General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Josh Kelly Clarifies Going Off Contract Was His Choice
Recently, smart-minded General Hospital fans noticed that Josh Kelly’s (Cody Bell) name was removed from the closing credits of the ABC daytime drama series, which is reserved for contract players on the soap opera.
Immediately, viewers began to speculate if Josh is on his way out since it appeared he had been dropped to recurring status. Kelly has been playing Cody Bell since 2022 and currently in story, he is busy seducing Ava Jerome (Maura West) for some moolah thanks to Kristina Corinthos-Davis (Kate Mansi), all the while, it seems like Cody also has a thing for Kristina’s sister, Molly Lansing-Davis (Kristen Vaganos).
Now, speaking with Soap Opera Digest, Josh clarified exactly what is happening with him and his relationship with long-running soap opera, and what his future with it holds. Kelly revealed that it was his decision to go to recurring status with GH, however that does not in any way mean he plans on leaving the show, in fact, it’s just the opposite.
Photo: JPI
Josh expressed, “I want to stay on General Hospital forever!” Along with that, Kelly wants to do outside projects including two of them he has been working on with his girlfriend, Chloe Lanier (ex-Nelle Benson, GH), one of which is a sequel to his film The Workout, which is coming out this summer. He added, “I just wouldn’t be able to do that if I was on contract; you don’t just get to go off and do a bunch of other projects. And I wouldn’t expect the show to work around my schedule.”
Photo: ABC
GH executive producer, Frank Valentini is the man that Kelly gives all the credit to for working schedules out so he can go off and do other projects and still be in story as Cody. “I love being here. I love everyone that I’m working with on the show. I was just looking to have a little more flexibility,” Josh explained.
As to his current messy story involving the aforementioned Ava, Molly and Kristina, Kelly added, “The story is fun and interesting and I’m really excited to continue with it.”
So, are you glad to know that it was Josh Kelly’s decision to go off contract with General Hospital? Are you looking forward to seeing how is current story plays out? Are you rooting for Cody with Molly or possibly Cody falling for Ava? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
I’m in the minority, but I think Ava brings out a more adult side of Cody. I am rooting for them as a couple. Ava deserves some happiness and Maura West deserves a juicy storyline.
I can see hints of what you describe. But I ultimately think Tracy said it best when she said Ava’s lovers usually end up tragically harmed or killed.
If only Sonny was on that list . . .
JPS never was on contract and they continually wrote Valentin in story for years and built him his own set.
When JL was doing double duty as Kevin and Ryan he was on recurring and appearing 4 days a week.
Kudos to Kelly for finding something works for him. Now, if only this storyline would work.
Josh Kelly is such a bright spot on GH and consistently impresses me with his excellent acting. He shines in scenes with Jane Elliot and Maura West, and makes Cody believable no matter what he is playing. I am torn because I think he is destined for big things but I LOVE him as Cody! And despite the overused trope of easygoing bad guy and uptight good girl, I like Cody and Molly together!
Totally seriously, this sounds like an AI comment.
Nah, it’s far too well-written and makes its points too clearly to be AI.
You’re a hag.
AI doesn’t use all caps to underscore enthusiasm. Because, well, AI is soulless.
I’m relieved it was his choice, I really like Cody pairing with Molly, its flirty and innocent but If I have to bet here, I’m betting that Cody will unexpectedly develop feeling For Ava, and if anything they will have a hot affair, and its good to know he’s gonna be around and that GH didn’t send him packing although I wish the show would have him interact more with his family, like his Dad Mac, or his cousin Emma, Auntie Felicia, and his buddy James.
All the build up to Cody being Mac’s son… and now he is caught in the no strong story revolving door.
Seems GH has all the talent it needs for long story arcs that are not being written.
How does Kristina have all that money to pay him?
She’s Sonny’s daughter. If she needs money, she asks daddy.
Then why isn’t she using Daddy’s money to pay off Ava & Ric directly instead of having her mother embezzle from the Cassadine trust fund?
