General Hospital
Honored scribe Claire Labine in WGA acceptance speech, "I'm appalled that more care was not taken with this form that I love a lot"!

Courtesy/WGA
One of soaps all-time greatest writers, Claire Labine who created and steered Ryan’s Hope to Daytime Emmy Gold with stops along the way at General Hospital, and other soaps was presented with the prestigious Ian McLellen Hunter Award this past weekend in WGA ceremonies held in New York City. The award is presented to a WGA member for their career achievement and to honor of his/her body of work as a writer in motion pictures or television. Former Ryan’s Hope star, Kate Mulgrew presented the award to Labine.
When Labine addressed the crowd midway through her acceptance speech, she let those in attendance know how she felt about the cancellation of the soaps, and their decline, and how the genre has been mistreated by the networks.
Claire said, “I am in mourning. Yes, some of the shows had gotten silly. Yes, some of the budgets had gotten bloated. But there are more creative solutions than cancellation across the board! The Daytime audience is loyal beyond belief. These characters had been in their lives for years. They watched these people grown up and it was a form that had such value and provided an emotional construct for people that did not have one. And it reinforced emotional values for people that did have one. I’m appalled that more care was not taken with this form that I love a lot. ”
After the jump watch the video of Mulgrew’s presenatation to Labine, and then let us know what you think of Claire’s comments!
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Jonathan Bennett Receives 3 ‘Critics Choice Real TV Awards’ Nominations for Hallmark Series, ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’
Many things are coming up roses for Jonathan Bennett! On the heels of the news that he is set to debut this month in the role of Joe Fitzpatrick on General Hospital, who is rumored to be a new love interest for Lucas Jones (Van Hansis), comes the news that Bennett’s reality series, Finding Mr. Christmas has received 3 nomination for the Critics Choice Real TV Awards.
Bennett’s Hallmark Channel series finds itself in tough competition alongside fellow nominees: RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV), Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix), Survivor 50 (CBS), Top Chef (Bravo) and The Traitors (Peacock). In addition, Jonathan himself is nominated for Best Show Host and the series participants as the Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series.
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) revealed the nominees for the eighth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards on Thursday, which recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Winners will be announced online at CriticsChoice.com on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 9:00am PT/12:00pm ET.

Photo: Hallmark
Taking to his Instagram to celebrate the nominations, GH’s Bennett, enthused, “3 Critic Choice Nominations! I’m so proud of the FINDING MR CHRISTMAS and to be in the company of all the legends in all these categories is so surreal! Congrats to Hallmark Channel and to our nominated cast and nominated show and everyone who made this magical show possible. This is crazy! This gives FMC 6 Critics Choice nominations in 2 years. Not bad for a little show on Hallmark Channel. What are your thoughts on our show?” Jumping first into the comment thread was one of his new GH co-stars, Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) who expressed, “Yeah buddy!!!🔥🔥”
In the series, Bennett, the host and co-creator spends eight weeks guiding 10 aspiring actors through a series of “festive face-offs” and acting challenges alongside actors like soap opera notables, Hunter King (ex-Summer, Y&R) and Alison Sweeney (Sami, DAYS). Along the way, they develop their skills and a bond with one another. The show, which is available on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Plus, highlights LGBTQ+ representation with openly gay contestants vying to be the next Hallmark star.
It should be noted that Traitors received the most Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations with 6 nods, followed by Dancing with the Stars with 4.
Bennett is very familiar to daytime fans having started his career as JR Chandler on All My Children in 2000-2001, before landing the part of Aaron Samuels in the motion picture, Mean Girls in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan, which would become his breakout performance.
You can check out the full list of Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations here.
So, excited for Jonathan Bennett’s General Hospital debut this month? Have you ever watched Finding Mr. Christmas on Hallmark? Let us know via the comment section below.
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General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Kelly Thiebaud on Britt and Cassius Sibling Drama, But Who Will Ultimately Blow His Cover?
On the April 30 episode of General Hospital, Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) had some choice words and warning for her brother Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey) who has been masquerading as his twin, the very dead, Nathan West.
