Days Of Our Lives
Freddie Smith Returns To Days of our Lives!
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
Tis true! Daytime Emmy winner Freddie Smith is on his way back to Salem as Sonny Kiriakis! The actor who began filming new episodes several months ago is slated to make his on-screen return to the canvas sometime in July!
This week’s Soap Opera Digest which will hit newsstands tomorrow and Friday has the exclusive first intel. Smith admits he is very excited to return to DAYS, and now the big question on everyone’s mind is … will Sonny reconnect with his ex, Paul Narita (Christopher Sean) and therefore reignite DAYS having a same-sex couple on the long-running series?
Freddie’s last appearances on DAYS were returning to Salem for the funeral of his husband, Will Horton (Guy Wilson) who was brutally killed by necktie serial killer, Ben Weston (Rob Scott Wilson). Smith was widely praised for his gut-wrenching performances in the aftermath.
Now with a reset button, and a new DAYS co-head writing team, will Sonny’s story captivate viewers once again?
Share your thoughts on the return of Freddie Smith in the comment section below!
But Will isnt dead…he survived the brutal murder, revived off camera and his death staged for his protection-he was in a coma all this time and will eventually return played by Chandler Massey!!!…Dont ya all wish!!!!
I agree with you, Jimmmy. Sami whisked Will away to Switzerland to recover and to keep him safe, until such time as Ben is altogether gone. My hunch tells me Marlena is the only one in Salem who knows ……and, Sonny has been with Will all along in Switzerland. Sounds wild, right? Lol.
Please let’s leave Will in the deep freeze❄️❄️❄️
Here’s what I choose to believe:
Stefano DiMera went shopping again at “Body-Doubles-R-Us,” just like he did previously when he kidnapped Rafe and substituted him with a fake body-double who fooled most people for awhile.
Stefano did this merely for the sport of messing with the jocular folk of Salem, since one does need a hobby beyond counting one’s money all day long.
William’s recast was the rented body-double all along. The William-double was far more convincing than earlier Rafe-double, so no one spotted him, right up to and including the double getting murdered, rather than the real William.
Meanwhile, the real William has been safe and sound, living the perfect life happily in Paris with Sonny and Ariana.
All this time, William has been learning to play the piano with a distinct French accent, and is now an accomplished mime.
Okay, none of that will prove to be the actual story line, but it’s what I stubbornly choose to believe, against all evidence to the contrary.
I watch days of our lives and enjoyed seeing sonny and will on there.hope they return they made the show will be watching for them to return
So, is it long-term??? Would love it if they found a way to bring Will back…in the form of Chandler Massey! Wishful thinking though… Paul and Sonny would be cool.
I too am wondering how long he will be on. It is just a drive by or a long contract.
Wow that’s wonderful news, Freddie is a wonderful actor. Hopefully he signed a long term contract.
That’s my hope, too, Ricardo.
Sonny is definitely missed in Salem. Welcome back, Freddie!!!
And maybe it will give story to Justin and Adrienne. I do miss them!
Yes Jeremy, Freddie is missed in Salem. Also I always love your comments on this site. Let’s pray and hope, that Freddie signed a long term contract.
Oh, great! Glad to have him back. Good actor. A Sonny and Paul romance would be a good storyline. I liked Will, and was sad and sorry when they killed him off, so if he can be resurrected that would be good, but if TPTB have made their decision then glad to at least have Sonny back.
Wouldn’t it be interested if they pulled a Shelter Island/Secret of NIMH/Pam Ewing’s Dream where this all occurred in Abby Devereaux’s mind…then Will could be alive…
Freddie Smith without Chandler Massey does not excite me.
THEY WILL RE-UNITE…..I just know it. I am fervently praying, mike. Love the actors and their characters.
I’m hoping this will be what happens: Freddie and Chandler both back!!! With the recent rumor about CM returning to Days, there’s a def possibility!
I’m taking a wait and see attitude. I’ve seen in the past where SOD makes a big deal about an actor returning only to find out it was just for a 2 or 3 episode arc. I hope that Sonny comes back for a longer story arc than that.
