General Hospital
GH’s Brighton Hertford Opens Up on Reprising B.J. for Bobbie Spencer’s Memorial, The Gift Jackie Zeman Left Her, and Meeting Kirsten Storms
It was two and half weeks ago that General Hospital fans received a beautiful surprise twist during Bobbie Spencer’s memorial episodes when Angela, the reporter from the Associated Press in Amsterdam turned out to be a grown-up B.J. Jones visiting Port Charles from Heaven.
In real-life, GH brought back Brighton Hertford who was last on the show back in 1994, when her character, a very young B.J. Jones was killed-off in school bus accident, and B.J.’s heart when to Maxie to save her life. That storyline is one of the most iconic in soap opera history and certainly in the stories 60-year history of General Hospital.
Brighton’s on-screen mother was played by the late Jackie Zeman mwho passed away at 70 following a short bout with cancer in May of 2023. When GH finally was able to move forward with how to finish Bobbie’s storyline and pay proper tribute to Zeman, the show called Hertford to come back and reprise the role. Brighton lives in Utah and has a whole other career in the tech industry at this juncture of her life making this all the more special.
Photo: ABC
Last week, speaking with the Michael Fairman Channel for an exclusive livestream interview, an emotional Hertford shared her journey of coming back to the set of the ABC daytime drama series some 29 years later to help send-off Bobbie and to honor Jackie.
During her visit, Hertford met the grown-up Maxie Jones for the first time in GH fan favorite Kirsten Storms, and expressed, “I can’t say enough about Kirsten, and how wonderful she was. I had never met her, right? I was so jazzed because I loved Zenon Girl of the 21st Century. She was just so welcoming, and offered to run lines with me in the Green Room because it is very fast paced and high octane and wanted to make sure that I felt comfortable. We exchanged phone numbers. She was like, ‘Let’s go out for lunch next time you’re in Los Angeles.” Kirsten is just a wonderful, wonderful.”
Photo: ABC
When Brighton was only 8 and killed-off the show, on her last day she received a special gift from Jackie Zeman that she has to this day. Hertford elaborated, “Jackie gave me a butterfly ring that has an opal in it. We had this really special moment where she gave it to me and she talked to me about the significance of butterflies in her life. She told me that in order to make sure that the opals never crack, that I’m supposed to take my pinky and rub it on the inside of my nose, where your natural body oils collect and and rub it on the opal. It’s always been a very, very special keepsake of mine. And to this day, none of those opal have cracked. Anytime, I see people who have opal jewelry, I’m like, ‘Oh, you have to remember to keep like this.‘ Jackie gave it to me as a way of saying goodbye.”
Coming back to ABC Prospect Studios where GH is taped, Brighton was astonished at how no one had aged! “They must sleep in Tupperware, because everyone looked exactly the same,” she expressed. “I saw Lynn (Herring) and I touched her on the shoulder and I said, “Hey, Lynn. I don’t know if this is going to be spooky, but it’s Brighton. It’s B.J. Her face just lit up. She was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. Of course it’s you!’ Kristina Wagner (Felicia) was there, and Maurice Benard (Sonny) was there too, and we had a wild trip down memory lane.”
Photo: JPI
Part of Bobbie’s final story paid homage to the fact that a younger Bobbie was prostitute, and in the end was helping other women who were the victims of human trafficking. Brighton shared while she didn’t understand Bobbie’s past as an 8-year-old, she did late on. “I will say, in my direct experience, my lived experience, I think GH has always done a good job of things like that,” she elaborated. “I’ll call back really quickly to when I was in the coma, and the show promoting the importance of being an organ donor, because that’s what that whole storyline was about. B.J. was lifeless, aside from being kept alive by machines, and because she was able to donate her heart Maxie lived on, and this too can happen for other people. The message was, ‘So please become an organ donor now.”‘
As to how GH connected the dots of the difficult life Bobbie led in her death, Brighton said, “I thought that what GH did was really beautiful by doing a great job of encapsulating Bobby … the character as a whole person with a journey. I think there’s so much beauty in telling the whole of the story and not just saying, ‘Oh yeah, they were perfect,’ and then move on. Because they have past, because they have histories, it makes who they are all the more beautiful, not in spite of it.”