As the story has unfolded, viewers learned that Britt knew all along that when “Nathan” showed up in Port Charles seemingly resurrected with a missing 7 years of his life unexplained, that Cassius was taking his place.
Now in developments on today’s GH, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) is figuring out that this guy pretending to be Nathan is someone else, and Cassius learns from Britt, that Joss is not just a ditzy sorority girl as he claimed, but a WSB agent! The moment stuns Cassius. Are the walls about to close in on him and his charade?

Courtesy/ABC
Daytime Emmy winner, Kelly Thiebaud spoke to Soap Opera Digest, about the story point and getting the opportunity this time back at GH to work with Ryan Paevey, when she hadn’t had the chance to before.
BROTHERLY LOVE?
Thiebaud expressed on sharing scenes with Ryan Paevey, “It’s just been so wonderful to have him back and to actually work with him! When he first came onto the show (as Nathan at the end of 2013) I was kind of heading out — it was right towards the end of my contract, so we didn’t actually work together a ton. It’s been really refreshing and so much fun to really spend time together and get to know each other and work together. I think we have really great on-camera chemistry and banter with each other. I really enjoy working with him.”
With the stakes at an all-time, Thiebaud explained how she views her on-screen alter-ego’s involvement with her more hot-to-temper sibling and why Britt revealed the truth about Josslyn to him. “People finding out about Cassius would expose what she’s involved in and what she agreed to do,” explains Kelly “And now Josslyn is digging around, and she’s connected to Carly (Laura Wright) to Jason (Steve Burton) and that whole dynamic! It’s messy!”
BRITT’S MURKY FUTURE
Britt has currently also reached her breaking point with Jason being carted away by the WSB, Rocco (Finn Carr), the child she gave birth to, shooting Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) to protect her and Jason, Marco (Adrian Anchondo) being killed after trying to help her, and Cullum holding over her head getting her Huntington’s disease medication to control her symptoms, while blackmailing her into finishing the research on her father, Cesar Faison’s, final project. Thiebaud summed it up best for Britt right now, sharing, “It’s been a really tough time for her.”
So, who do you think will be the person to blow Cassius’ cover? Will it be Britt herself? Josslyn? Liesl? Brennan? Nina? Lulu? Rocco, Maxie, Cullum or someone else? Let us know your pick in the comment section.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Michael Reveals His Plan to Set Up Chase and Willow to Have an Affair
After the Wednesday, April 29 episode of General Hospital, it’s clear outside interference and other circumstances are set to blow Chase (Josh Swickard) and Brook Lynn’s (Amanda Setton) marriage sky high, as Michael (Rory Gibson) reveals his plans to entrap Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) and use her relationship with Chase to do it!
In story, Michael dropped by unexpectedly to Carly’s (Laura Wright). A plotting Michael reveals his plan to nudge Willow and Chase into having an affair. Michael hopes it would create both a political and personal scandal, where Willow would lose her seat in congress. In the scenario, she would be having an affair with her ex-husband, while taking care of her supposed disabled husband, Drew (Cameron Mathison), who cannot speak and is confined to a wheelchair, which in turn will look horrible for Willow’s character.
Carly asked does he really want to destroy his cousin, Brook Lynn’s life in the process? Michael goes in on Chase’s holier than thou attitude, and says he is going to set-up the circumstances that would lead Chase and Willow to betray their spouses, and hit the sheets together. Michael swears to Carly what the two of them do is up to them, but he’s going to go on the offense with this.
MICHAEL HAS BACK-UP
Later, Jacinda (Paige Herschell) is talking with Charlotte (Bluesy Burke) at Crimson and how much she dislikes Willow because of what she has done to Michael. Just then, Michael shows up and tells Jacinda privately, he’s figured out a way to fight Willow. Looks like Jacinda might work with Michael to bring down Willow and use Chase as the person to do it!
At the hospital, Lucas (Van Hansis) tells Josslyn (Eden McCoy) that Carly is cheating on Jack, but he doesn’t know with who. Josslyn suddenly flashes back to the moment she found her mother harboring a fugitive, Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart), in her attic, and as figured out that her mother is sleeping with him. She heads out.

