General Hospital
Denise Alexander Making A Return To GH As Lesley Webber!
Photo Credit: Hutchins Photo
A longtime GH favorite, Denise Alexander (Lesley Webber) is making a return to the ABC daytime drama series, just in time for the holidays.
According to Soap Opera Digest, Lesley will be back in Port Charles in December.
The last time fans saw Laura’s (Genie Francis) mother was back in 2013.
We wonder what Lesley will think of the man in Laura’s life, Kevin Collins (Jon Lindstrom)?
Glad to hear Denise is heading back to GH for a bit? Comment below!
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
General Hospital star Cynthia Watros, who can currently be seen in on the ABC soap opera in the role of Nina Reeves, has had a enduring career in television. That included her time on the 2000-2002 Fox sitcom, Titus.
In Titus, Watros starred along with Stacy Keach as Erin Fitzpatrick and Ken Titus, respectively. After the November 10th news that Keach had passed away at 85 while living in Poland, Cynthia took to her Instagram on Thursday, November 12 to pay tribute to the great actor.
Watros expressed, “My first prime time show was along side Stacy. I loved him instantly. What an amazing talent and man.❤️”
Photo: ABC
In Titus, Stacy played stand up comedian Christopher Titus’ heavy-drinking, chain-smoking, five-times-divorced father who frequently pulled cruel pranks and tried to toughen his kids up. Cynthia played by Christopher’s level-headed, big-hearted girlfriend trying to build a normal life with him. In fact, Cynthia’s role on the sitcom was first series regular role after her Daytime Emmy run of Annie Dutton on Guiding Light which ran from 1994-1998.
STACY KEACH’S WIFE ON HIS PASSING
Keach’s wife, Malgosia shared the news of the actor’s death publicly in a statement with PEOPLE. Malgosia expressed, that Stacy had, “a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.”
She added, “Stacy peacefully departed this world. He fought for so long, with extraordinary courage, determination and strength. He was a true warrior, facing his illness with the same remarkable spirit and resilience that defined his life.”
Małgosia continued, “Stacy was not only a legendary actor, admired and loved by audiences the world over, but also my beloved husband, my companion and the heart of our family. His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever.”
Now, let us know do you remember when Cynthia made her sitcom debut in Titus? Share your thoughts via the comment section on Cynthia’s many TV roles and the passing of Stacy Keach in the comment section. But first, check out the very first episode of Titus with Cynthia Watros below!
The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.
Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Antonio Sabáto Jr., the former Jagger Cates of General Hospital and GH: Night Shift, and the former Dante Damiano of The Bold and the Beautiful has issued his first public statement since the incident involving his son, Jack’s arrest in Alaska for a fatal hit-and-run.
Jack is the son of Sabáto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, and according to court documents obtained by KTUU Jack, was allegedly driving a white Chevy Tahoe when he hit and killed Carl Simmonds, 42, near an intersection in Anchorage around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, November 9.
The reports indicated that Jack fled the scene — but later decided to called the cops to say he hit “something” that “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing.”
Photo: NBC
Now, Antonio has taken to his Instagram breaking his silence on the situation, sharing, “At this time, my family and I are navigating an extremely sensitive and deeply personal matter.”
He added, “As a father, my love for my children remains unconditional, and my priority is the well-being of my family. We ask that the public and members of the media honor our privacy during this difficult time and keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.”
The soap alum concluded, “I also wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the gentleman who tragically lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with them as well. We sincerely appreciate your compassion, understanding, and respect for the privacy of everyone affected.”
Jack Sabáto was arraigned in court on Tuesday, November 10 with bail set at $5,000, and a no-driving order and the potential of $5,000 penalty fees if he fails to attend future court appearances.
Antonio is the father to Jack, 34, daughter, Mina Sabato, 24 and son, Antonio Sabáto III, 15.
This is a developing story. You can check out Antonio’s official statement below.
So, let us know your thoughts on this tragic hit-and-run, which claimed the life of another man, and Antonio’s statement, via the comment section below.
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‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
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so happy to hear this !
awesome, I always loved her character on GH. She was one of my favorites.
Best news ever!!!!!