Remember back in the disastrous ReRon years, there was an awful recast of Kristina who somehow ended up being married to Joe Scully’s grandson for a few minutes?
I’ve tried to push that entire episode from my unholy mind. But maybe there was some sort of financial arrangement resulting from that ill fated marriage that has kept Kristina’s bank account above water for years on end, even during her extended periods of unemployment.
I mean, yes her parents are both rich, but you never see her asking either Alexis or Sonny for financial help. She also might have recently got an insurance payoff from her bar getting torched by Sidwell, though it doesn’t seem like the PCPD put a lot of work into that investigation, even though it was very obviously arson.
How does Kristina have the money to pay him?
Not to sound like Marcia Brady, but Josh Kelly is dreamy. Keep him on my screen. With Ava. With Molly. With Tracy. In a 3way with Marco and Lucas. I don’t care.
He’s so hot
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.
View this post on Instagram
Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Ava’s (Maura West) daughter Avery looks quite different, starting on today’s November 9 episode of General Hospital. That’s because GH has made Avery into a full-blown teenager and the role is now being played by actress Alya Bullington.
In her debut, the Tennessee native was thrown into the deep soap waters with Daytime Emmy winners, Maurice Benard and Eden McCoy (Josslyn). Bullington weighed-in to TV Insider about her first scene which featured Avery overhearing a fight between Sonny and Josslyn.
She explained “It was something I have never done before, I did not have a lot of experience with the screaming and the crying stuff, but I got my first script, and I was like, ‘OK, this is a huge opportunity to learn so much about how that stuff works and to become this character that I have never even tried playing before.’”
Photo: ABC
THE TEENAGED VERSION OF AVERY WILL HAVE A LOT TO CONTEND WITH
Speaking of working with McCoy, Bullington shared, “She’s incredible. I remember her just laughing and making jokes on set, and then the minute that they started taping, she just locked in and she cried immediately, and my first thought was, ‘I want to be able to do that.’
The soap opera newcomer added, “I think she just inspired me so much because she is so great and she can just lock into whatever character she wants to in the moment.”
The character of Avery was born back in 2014, but as recently as the October 8 episode of General Hospital, the character was suddenly referred to as a teenager. This is the second young female character in recent months to be aged up following the casting of Kayden Brenna Tokarski as Scout Cain.
As for her take on Avery and what’s ahead, Alya said,“She’s emotional, and she’s curious, and she’s a really fun person to play because so much stuff is happening in her life. I think she’s kind of confused about what’s happening and what to believe.”
So, what do you think about General Hospital making Avery a teenager? Are you excited to see the conflict between Sonny, Ava and Avery now that they have aged up the character? Share your thoughts and welcome Alya to GH via the comment section below.
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
Antonio Sabáto Jr. Breaks Silence on His Son’s Arrest for Fatal Hit-and-Run
DANCING WITH THE STARS: A Shocking Elimination on Grammy Night Leaves Ballroom Silenced
Y&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
‘Days of our Lives’ Veteran James Reynolds Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis
Y&R’s Matt Cohen Talks Role as Compassionate Zookeeper in Rom-Com ‘Christmas at the Zoo’
Alice Halsey Returns to ‘Days of our Lives’ as Rachel Black – Find Out How Long!
-
News2 days agoY&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
-
Previews3 days agoTHE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
-
General Hospital2 days ago‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
-
Days Of Our Lives3 days ago‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
-
Days Of Our Lives6 days ago‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
-
General Hospital6 days agoGENERAL HOSPITAL: Tracy Leaves Port Charles to Help Dillon; Paving the Way for Jane Elliot’s Temporary Exit
-
News5 days agoB&B’s Lawrence Saint-Victor to Guest Star on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
-
Interviews1 week agoRoger Howarth Reflects on Daytime Emmy Win, 32-Year Record Gap, and Embracing Matt Clark on ‘The Young and the Restless’ (Exclusive)