Courtesy/ABC
BRENNAN IS ABOUT TO LEARN ABOUT CARLY
Next thing you know, Josslyn has showed up inside Jack’s (Chris McKenna) hotel room at the Metro Court and when he enters his room, he is shocked to find her there. He lays into her for not keeping his distance and that Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) will have no problem killing her if he knows she’s WSB. Josslyn fires back that he is only concerned about that because his relationship with her mother depends on her being safe. But then, she lays the boom, and tells Jack, Well, you’re too late. You already lost her.”
LULU GETS A GLIMPSE OF CASSIUS’ TEMPER
In addition, Lulu (Alexa Havins) sees a different side of “Nathan.” Since she is unaware that the man before her is his twin, Cassius Fasion (Ryan Paevey), he tells her that Rocco (Finn Carr) blabbed that he shot Cullum to Britt (Kelly Thiebaud), and now he thinks they should send him away to stop him from talking to everyone else. This concerns Lulu, who rails at Nathan for telling her what to do with her son and that she isn’t going to abandon him. With “Nathan’s” outburst at her on the matter, will she finally get a clue this is not the man she thinks it is?
So, what do you think of Michael’s plan to push Willow and Chase into an affair? Will it work or backfire? Do you think Joss will reveal that Valentin is the man sleeping with Carly to Brennan, which will send him in a rage? Will Lulu continue to be clueless about “Nathan?” Weigh-in via the comment section below. But first, take a look at the GH video tease for today’s April 30 episode.
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Congratulations Ms. Lebine. I loved Ryan’s Hope and her work at GH.
As a lifetime soap fan, I agree with her comments regarding the care of the genre and the fact that this art form should have and could have adjusted itself to the changing times. Scripted dramas are not dead, they just needed some tweaks to survive. I wish ABC/Disney and the other PTB valued them as much as their loyal fans do.
I entend my congratulations to Claire Lebine. Her name is very familiar to soap fans. She was right when she said the soap fans are very loyal. I am loyal enough to keep ABC/D off my televisions. If ABC can dismiss me so casually then I can dismiss them too.
One of the greats of daytime. This is what the genre needs; someone with experience and TRULY cares about the characters and history. Soaps are not dead, because if they were, THAT network would not be producing the upcoming Nashville and currently airing Revenge. ABC used to have such a great programming dept. I guess that is not the case anymore.
Claire is a bona fide ROCK STAR with regard to this medium. RYAN’S HOPE (along with AMC) was the first soap I ever followed. She made GH a watchable entity again back in the early 90s when its action/adventure stories were becoming overkill. She even had a good turn on ONE LIFE. Her words speak volumes as to the idiocy of the networks. Her words have particular meaning as it was the asinine “suits” at the network that ultimately led to RH’s demise… they forced her out back in the early 80s and AGAIN in about ’84. If they’d left well-enough alone we may have been able to celebrate 30+ years of THAT soap. Thank you for your words, Claire!
Joe, Good post!
I loved ryans hope. was really upset when we lost that soap .I wrote my first protest letter to abc ,so angry it was canceled .they could care less .they didnt care then and they dont care now.and you right claire is a rock star,she was involved in all the soaps that I cared about.
everything claire said is right on ,however I was happy with my soaps just the way they were ,my only problem was with general hospital and all those mob stories,I watched year after year of sonny jason ,all of them commit crime after crime after crime and never in all those years were any of them held accountable for there actions ,they were thrown in jail and ,well not behind bars, they were in that room ,where the lawyers go and before you knew it ,alexis or diane walks in and they are free ,poor max ,he never gets the bad guys ,well that will change when john mcbain comes to town.there I go again ,as 1loveabcsoaps say,got off the subject again.
Laughed out Loud, and said, ” You funny! ” And I needed that laugh, bc I’m home all day with headache, not feelings well.
Everything she said–so true and so sad.
A true legend! Spoken in a way that proves she knows, respectsand values the loyalty of the daytime audience. Too bad the daytime heads son’t share her views.
We are all in mourning and yet… she is right it isn’t over till it’s over and not yet!
Claire is the writer who made me a fan of GH. She writes beautiful soap.
Hey Michael : Are you at the academy awards? Are you going to attend any of the after parties? Hope you are well. Have fun.