You can watch the full livestream conversation with Brighton below.
Were you touched by seeing Brighton back on GH to honor Jackie Zeman and the character of Bobbie. What do you think of the sentiments she shared about Kirsten Storms, returning to the set as a woman after being a child actor on the show, and the beautiful gift Jackie gave to her when she was killed-off the show? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
This week on all-new episodes of General Hospital, the race is on! Can Lulu (Alexa Havins) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) get to Rocco (Finn Carr) and Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) in time to ensure their safety from Cullum (Andrew Hawkes)? Can Carly (Laura Wright) with the help of her brother, Lucas (Van Hansis) rescue Josslyn (Eden McCoy) from captivity at Wyndemere? These questions may be answered, plus the return of the one and only Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) are on tap!
In the just released General Hospital spoilers video for the week of June 22-26, Lulu tells her mother, Laura (Genie Francis), “Dante and I have to get to Rocco before Cullum!” Meanwhile, Rocco (Finn Carr) looks angered and emotional as Britt walks through their cabin hideout. Does Rocco know his parents are on the way to find them, or has Cullum already tracked them down to the British Virgin Islands?
Back in Port Charles, Carly is informing Lucas that his niece, “is a WSB agent.” She knows Josslyn (Eden McCoy) is being held against her will at Wyndemere, and she has to find a way to get her out. Lucas agrees with Carly’s plan of, “We go in and we don’t leave without Josslyn!” Elsewhere, Josslyn is looking worried for her future as she is stuck in captivity thanks to Cassius, Cullum and Sidwell!
Courtesy/ABC
FINOLA HUGHES RETURNS
The final moments of the teaser promo reveal Anna in a psychiatric clinic in France. We have not seen her for months after Cullum, Sidwell and Pascal fed her hallucinogenics to make her believe her arch nemesis, Cesar Faison was alive!
Now, the doctors walk towards her hospital bed, where we see the super spy calmly knitting. Is Anna back to normal and playing everyone to get out of her predicament, or does she still remain deeply traumatized … or both?
Take a look at the rest of the official GH spoilers for the week below.
MONDAY, JUNE 22
Willow gets an unwelcome surprise. Trina sticks to her guns. “Nathan” wants reassurance. Ethan advises Ava. Brook Lynn receives an update.
TUESDAY, JUNE 23
Dante cautions Liz. Laura learns a secret. Brook Lynn confides in Michael. Sonny challenges Ava. Chase makes a decision.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
Anna meets with her doctor. Carly makes a stunning confession. Britt extracts a promise. Cullum pulls a fast one. Gio and Emma hit the pool.
THURSDAY, JUNE 25
Josslyn clashes with Cassius. Lulu and Dante make a discovery. Chase receives a warning. Jordan seeks help. Alexis is summoned to the PCPD.
FRIDAY, JUNE 26
Anna takes a huge risk. Britt is in grave danger. Willow is in disbelief. Danny must act fast. Curtis jumps to the wrong conclusion.
Check out the latest General Hospital promo entitled, “Rescue Mission” below.
Now weigh-in: Do you think Anna is still mentally off-balance, or OK, and just pretending to be troubled to get out of France and get back to Port Charles? Will Josslyn finally be rescued, or will Carly and Lucas find themselves locked up with her? And, who will get to Britt and Rocco first? Cullum, or Dante and Lulu? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.
General Hospital
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
With the highly-anticipated returns of Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) on this week’s June 24 episode of General Hospital, Steve Burton’s (Jason Morgan) upcoming return on July 13, which also serves as the ABC daytime drama’s 16,000 episode, things are about to fire on all cylinders in the story, as noted today by series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).
On Father’s Day, the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor and mental health activist took to his Instagram and expressed in a video that he has some unbelievable upcoming senes with the aforementioned Burton and Hughes. Add to that Nazneen Contractor (Justine Turner) and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), where Benard gave credit where credit is due to the GH writing team, which is led by co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten..
