General Hospital
General Hospital Stars Attend ‘Celebration of Life’ in Memory of Leslie Charleson
When Leslie Charleson (Monica Quartermaine), the longest-tenured cast member of General Hospital, passed away back on January 12th of this year, it was a heartbreaking loss for the show, its fans and Leslie’s co-stars, friends, and colleagues.
Charleson, died at the age of 79, to which the Los Angeles medical examiner’s office deemed as her cause of death “sequelae of blunt head trauma.” Leslie had taken several falls over recent years, so it may have been attributed to a prior injury.
Over the weekend, several of Leslie’s longtime friends and cast members, attended a “Celebration of Life” in her honor in Los Angeles, California including: Finola Hughes (Anna), Ian Buchanan (ex-Duke), Lisa LoCicero (Olivia) and Lynn Herring (Lucy).

Photo: IBuchananIG
Taking to her Instagram, Finola Hughes honored Leslie by expressing,”Beautiful celebration of this wonderful woman. The stories about Lester’s generosity and kindness and above all her fun loving way of life. Her love of animals, her horses, her joy in acting. It was touching to bring her two worlds together for an afternoon, her GH family and her equestrian friends 💕 rip sweet Lester, we love you”
Ian Buchanan shared, “A Wonderful Celebration for a Glorious Friend.❤️❤️❤️” Lisa LoCicero responded to Ian’s post and noted, “Always great to see you Ian.. and a perfect celebration of a beautiful soul..❤️❤️❤️

Photo: JPI
Charleson played Monica Quartermaine for 47 years on the ABC daytime drama series and debuted on the soap back in 1977 replacing Patsy Rahn in the part. The beloved actress last appeared on-screen on GH in an episode back in December of 2023. In October of 2024, it was announced that Leslie would unlikely ever return in the role, but with the understanding she would not be recast.
It was back on January 12th that GH executive producer, Frank Valentini broke the news of Leslie’s passing on X, sharing, “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague. Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on General Hospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaine family, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew. I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”
Share your thoughts on Finola Hughes, Ian Buchanan and others touching words from the celebration of life in honor of the late Leslie Charleson via the comment section below.
Lovely words for a lovely lady, and what looks like a fitting celebration of Leslie’s life. I’m interested to see how and when GH deals with her death on the show. Monica deserves an ending as good as the one they gave Jackie Zeman/Bobbie.
Great to see Ian Buchanan looking well and impeccably dressed, as always. I’ll never forgive them for killing off Duke Lavery.
Blame Ron C, all his fault, poor writer couldn’t figure out how to honor legacy!
It is interesting how he brought both AJ and Duke back from the dead only to kill thrm off permanently when pettiness got in the way.
I know Ron wrote the story, but I honestly blame Frank more. He’s the one that made the decision to fire Ian, and get rid of a beloved legacy character. If you’re going to do something like that, it better be a damn good story, and that one certainly was not. It still pisses me off 10 years later.
I wish they would recast the role. I don’t think Leslie would mind her character going on. They could finally let her out of her room. It would be fun to see Tracy put in her place. I can see Monica coming down the steps saying “shut up Tracy”. Of course not just anyone could play her. How about Susan Lucci??
Leslie had an agreement with Frank Valentini that the role would not be recast, nor should it be. Some roles you don’t recast because they were such iconic characters played by an iconic actor. The same way they didn’t recast Bobbie when Jackie Zeman died, they didn’t recast Lila when Anna Lee died, they didn’t recast Steve Hardy when John Beradino died, they didn’t recast Luke with Tony Geary retired, and so on, and so forth. Leslie’s Monica is in that realm of all-time GH chatacters, and no one should or will ever play her again.
But, GH recasted Edward Quartermaine! The original actor was very iconic.
David Lewis (Edward #1) had retired once before and came back to do voice overs as a ghost talking to Lila. He was convinced to come back on camera for a few years. He retired for the final time 15 years after he first appeared.
Leslie has been on the show 47 years. A major difference.
Icon character is the subject at hand… Not the years spent in a role by an acto/actress.
I agree, about the OG Edward Q… he left GH due serious health issues… the show recasted this iconic actor.
Tony Geary as mentioned… retired.
My the point is, it’s not always about an iconic actor/actress whom passes away in real life which determines whether a recast will or will not happen.
OG Edward and TG are examples of that, too.
David Lewis was very iconic as the first Edward Quartermaine, absolutely no question. But he was on the show for 15 years, not 40+ years. That’s the difference in a role that you can recast, and one that you can’t. Or I guess shouldn’t would be a better word.
Absolutely not Theresa Anderson. I love Susan Lucci but she is wrong for that character. Besides, Monica should not be recast. Lesile Charleson put the indelible stamp on that character and should never be replaced. RIP dear Lesile. We love you!!!!!!!!!
Guessing that you’re not a long time soap fan. You don’t recast someone who played the character for 47 years!
And no, Lucci would never consider taking the place of another soap icon. Would anyone accept a different actress as Erica Kane? No. Monica will pass in story by mid year.
She was one of the reasons I watched General Hospital. I am a long time watcher of the show.
They will not recast in honor of her and I respect that sorry she was so ill for so long
Her character should never be recasted. You don’t play a role for over 40 years to be replaced. Someone mentioned they replaced Edward but it was only with David Lewis permission and he had not played that role as long as Lila, Alan, Monica or Tracy has/had. No one would replace Tracy. it simply would never be the same!
Do you not proof read? Who is Lester???? Several times you called Leslie a man. Not nice.
Well, you should have explained that in your article. Bad on you. THAT was your mistake.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly Fears Escalating Tensions Between Sonny and Josslyn: ‘I’ve Already Lost One Kid Because of That Man. I Won’t Lose Another’