Since this rumor turned out to be true, then the Chandler Massey as Will rumor must be as well. I guess if Matthew Ashford can come back as Jack Deveraux’s ‘ghost’ then Chandler can come back as Will’s. i’m predicting it will be some sort of ‘it’s okay to get on with life and love again’ scene or scenes.
Yeah, so true, Eddie. A lot of honey is offered, and we’re the flies.
I’ve heard that it’s only for month. July through August.
I was thinking the same thing, maybe Chandler Massey is only returning as Will’s “ghost” to tell Sonny it’s all right to move on with your life. Would be nice though if there were some kind of reunion.
YASSS!!! I wouldn’t mind seeing him with Paul again and then pray really hard that Will isn’t really dead and that Chandler Massey comes back!
*Rubs hands together in glee* Bring on Paul/Sonny! I’ve been waiting since Paul’s first appearance for them.
Have you guys not seen the article and heard the rumors?? Chandler Massey is on his way back to DAYS!!!!! WATCH!!!!! And yes as Will Horton!!!!
Hoping only dream sequence
I also think that it’s going to be some sort of dream, vision, or flashback type of scene(s).
I expect the rumor about CM will turn out to be… TRUE!!!
Bringing Sonny back won’t bring back all the Wilson fans and the other viewers they lost when they brutally, gleefully and hatefully murdered Will and then ruined Sonny’s character by having him abandoning his daughter and make a date with ex on his husband’s grave.
I agree with you, perhaps not as strongly as you feel it, bringing back Sonny is not going to erase what happened last year. There is so much wrong with what the show did to the characters. Many fans blame the writers, but it seems to me the story line would not have been written if Corday hadn’t approved it.
I agree. Then again daytime fans are notoriously forgiving (I mean read some of the plot speculations here. The wild plot lines fans even here would be willing to swallow just to accommodate a CM/WilSon return).
Personally, I would find such ridiculousness insulting and just salt to the wound, but that’s just my opinion.
I’m sure CM will return, but prob’ly as a ghost/vision/dream. Especially considering how fond DAYS has become with that particular gimmick lately.
[This is my previous submission EDITED to – I hope – comply with MF’s guidelines – and it’s also improved a bit. Thank you!]
Days utterly DESTROYED Sonny’s character!
Here’s what Sonny said when he returned to Salem after they killed Will. This is in conversation with his mom and Kayla :
‘You know I was planning on coming back here before this happened. Will left me this message, and I listened to it over and over again, and I started thinking “what the hell am I doing?”. I realized I still loved him and I needed to be here with him and Arianna. And now I got to tell MY TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER she’s never going to see her Dad again. ‘
A week later Sonny totally abandons HIS DAUGHTER, and the daughter of the husband that he said he “loved”. And why? Because he couldn’t cope with his feelings! He “saw” Will everywhere in Salem, everywhere he went he was reminded of him. Well welcome to grief Sonny lad! Did you not think your two year old daughter needed you to help her through? Did you want her to grieve the loss of you too?
Sonny delivered Arianna, and raised her from birth as his own. Will and Gabi signed a custody agreement naming Sonny as a parent if one of them died. And to Arianna herself, Sonny was her daddy – and Days had Sonny abandon her because he couldn’t cope with his own feelings! How utterly pathetic!
In real life, Sonny’s behavior would have met with very strong disapproval. In truth it was bad writing. But it wasn’t just bad writing, it was bad writing that sprang from a bad agenda, as can be seen with all the other anti-gay messaging that was incorporated into the story, which was talked about in length by commentators on this site back in the fall, here:
https://e98.637.mwp.accessdomain.com/news/days-decimates-will-horton-should-ben-have-brutally-murdered-this-once-legacy-character/2015/10/09/
and here:
https://e98.637.mwp.accessdomain.com/news/have-daytime-dramas-become-more-afraid-of-having-gay-characters-on-the-canvas/2015/11/17/
and here:
https://e98.637.mwp.accessdomain.com/news/days-of-our-lives-salem-grieves-at-wills-funeral-what-did-you-think-of-the-episode/2015/10/20/
Days put out negative messages on gay love, gay fatherhood, and on step fatherhood when they designed the Kill Will plot. Who designs plots? The head-writers do, Higley and Griffith, with the co-operation of the executive producers.
