, Today with Jenna and Friends and The View.
“We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television,” NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement on the nominations. “As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
The rest of the nominations will be revealed tomorrow on Tuesday July 14 starting on The View and then the full list of nominees in both the main and creative arts will be released by NATAS. The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are slated for October 30th in Hollywood, California.
So, what do you think about the women who are vying for the Lead Actress Daytime Emmy? Happy with who got in? Who do you feel got snubbed? What do you think of the nominees for Daytime Talk Series? Weigh-in via the comment section.
It’s Daytime Emmy nomination week, and as previously reported things kick-off on Monday, July 13 when Entertainment Tonight (7pm ET) will announce the nominees for Lead Actress category and Daytime Talk Series for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. In addition on Monday, Extra (7pm ET) will reveal the nominees for Lead Actor and Daytime Talk Host.
On Tuesday, The View (11am ET) starts things off with their announcement of Daytime Drama, Entertainment News program and Outstanding Daytime Personality-Daily. That is followed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) full reveal of all the categories beginning at 12noon ET/9am PT on their website and their official social handles on X and Instagram.
Then, Tuesday night at 8pm ET/5pm PT join Michael Fairman as he hosts his 12th annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 live on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where he will chat with some of the just announced nominees as we celebrate the hard work of the men and women in front of the camera who will be going for gold.
WHEN ARE THE DAYTIME EMMYS?
This year, the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be handed out on October 30 in ceremonies in Hollywood, California (Venue yet to be revealed). At that time, as like last year, both the major categories and creative arts will be presented. There is no word yet on a broadcast partner for the annual celebration of daytime programming, or if it will soley be streamed on NATAS’ watch.theemmys.tv and various apps and platforms.
WHO WILL BE APPEARING ON THE DAYTIME EMMY NOMINATIONS SPECIAL 2026?
Throughout Tuesday, keep an eye on Michael Fairman TV’s social media handles on X, Facebook and Instagram, for updates of who will be expected to appear on our live show.
If you have a question or comment for one of the nominees, or on the nominations, we can encourage you to join us in the live chat on Tuesday night.
So, who are you hoping lands a nomination from Beyond the Gates, General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, The Bay, The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless? Let us know via the comment section. More Tuesday!
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
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GENERAL HOSPITAL Spoilers Promo: Jason’s Back, Drew Begins to Make His Move, Portia Goes Into a Labor
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