It’s about time! Lesley not being mentioned the past few years has been awkward, as she should have been there for her family when Nikolas died.
Wednesday’s show did a good job of foretelling upcoming storylines. Nathan’s father, Brit’s return, Lulu’s job are on the way. Even Sam’s one-liner about Danny’s obsession with Annabelle II set her family up to move into the Q mansion. Danny can play with his Uncle Leo?
Man Landers has pronounced officially over and Andre seems to be wrapping up. Onward and upward!
And with the end of “Man Landers,” can we now see Nurse Amy to the door, too??? Unless she is being set up as a loony tune with a “Fatal Atttraction” for expectant babydaddy Nathan, she basically has no purpose except to hound poor Chet for the rest of days. Dude deserves better than that!
It’s nice to see vets return…especially as some of the vets still on the show do not get any respect or can’t keep a relative— poor Liz Weber- 2 sisters, a brother, a father and mother, a grandmother and she’s on her own with three boys. No one visits, no one calls. I’m glad Laura is getting ANOTHER family member visiting.
You seem to forget, the boys are taken care of a lot by “Grams” Audrey.
Danny and Scout are taken care of by Chief of Staff and Heart Surgeon 70 year old Monica…but we see her on screen. Gram is only mentioned as a plot device to explain the boys off screen. That isn’t family. Even Ava mob princess has family. Even Nelle is distantly related to Carly! Poor Liz.
Rachel Ames who played Audrey is almost 90. Perhaps she’s retired? 😉
Yes, always! And she and Genie will have some heartwarming scenes. She’ll love Kevin with Laura. And will Jonathan Jackson (“Lucky”) be back now that Nashville is cancelled? We need some more family for Laura!
Yea! Lesley is coming back! It’s about time! I’ve really missed her!
This is wonderful news!
Now that’s the best Christmas present GH could give me!
Great to have her back! Interactions with Monica, Lulu and Elizabeth are required.
Can’t wait to see “Lester” back. Hope we see some more good Monica vs. Lesley scenes like this one from 2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR6_DiNnAHk
I will make a point to see this.
This is WELCOME NEWS!!!
Whenever GH decides to honour its history, the show is on the right path. Sadly, these “episodes” are few and far between.
Anyone lucky enough to have seen Ms. Alexander as Lesley Williams Faulkner Webber at any time during her long and storied tenure was indeed lucky and had great viewing experience! I remember when Ms. Alexander was one of the first “soap hoppers,” as she left DOOL to create a new role on GH. She was front and center from day 1. She always entertained…
To have Ms. Alexander on screen again with Genie Francis — especially in 2017 — is as good as it gets!
EXACTLY, Brother!!!!!
Later.
I am so glad to hear this. I always wondered why Leslie wasn’t around when some of the older characters were brought back. I want to see some scenes between her and Monica and talk about some of the past they had when they weren’t quite so friendly with each other. Anything to bring Monica into story.
Me too, James. I propose that Leslie stays in the Quartermaine mansion as a house guest and we viewers will be privy to witnessing witty tet e tets transpire between Monica and Leslie.
Monica will always be that “tramp” who had a torrid affair with Leslie’s husband, Dr Rick Webber.
Yes!
Still wish she had return to Days 50th two years ago and revealed to be Ann’s mom,,,anyway, she will be back for Laura’s wedding?…will Scotty catch the flowers again like he did when Laura married Luke???
(Smile) and touche!
Makes sense if she’s going to attend her daughter ‘s wedding.
Can’t wait. She needs to stay. Leslie and teen Laura is what got me watching years ago
Those were the best episodes – when Genie took over the role. Their mother-daughter relationship is really one of the best in soap history!
Leslie is running the Russian clinic where Jason was held prisoner!!!
Yeah, there’s a snowball’s chance in my back yard that could happen… but if they really wanted a “shocking twist”, that would do it, wouldn’t it?
(now watch the fan fiction sites run with this rumor……)
This is great. I have missed her and appreciate GH having her home for the holidays!
Always loved her. Very happy to see her back, hopefully for good!
Yea!!! Love Denise!
God I wish she would come back to DAYS as Susan! Give her a juicy storyline with her daughter ANN MILLBAUER and her old nemesis JULIE!