Freddie’s return, and Chandler’s alleged return – none of this can fix the damage that Days did to its own fictional world and characters when they had Will murdered and no one was interested in investigating Will’s end, despite Will’s grandpa being the police commissioner! It’s like they all shrugged their shoulders and carried on. Abby didn’t even bother to report Will’s last movements – and her character was destroyed by it. And Will’s grandpa Roman Brady’s police department didn’t bother to investigate Will’s last movements. Kate Roberts, powerhouse of revenge and making-things-happen, did nothing but carry on with her work. All the characters had a wrecking ball put through them with the Kill Will debacle – but none worse than Sonny Kiriakis, the love of Will’s life!
I *LOVED* Sonny. But I have no interest in a Sonny who abandoned his daughter, and who had no interest in seeing that the murder of his husband was properly investigated, and the perpetrator convicted. TomSell began the wrecking of Sonny by retconning Paul into his life. The Sonny that was introduced to the show and fell in love with Will wasn’t someone pining after a lost love, he was a vivacious and capable young man who had independently traveled the world and was tremendously happy – he was, quite literally, a sunny young man! Griffley topped TomSell’s damage by ripping out Sonny’s heart and sending him off to the land of ruined characters. So what if he’s back – he’s still a ruined character!
Days wrecked the show when Griffley had Will killed. Whatever they might be doing to “resurrect” Will, it’s not going to fix the damage that Days did. And Freddie’s return is not going to fix anything. I don’t want a broken Sonny! No thank you!
The only way to fix Days is for the show to apologize and do a rewind.
It’s been six months and they haven’t apologized, so clearly that’s not happening. And, oops, they’ve sacked half the cast!
I do agree, Stephen. Abandoning his child and not seeking any closure for his husband’s death does make Sonny look like the lowest of the low. But, what if what I predicted above, albeit jokingly, is fact? What if Will is alive and Sonny is with him? Too far fetched? Not in soapland. LOL.
This would not make amends for me. Insulting my intelligence with a ridiculous plot hardly makes up for what they did (not that that will stop them)
Excellent post, Stephen! And I totally agree.
I agree as well. I wish everything that happened on Days since fall 2015 could be just a BIG, BAD dream, but there was so much “mess” that I’m afraid even using a dream excuse ala Dallas would still leave Days in a wrecked state! Too bad the show is so messed up now, not even a hot mess, just a mess. Period. It’ll be interesting to see what these writers can do to fix the show in the fall!
Thank you James!
Apologize for what…turning you into a big crybaby?! Get over it! If DAYS apologizes, I my have to quit watching!
Don’t watch!
Thank you ! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for :
a) the blatant personal attack and insult! Hah!
b) the commands!
c) the revelatory question!
I love it when folks reveal their incivility and bad attitudes so succinctly and clearly!
Stephen…you are so RIGHT ON, dude!!!!! As far as I’m concerned, TIIC at DOOL did a major character assassination (or whatever) on Sonny!!!!! NOT COOL AT ALL!!!!!!
Have a good one, Stephen.
Thank you jay!
I agree and have only one add on. When Sonny , more or less told Paul to wait for him, standing over his husbands grave, that just made me cringe. People in Salem were more broken up over Paige and for longer than Will, who had a huge part in everyones lives. It was poorly written and didnt do justice to an amazing character.
When the writers destroyed the amazing couple that was Will and Sonny, I mourned for them.
To be clear, Stephen, I was a fan of Will and Sonny, but I’m against fans trying to pressure DAYS into apologizing for ANY storyline or character actions. No soap should apologize. That would open a huge can of worms! Should all soap viewers expect apologies for a long list of perceived wrongdoing? I can make a sizable list after viewing 32 years. I could also include storylines from other soaps I never watched.
You also wrote “rewind” as in change the story as if it never happened…AS IF IT’S THE ONLY STORY THAT MATTERS! The characters and storylines are linked, which means a rewind for one is a rewind for all. I happen to be happy with most of the stories, which you are saying DAYS should change to justify the actions of one character…DREAM ON!
The a, b and c of your reply to me pertains to you also.
Take comfort in knowing that Sonny’s return and Will’s possible return can eventually heal your wounded heart.