On the Thursday, November 12 episode of General Hospital, as battles line are drawn by Carly’s (Laura Wright) ex-husband, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and her daughter, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy), she realizes things are about to get a whole lot worse, and she expressed her fears to Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart).
After Sonny came to see Carly to get her daughter to back off of him; especially when Josslyn lit into him in front of nuAvery (Ayla Bullington), Carly is terrified that Sonny could retaliate against Josslyn. Realizing, Josslyn is in danger, Carly won’t sit by and let anything happen to her. She tells Valentin, “I’ve already lost one kid because of that man. I won’t lose another.”
Viewers won’t soon forget the devastation Carly felt when Morgan (Bryan Craig) died in a car bomb explosion back in 2016 because of Sonny’s dealings in the mob in a complex story involving Julian (William deVry) and Olivia Jerome (Tonja Walker).

Courtesy/ABC
SONNY IS READY FOR WAR
Meanwhile in the aftermath of his visit with Carly, Sonny told his brother Ric what went down when Josslyn disrespected him in front of his own daughter and hurt Avery. Since Josslyn already make it known that she no longer considers herself part of Sonny’s family, he’s decided to treat her accordingly.
Sonnys first step in payback is to take away her support system at JJE by approaching Hudson Parker (Troy Lennon Appel) again, but this time in a much less-friendly way.
Ric points out that this would go against every move Sonny made as a legitimate businessman in Port Charles and would mean he’s back in the mob? Sonny doubles down, saying Josslyn changed the game when she involved Avery. While he showed concern of how bad Carly would feel over all this year, he said he is ready to finish what Josslyn started.
At the Metro Court, Ava (Maura West) is listening to Avery explain what happened between Sonny and Josslyn and how much she hates Josslyn right now, which Ava seems to be OK with.
WILL JOSSLYN’S WORLD BLOW UP ON HER?
Speaking of Josslyn, she is on the pier still after her talk with Hudson and still crying over her confrontation with Sonny and Avery overhearing it, and what she told her sister. Lucas comes across her at the pier while out for his run.
Explaining how badly she feels for what she said about Sonny to Avery, Lucas says that eventually Avery will discover the truth about Sonny. He explains to Josslyn that even though Avery hates her now, she will come to realize that what she said about her father was the truth, and that Josslyn was not lying to her at all.
So, what do you think about Sonny ready to play dirty to take down Josslyn? How will Carly ensure her daughter does not wind up dead? Who do you think is in the right here? Is Josslyn’s vendetta against Sonny justified, at the cost of the relationships with her family? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
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!
Beyond the Gates
RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers

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.
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