IVE BEN WAITING FOR DENISE EVER SINCE GENIE RETURNED THIS LAST TIME..THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THESE 2 ACTRESSES IS AMAZING ,IM GLUED TO MY TV WHEN THESE 2 SHARE SCENES,,,WHAT A GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT TO THE G,H FANS,,
AN DRAMATIC STORYLINE FOR THESE 2 STELLAR PERFORMERS WOULD BE THE ANGEL ON TOP OF THE TREE BUT ILL SETTLE FOR A FEW SCENES,,WELCOME HOME DENISE
I’m hoping her return is more than just for a bit. Four of her veteran co-workers had 40 year anniversary’s this year (Leslie Charleson, on consistently even if recurring as of now; Genie Francis, Kin Shriner, Jackie Zeman), and if GH has gotten one thing right it’s little salutes to the show’s history here and there, some better than others. Monica and Lesley have patched things up and it would be nice for Lesley to see certain aspects of Monica that have made her more like Lila than the Monica of old. Denise’s daytime career goes back to the early 1960’s, so having her return is like catching up with a long-lost aunt you haven’t seen in years that reminds you about what life and family are all about.
It would be good to see her again……long overdue I think
She looks too young to be Laura’s mother.
Delighted! Hope she has scenes with Laura, Lulu, and Monica, too. And wouldn’t it be fantastic to see Audrey back for a few days?! Would LOVE it! And what about Gail? Leslie, Monica, Gail and Audrey playing bridge one night, discussing how their families have changed over the years….cue the flashbacks. Love it!
Rodd, awesome commentary! I totally agree with your suggestions. Having Audrey back, for whatever reason, would be wonderful. And we haven’t seen Gail in far too long. The bridge seen you promote would be gold! Akin to the Golden Girls…
Are you reading, GH producers and writers?
Hopefully she won’t regress 40 years as written by Ron Carlivati!
I love this. Family members should turn up for big events, like weddings and funerals.
Awesome! Hope Lesley and Monica Quartermaine go a few rounds!
Denise Alexander is Soap Opera ROYALTY! She should be given a contract! Any scene she is in is interesting! And her and Genie together is the best!
It would be nice to see her stay and back at GH.
She’s been babysitting Audrey Hardy.
So loved Leslie back in the day, with all her SLs and family troubles. A beautiful lady!
I am so happy to hear Denise is coming back. She was the reason I got hooked on GH. I so wish they would bring her back for good. She is Soap Royalty. I am so happy.
Really looking forward to Denise Alexander’s return – she has a great presence and warmth about her that she brings to her role, along with alot of conviction. Similar to Genie Francis in some ways.
I have never heard of or seen a Denise Alexander (Lesley Webber)..
She is just another Newbie to me..
She should not be. She and Scotty Baldwin are the only two characters left on the show currently (that I know of) that were created by Frank and Doris Hursley, the duo responsible for creating GH in the 60s. However, while other actors have portrayed Scotty prior to Kin Shriner, I don’t think any other actress played Lesley.
She’s far from a newbie. Since Rachel Ames is retired, Denise is most senior cast member who can return a she debuted as Lesley in 1974. Laura’s mother, Lulu’s grandmother, great-grandma to Spencer, Aiden, Rocco and Charlotte. Former nemesis of Monica. Lots of connections to the current canvas.
Id like to see Laura reflect some on her her growth as a person and and as a romantic Partner by having a rewardingg couple of scenes with Leslie and or Bobbie reflecting on her History with Luke as a way to honor the Myth that is Luke and Laura’s past with respectfully
Denise Alexander has been woefully misused every since Lesley was brought back from the dead all those years ago. I grew up watching her powerful performances in the 80’s, and was underwhelmed by the way she has been written. A disgrace to Ms. Alexander and her talents.
She was a wonderful actress in her time as Lesley Webber, mother to Laura and grandmother to many. The last time she was on, she had trouble walking, but still lovely at her age. You can always check her out on Google or Utube, if you are interested. It’s always fun watching the old shows from way back, especially ones you missed. I was watching the one when Jason came back from college, and a lot of the old Luke & Laura ones. What fun!