A bit OT but: In reference to the links about the brutality of Willl’s murder scene, that was certainly bad enough…but then they repeated it with 12 (yes, 12…I counted) flashbacks! Personally, I founded it appalling.
Great reply to me, 4ever DAYS! Thank you for your comments! The only jerk here in this thread is me for having a quick trigger on the “Reply” button, needlessly becoming involved in a disagreement that was none of my business, and violating the personal attack rules. My apologies…
Stephen, good for you! Some people will remain 4ever jerks…
I’m a jerk for wanting the same treatment for ALL characters and storylines, James?
There’s been several fathers in recent years on DAYS who abandoned their children. It happens. Those other fathers were thought to be too good to leave, but they did and it was accepted without demands of apologies and rewinds of storylines.
There shall be no preferential treatment or I will not support it!
I don’t want Sonny to return under the poison pens of either Josh Griffith or Dena Higley. Their unapologetic anti-gay messaging was sick and should have resulted in Days being ripped from the airways. In particular, Sonny walking out on his daughter was part of the message that there would be no more gay families on the show, and that betrayed fans such as myself.
I have no doubt that Will will be revived and Sonny’s time will be short lived. I don’t care which actor, Guy Wilson or Chandler Massey, as I respect them both and Will is too important to leave dead. However, I think the show has become so sick and twisted that I wouldn’t wish the rotten writing on any actor I respect.
Thank you for this comment. I totally agree. I can only add that in the past 6 mos they have also reduced their one remaining gay character to a mere token (if you put all of Paul’s scenes since Thanksgiving together in one reel he’s had a little over 35 minutes of screen time in almost 6 months). And yes, they introduced a new gay teen (Henry), but then spoiled it by having him harassed with a vulgar gay slur (MEMO TO DAYS: That “F” word is no longer acceptable under any terms!). I do disagree that the remedy is to rewind, however. To me the remedy is to move forward. Give Paul his own story without Sonny or any connection to WilSon (his history with Sonny/WilSon is too tainted IMO), develop the Henry character and try (good luck!) to make this right.
Great post, Stephen. I totally agree with what you have said.
Thank you, Kay!
I agree that the damage may be unfixable. It could be easier, and far more interesting, if they simply started with a tabula rasa blank slate.
Perhaps Freddie could come back instead portraying one of Sonny’s many brothers, let’s say Alex — or new brother who happens to be gay, let’s call him Shmalex.
Likewise, Chandler could reappear as one of William’s long-lost cousins from the Old Country, let’s call him Shmilliam. I’m thinking as in Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha and Serena, or even the Patty Duke twins.
It could be very interesting to see how Shmalex and Shmilliam adjust and get acclimated to a Salem they don’t know well, and its smothering/overbearing hordes of interfering relatives.
Actually, it could be very helpful if Shmalex and Shmilliam started asking questions about the convoluted mess of relationships and tangled history of Salem. Hearing brief explanations would greatly help newer members of the audience.
Appearing as different characters could be liberating to the actors themselves, who might enjoy portraying different aspects of characters. Plus, it could be more entertaining to see love begin anew, without the baggage from the past.
Glad to hear. Love Freddie Smith’s Sonny
I think it is too soon for Sonny to move on. I do hope Chandler as Will returns.
welcome back Sonny. Qnd hope u resume
resume relationship with Paul
Chandler has not been on Twitter for the last 2 months, maybe so he won’t have to lie about being back on DOL
I love all the bits of info… one can reap on this FAN’tastic “blog”
I don’t do twitter …
giddy with anticipation
just PLEASE do not be a dream
let’s AMP this : Sonny – Chandler Massey’ Will – Paul and BRING BACK T – and Brian
Ta-Da
I think it’s great that Sonny will return to Salem – I didn’t think it would be this soon so contract negotiations must have been worked out ~ maybe he will hook up with Paul, who has absolutely nothing to do on this show except that dumb modeling job. It would be nice also if a new character could be thrown into the mix – weren’t there rumors of Will coming back in the original version played by Chandler? Maybe that was just for a brief “dream sequence”?