In this video, Benard said, “I just want to get on here and say that I did some work with Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Rick Hearst, Nazneen Contractor, and they’re all just fantastic. Truly fantastic. But, I want to say the writing was just exceptional. It truly was. It was exceptional. So, thankful for that kind of writing. I know writers don’t get the credit a lot, but I just want to say to the General Hospital writing team, keep rolling!”
GENERAL HOSPITAL PREVIEW
So now the question becomes, with a major tease like that, what is about to go down between Sonny, Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric? Will we finally get to the end of the line for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), as previously teased by the GH co-head writers? Will we learn what happened to Jason and Anna, fully? Will Justine and Sonny becomes closer or stop their liaisons? And what of Ric? Will he be true blue to his brother or double-cross him? There is a lot at stake as we move further into the summer and one that looks like it could be one of the more exciting ones in years!
FINOLA HUGHES CONFIRMED AMAZING SCENES WITH MAURICE BENARD
As a punctuation point to his video, Benard also shared this written message in the post: “I just did some wonderful scenes with Steve Burton, Rick Hearst, Finola Hughes and Nazneen Contractor and and unbelievable writing, freaking amazing scenes that you will see in the near future on General Hospital.” In fact, Finola Hughes jumped in the post comment thread and responded, “I loved our scenes so much xxx”
Fans will most likely see all the scenes Benard referred to later in July, since GH tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.
So, are you excited to see what Maurice is talking about? Are you hyped for what’s to come on GH? Any clue on what you think will go down between the main characters on the soap with the returns of Anna Devane and Jason Morgan to the mix? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Announces Upcoming Release of His First Single, ‘If You Need Me’
In a surprise move, Daytime Emmy winner, Chad Duell (ex-Michael Corinthos, GH) is getting ready to unveil a new chapter of his career in music.
The former GH star, where he played the son of Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) for 15 years, has announced his new single, “If You Need Me” will drop on Friday, June 26. The single is now available for pre-order on Spotify and major music streaming platforms and is distributed by DistroKid.
Taking to his Instagram story over the weekend, to announce the pre-save of his new single, Chad expressed, “I’ll make a full post about what I’ve been up to and my music once it goes live next week, but you can pre-save my first single so it goes straight to your Spotify once it drops next week.”
Photo: CDuellIG
SINCE LEAVING GENERAL HOSPITAL
Previously, since his departure from the ABC soap opera. Chad starred alongside Zach Mendez in the world premiere of of Yum Yum at Annapolis, a new play written by Bruce Reisman. Duell last appeared on General Hospital on the January 21, 2025 episode.
The part was recast with Rory Gibson who debuted as the new Michael in May of 2025 during the Nurses’ Ball episodes and who has remained in the role since that time.
In an interview earlier this year on The Able Show, Duell said on his decision to exit the soap opera, “I was blessed to be part of that (show) for as long as I have, but what happens sometimes is if you’re doing the same thing, especially in a creative field for such a long time, you can get a little burnt out in a way. It can make you a little depressed, so that’s kind of what happened. On top of that, I had other things going on in my life at the time. My father passed away recently and I just needed a reset. So, I stepped away. A lot of times you have to go through some stuff to really step into that next level. I needed to kind of feel uncomfortable.”
So, what type of musical genre will Chad’s new song be? Country? Pop? Rock? Dance/Club? Something else? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below, and if you are eager to hear the new single next week via the comment section below.
Christel Khalil Reveals She Almost Quit Acting After ‘That’s So Raven’ Audition, But Then Came ‘The Young and the Restless’
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Marlena Looks Back at 50 Years in Salem
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
‘General Hospital’s’ Controversial Luke and Laura Rape Episode: Writer Sheri Anderson Reveals Behind the Scenes Decisions and Admits ‘I Was Wrong’ to Defend It (Exclusive)
‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL Promo: Rocco’s in a Panic as Britt’s Health Takes a Turn, Chase is Called to the Carpet
Christel Khalil Reveals She Almost Quit Acting After ‘That’s So Raven’ Audition, But Then Came ‘The Young and the Restless’
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Y&R Preview: Matt Clark Asks Phyllis on a Date, Would You Be Down for the Pairing? Roger Howarth & Michelle Previously in GH’s Franco/Nina Romance
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