If Will is only coming back as a ghost, then Days should do itself a favor and not bring him back at all. This “ghost sequence” will only reinforce the hurt some viewers feel and make it impossible to ever believably revive the character. Days needs to fix the mess caused by recent writers – not add to it – and get those ratings up pronto!
I’m sure Chandler would only come back to resurrect the character.
I’m confused thought, he (the character of Will) was CLEARLY strangled to death in front of our eyes by crazy Ben – how can they “bring him back”? I could understand it they say “his plane went down” or if they say “his car went off a cliff” (but he’s been stranded on an Island with amnesia) but since the character was choked to death while pleading for his life (which by the way was a horrible demise of a gay character or ANY character for that matter, and really shouldn’t be depicted on daytime TV) I don’t understand how they can bring him back.
Maybe Will shall only come back in a dream advising Sonny that “he needs to go on with his own life”. I don’t know, this is just conjecture on my part – and didn’t Chandler Massey leave to pursue College and other avenues of the entertainment field – some of it doesn’t add up to me.
We had a long, long, long gay storyline on Days. I for one was very very bored with it–this is a show with all types of love interest and family matters. I LOVE the way the show is going now.
The writers focused wayyyyyyyyyy too much on the gay story line last time–sure hope it’s not going to be so focused on this time. Freddie is a good actor, though and would rather to see him back with Justin/Adrienne/Victor–maybe even a new job locally with Titan.
Well, I’m sorry if you felt the writers focused too much on Will and Sonny, but when they switched gears and focused on John and his putrid father, or had Brady fishing out what’s her name out of the Ocean, that was a total and complete snooze. The show was better when it involved Sonny, plus the once baseball star Paul, and the neurotic Will interfering – and I do love Abigail and her crazy way of dealing with Ben, that’s very compelling.
I find the storyline of Kayla and Steve to be a bore, two more than middle aged people still having teeny bopper problems, c’mon.
Hey, Tom,
I was actually thinking along the same lines as yourself, at some point.
That is; Will appears in Sonny’s dreams, so that Sonny would be at peace within himself and continue his life without guilt.
Perhaps, find a meaningful, new relationship?
I, among many, always found this storyline’s ending too abrupt.
Nonetheless, it’s a soap….dying is not always the end for a character. Those swinging doors are omnipresent. Lol.
You are right about John’s father and Summer/ocean but I think the new storyline with Summer/Maggie/Victor is all interesting and love Brady/Theresa, Chad/Abby-and Abigail’s recent-burning Ben episode was EPIC–awesome acting! Kayla/Steve-you would’ve had to have watched DAYS back in the day to appreciate them-they should make up and have sweet wedding-grandchildren from Joey, etc.
And again-yes, they focused WAY WAY WAY too much on the Sonny/Paul storyline-Will, too but at least Will was a Horton-to me they should bring him back-But, would like the original Will. they’ve brought others back from the dead-and was surprised they would kill off him and Bo. Paige and JJ had great chemistry, too-shame they killed her. Also, like the new Hope/Rafe love interest. However, the actress that plays Rafe’s mother OVER ACTS BIG TIME. I think it’s nice to have a new storyline with her and family-just wish it were a different actress. Thanks for listening.
Just as a side note I do feel that Rafe’s mom does “overact” and I’m not quite sure what the significance is having the mom around Salem – I like Gabby but for some reason I don’t sense a real chemistry between Gabby and JJ and it’s a little difficult for me to accept JJ as suddenly being a full-fledged police officer – but, these are all just minor observations.
Overall I enjoy the show and it will be interesting to see if Will emerges in some miraculous way.
Will is dead. Please let it be that way. I loved the character but not much toward the end. The recast did not help. Look, if it is so important to have consistency then the powers that be need to ride heard on writers and say, “No!” I prefer stories that take characters in new directions rather than repeating same plots and patterns over and over and over (Victor and Nikki Newman!). Sonny K’s return allows some course correction in that botched it-happened-to-Will-and now-we-forgot-murder story line. And it can be very interesting to follow a young person deal with grief and rebuilding one’s life in ways other than a quick return to another’s arms. I hope for the best here.
I happened to enjoyed the recast as did others. The ratings are abysmal since the new writers took over and ruined characters and killed off characters such as Will which in turn drove away a lot of viewers that the show may never ever get back which is the show’s own fault. The show needs to get over it and bring Will back.
I loved both CM and GW about equally. They both had strengths and qualities they brought that I loved (CM’s sensitivity, GW’s toughness) and weaknesses that I often found irritating (CM often came off as whiny to the point that it bordered on stereotype, like gay men just burst into tears over nothing, GW was often flat when he SHOULD have been more emotional, like in the Chapel scene). Both were good & neither were perfect, IMO. As I said above, I think the best course for DAYS is just to move forward, but if the are trying to satisfy fans with a CM return then it’s easy to do a re-write: This was all just one of Abby’s hallucinations. Done. Lame (IMO), but done.
It’s been known for months so why is this now being reported here? How about news about how long he’s back for. I won’t get excited until it’s long term.
And it’s been known that Chandler Massey has been back as Will. Where is that story?
Not known, just rumored.
Not rumored when there were pics months ago of Freddie back at work at Days.
As I said above, I’ve heard that he’s only back for a month from July-Aug (And FS always said he was open to guest appearances on DAYS while he pursued other things so there you go). I agree, I don’t find a guest appearance anything to get excited about (though they’re nice sometimes) especially since they’re so often disappointing.
Rumored that CHANDLER is coming back, not confirmed.
There you go, you cleared it up now.
I really hope this means that Chandler Massey is back as Will, and they can undo the damage done to these two last year. WilSon was one of DAYS best couples and deserve a good story. Especially with these two fantastic actors playing the roles.
I am thinking this will be of a short duration.
Last time Freddie said an amazing story line was coming, they destroyed Will and Sonny. So forgive me if I am skeptical. I think Freddie is a great actor. Sonny’s barely there time after Wills death, didnt even go see him at morgue after stating he needed to tell Will how much he loved him, his inability to stay due to “seeing Will everywhere”, duh! What did he think would hapoen? They changed Sonnt too much. Will have to see what they do with him.
*Sonny
I agree. I’m not expecting much. The past year we’ve been promise great stories time & again (and from the actor’s perspective they might be great to play) but this is what we got. We’ve also had A LOT of hype built up around very brief appearances that turned out to be duds. That’s what I fully expect to happen again.
Hopeful, but note excited.
I just hope they aren’t bringing Sonny back so that he and Paul can ride off into the sunset and the show can “de-gay”.
This is what I fear will happen. Does anyone know when Christopher Sean’s contract is up?
Although, Freddie did add NBC Studios — Days of Our Lives back to his Facebook Intro. Hmmm…
I dunno, but read somewhere that CS’s contract expires in June? so this might be exactly what happens.
I am afraid that is exactly what these incompetent writers have planned.
I am happy about this! There is something about Freddie Smith that has this boy-next-door kind of quality and is good at portraying emotions. I enjoy watching his scenes.
It would add color and realism to the show if Sonny occasionally slipped-up, and absent-mindedly said something in French, to show how acclimated he had become to living in Paris.
It might also be nice if Sonny introduced William to some of the other personal social graces that Sonny learned while living in the City of Love.
I am so happy that Sonny is returning to Days. He is such a great guy and a great performer. Can’t wait for July! It is about time someone stepped up and brings back some of the best actors they had. Great Job!
I am excited that Sonny aka Freddie Smith is returning to Days, but i think that the writers needed to come up with something to bring Will Horton back ,either like they did Aiden or some other way. I DO NOT WANT SONNY AND PAUL TO GET BACK TOGETHER! The way they got rid of Will was a disgrace for all of his fans, whether it is Guy Wilson or Chandler Massey, i do not care (prefer Chandler though) both are wonderful actors. When they killed Will, that blew the chance for Sonny and Will to reunite and that was a slap in the face of the fans, but i know this SoapShow, Days of Our Lives’ writers are more than able to rewrite or come up with something special.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) revealed on Thursday, the lineup of presenters for 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards taking place on Friday, October 30, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California.
The ceremony will stream live on the NATAS YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@theemmys and watch.TheEmmys.tv.
Scheduled to present from the current soaps are: Katelyn MacMullen (Willow, General Hospital), Delon de Metz (Zende, The Bold and the Beautiful), James Preston (Nick, The Bay), Paul Telfer (Xander, Days of our Lives), Tamara Tunie (Anita, Beyond the Gates) and Susan Walters (Diane, The Young and the Restless).
Photo: NATAS
In addition soap alums, Crystal Chappell, Lesli Kay, Joe Lando, Eva LaRue, who is also a nominee this year, A Martinez, Juliet Mills, and Alicia Leigh Willis, will also be on hand to present.
The ceremony which celebrates nominated lifestyle programs and dramas will also include presenters: Eva zu Beck (Superskilled with Eva zu Beck), Danielle Chang (Lucky Chow), Sunny Hostin (The View), Derek Hough (Extra), Pati Jinich (Pati’s Mexican Table), Star Jones (Divorce Court), Michael Jr. (Stand Up and Do Something), Judge Greg Mathis (Mathis Court with Judge Mathis), Keke Palmer (Glam Through the Ages), Nischelle Turner (Entertainment Tonight), and Andrew Zimmern (Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen).
The 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards will bring together an exciting mix of presenters representing the full spectrum of daytime television,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO of NATAS. “From familiar faces in daytime drama to the personalities and creative voices behind talk shows and lifestyle programming, this year’s lineup reflects the breadth of talent that makes daytime so special. We look forward to celebrating the people who continue to shape the genre.”
Matthew Hoffman (Love Island USA, Cheap A$$ Beach Houses) will serve as the ceremony’s Voice of God, bringing his signature comedic narration to the evening’s celebrations. As previously announced, Lifetime Achievement honoree Genie Francis (Laura, General Hospital) will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by her husband, Jonathan Frakes.
So, what do you think about the list of presenters for the 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards? Let us know who you are looking forward to seeing via the comment section below.
For months now, Days of our Lives has teased the character of Dominic Marino. In recent weeks, viewers learned that Marino is on the down low working with Sami Brady’s (Alison Sweeney) apparent fiancé ‘Dante Vitali (Franco LoPresti), and that he is the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall)!
Up until now, the Peacock streaming soap opera has never revealed his face, but that all seemed to change on the Tuesday, October 2o episode of DAYS. In story, Dante met Sami’s parents for the first time, Roman (Josh Taylor) and Marlena.
He shows them a photo of Dominic, which he happened to have on his own phone and even commented he kind of looked like he could be Marlena’s son. The photo, which has quickly made it around Soap Twitter/X, revealed that British-born actor Kyle Pryor is the man in the photo and eagle-eyed viewers actually located said photo on Pryor’s Instagram.
Photo: Peacock
Deadline revealed Pryor started taping at the end of 2025 and will first be seen in the role, on air Monday, November 2. In addition, Days will celebrate its 61st Anniversary with two special episodes featuring Dominic’s arrival, as well the returns of Tony and Anna DiMera, played respectively by Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley, on Friday, November 6 and Monday, November 9.
Those in the know, are are that Pryor previously held series regular roles on Australia’s Home and Away, and the UK’s Hollyoaks and guest starred on Emmerdale. In an ironic twist, Pryor appeared in the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand which is the same action series his apparent TV brother, Dan Feuerriegel (EJ DiMera), once appeared in before coming to DAYS.
So excited to see Kyle Pryor take on the role of Dominic Marino as Days of our Lives sets its anniversary story to kick-off with is arrival in Salem? Share your thoughts in the comment section. And in case you missed our latest conversation with Conner Floyd (Chad DiMera) he weighs-in on how Dominic’s appearance will shake things up in Salem. You can check that out below.
Days Of Our Lives
Days of our Lives’ Conner Floyd Talks Dominic Marino Mystery, Chad and Belle, and Susan Seaforth Hayes (Exclusive)
Fasten your seat belts Days of our Lives fans, as the mystery of Dominic Marino continues to unravel on all-new episodes of the Peacock streaming soap opera. Last week, Chad DiMera (Conner Floyd) learned that he may have a half-brother, who may be the biological child of his father, the late Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), giving him great pause, because he knows Stefano had kidnapped Marlena for four years back in the late 80s and early 90s.
Chad has already been hunting down clues with his current girlfriend Belle Black (Martha Madison) in Italy and Salem, which revealed a photo of a young boy with Stefano with the date 1992 on the back of it, hidden inside Stefano’s chess set. So, what’s next?
Conner Floyd chatted on the Michael Fairman Channel in a new virtual interview released on Sunday, October 18, where he spoke on what the new addition to the DiMera family could do to the already dangerous sibling rivalries, the state of Chad’s relationship with Belle and much more.
Photo: JPI
DIMERA RIVALRY
After finding out from EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) that Dominic Marino could be the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano and Marlena, Conner Floyd explained, “I think it blows Chad’s mind a little bit. I think there’s a lot of things working there with old Chad. Obviously, bringing in another DiMera could cause some noise and the whole situation with Marlena’s a little awkward as well because he’s dating Belle, so this could cause a little tiff there. I think his head’s spinning and he does not know what to expect, but I also think he kind of expects that from Stefano, for sure.”
As to how this will change and color Chad’s relationship with EJ, Floyd responded, “Chad knows EJ’s not happy about it and I think he’s going to be real upset if this gets in his way of doing what he wants to do with the DiMera legacy and all that. However, for Chad, I think he’s just going to keep a sharp eye, see what this guy’s about, see if he’s here to cause some trouble or here to be a friend and kinda play it by ear.”
Photo: JPI
BELLE OF MY HEART
With Chad and Belle already being sleuths, Floyd says, you can look for the duo to continue getting to the truth. “I think Chad and Belle are committed to this. They’re going full National Treasure, Nicolas Cage,” says Conner. “They’re going to follow the clues. They’re going to get some answers.”
Since beginning in the role of Chad in June of 2025 and debuting on-screen back in April of 2026, the former Y&R star (where he played Chance Chancellor), says it was Madison who helped him get comfortable in his new surroundings.
“Martha is phenomenal. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to get tagged up with when I started here, just because she knows everybody,” shares Floyd. “She knows where to go, who to talk to. She’ll get the tea if you want, and so it was kind of cool. Martha took me under her wing, showed me the ropes. She’s a sweetheart. I love working with her too. She’s a great actress.”
But, is Chad in love with Belle after such a tortured past with his beloved Abigail Deveraux DiMera? Floyd thinks so! “I think he’s into it. They’re such good friends and they have such a rich history. I think he’s in for the ride. You know, it’s one of those things you probably overlook at first and then they reconnected, and it feels easy and they’re going on these fun adventures.”
MAKING CHAD HIS OWN
Conner had the arduous task of being the successor to Billy Flynn in the role of Chad.. Flynn had played the part for 12 years before deciding to exit and head to Y&R. So, how did Conner approach learning the ins and out of Chad? Floyd shared, “I really dove into Chad when I first got this job. I liked that he kind of walks this tightrope of DiMera and not DiMera, you know. He want to so honor his family roots and really do something for the DiMera family, but he doesn’t want to fall into that trap that all the other DiMera have found themselves in. Chad is a DiMera at heart. He’s got those demons, but he’s just trying to keep them contained.”
Photo: JPI
ICONIC
When Floyd got to DAYS, it was none other than Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams) who most surprised him in the most delightful way, given that he knew Hayes was a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and the current longest-running cast member on the canvas.
“I love working with Susan Hayes! I love her. She’s a sweetheart. Susan is one of the nicest people there. I just thought she was cool and it’s Susan Hayes, you know? We’ve had a lot of scenes together, which is nice,” explained Conner.
“We’ll go to her dressing room, we’ll run our scenes, and then we’ll spend about an hour just talking about life and she’ll tell me about a book she’s reading. She’s such a history buff, which blows my mind. She’ll start dropping all these historical facts on me. I learn something new by the time I walk out of her dressing room every time!”
Now below, check out the full conversation with Conner Floyd via the Michael Fairman Channel.
Weigh-in: Do you like Chad and Belle as couple? Do you think Chad will get to the bottom of the Dominic Marino mystery? If so, do you think Dominic is truly Stefano and Marlena’s son … and what about Rita (Maggie Carney) in all this? Let us know your theories in the comment section.
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