Elia Cantu, who has played Jada Hunter, the daughter of Marcus Hunter, played by the late Richard Biggs from 1987-1992, has confirmed that she wrapped run her run on Peacock’s Days of Our Lives.

Cantu first arrived back in Salem in 2022 and a few months back was moved to recurring status with the long-running soap opera along with Galen Gering (Rafe Hernandez).

Now, Cantu took to her Instagram on Wednesday, June 10 to share the news of her departure and some heartfelt goodbyes.  As DAYS fans know, because the series tapes ten months ahead of dropping new episodes, Cantu will be seen well into 2027.

Photo: JPI

A BITTERSWEET GOODBYE

Along with the following heartfelt words, Elia also taped a “final bow” to punctuate her time on the beloved soap opera. She wrote, “As I say goodbye to Days of Our Lives, I’m excited and looking forward to the next chapter. Leaving DAYS is bittersweet, but I step away full of gratitude and joy for what’s ahead.”

Speaking on playing the daughter of legacy character, such as Marcus Hunter, Cantu added, “Its been an honor. She is bold, layered, and I’ll forever cherish bringing her to life. She remains a staple in Salem and I’ll carry everything she taught me as I go. Jada, you will always be my girl.”

As she concluded her message, Elia gave a major shoutout to everyone at Days of Our Lives and most importantly the fans. “To the cast and crew — Thank you for your hard work and long hours,” Cantu shared. “What a journey it has been. To the DAYS fans — Thank you. You are incredibly supportive, caring, and dedicated. I’m so grateful for each and every one of you. There’s more to come, and I hope you’ll come along with me for what’s next.”

Recently in story, DAYS had been building the on-again off-again romance between Jada and Shawn Brady (played by Brandon Beemer). No word yet how the series plans to write-off Jada, which we will not see revealed until next year.

You can check out Elia’s touching post below as she wraps her run at Days of Our Lives.

Now let us know, will you miss seeing Jada Hunter on you screens? Did you enjoy the performances of Elia Cantu? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

 

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There looks to be a new entrant in the daytime talk arena after four shows in the genre announced their departures this year. Jonathan Scott, one of the stars of HGTV’s Property Brothers franchise, is now  developing a new syndicated daytime talk show with CBS Media Ventures.

The host, producer and construction contractor’s new daytime show has the working title of Better! With Jonathan Scott. According to Deadline, the pilot will be shot later this month and the project will be in consideration for CBS Media Venture’s syndication schedule for the fall 2027.

Better! With Jonathan Scott will feature interview segments with well-known guests and lifestyle experts. CBS Media Ventures is sharing that they hope the talker will “inspire audiences with fresh Ideas to live better, all while having fun doing it”.

CAN THIS DAYTIME TALK SHOW SUCCEED IN DWINDLING LANDSCAPE?

If the pilot goes gets a full series order, it will be the first syndicated daytime talk show to launch in four years. As previously reported, The Kelly Clarkson Show is ending due to Clarksons’ desire to end the show after 7 season. Sherri featuring Sherri Shepherd was canceled after its fourth season, and both The Steve Wilkos Show and Karamo are done after NBCUniversal made the decision to exit first-run syndication altogether.

Jonathan became popular along with his brother Drew who appear in the the Property Brothers franchise and Celebrity IOU. The two run Scott Brothers Global and Scott Brothers Entertainment, while also overseeing home brands including Scott Living and Drew & Jonathan Home.

If the series comes to daytime TV next year, they would join the same Paramount-owned syndicated division which produces and distributes series including The Drew Barrymore Show, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, Hot Bench, Flip Side as well as the Judge Judy library.

So, it look like we may be going back to lifestyle daytime talk shows. Does that interest you? Remember when ABC was convinced “The Revolution” would do well when it replaced One Life to Live and only lasted six months? Let us know if you would tune-in to a Jonathan Scott daytime talk show via the comment section below.

If there is a story or script from one of your favorite soaps over the last three and a half decades that is most memorable to you, it’s probably because veteran soap writer, Michele Val Jean had something to do with it.

The current creator, head writer and executive producer of CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates has been razzle dazzling us with some impressive cliffhangers in the infancy of the newest soap opera on the block which debuted back on February 24, 2025. Already in its second season, and recently renewed in a tremendous show of confidence by CBS for seasons three and four, this week its spotlighting the highly-anticipated crossover event when characters from The Young and the Restless arrive at Fairmont Crest airing now through June 12.

Val Jean has tenured history in daytime from: being a script writer for Santa Barbara (and breakdown writer), Port Charles, Generations, and lengthy run a few times at General Hospital where she served as script writer, breakdown writer, and at one time co-head writer of the ABC soap, to being a long-running script writer at The Bold and the Beautiful, to finally landing her very own show as its head writer with Beyond the Gates.

Photo: CBS

Earlier this week, Michael Fairman TV chatted with Michele at the Toast to Black Excellence event in Los Angeles, featuring cast members of Beyond the Gates and The Young and the Restless as a precursor to their multi-arc crossover event and asked Val Jean what has been her favorite story in soaps she has ever written for. She responded that she had a top three and they all happened to be from her time on General Hospital and in the 90’s.

GENERAL HOSPITAL CLASSIC STORYLINES

Michele revealed her top picks, “Elizabeth’s (Rebecca Herbst) rape, because that was personal, Kevin and Ryan (dual roles played by Jon Lindstrom), and Stone’s (Michael Sutton) death.”

When speaking of getting the opportunity to write for mild-mannered Dr. Kevin Collins and his psycho killer twin, Ryan Chamberlain, Michele explained, “I was always like a true crime person and Claire Labine (ex-head writer, GH) loved the vibe Jon Lindstrom and I has as writing and acting were concerned. Claire said, ‘Go with it. So, she basically let us work out who these characters were and I was like, ‘I finally have my own serial killer!'”

Courtesy/ABC

DOUBLE TROUBLE

“One of the first scenes I wrote for Ryan was in the police interrogation room and Mac Scorpio (John J. York) and Sean Donely (John Reilly) were standing behind him. He was sitting at this table and in his jumpsuit and there was a light shining on him and he started confessing to all these murders. It was like a 7-minute monologue and it went on and on. He had so many murders (piled up). and then at one point, he goes, ‘Wait, a minute!” He got confused about all the women he had murdered and I said ‘I love this character!'”

GH fans will recall Ryan debuted first in 1992, and then Kevin joined the main characters in 1993. Val Jean recalled, “When Kevin came onto the canvas, he was so arrogant. He thought, ‘Oh, I’ll go fix my brother.’ It took Ryan about five minutes to figure out who Kevin was. The next thing you know, Kevin’s in the middle of a mental institution going, ‘I’m not Ryan!’ And, Ryan’s out on a date with Felicia (Kristina Wagner) I think we must have killed Ryan off six times. That was fun!”

Photo: ABC

PERSONAL VANTAGE POINT

In 1998, Val Jean wrote Elizabeth Webber’s rape storyline. She notably based the controversial and critically acclaimed storyline on her own personal experience with sexual assault.

Michele reflected, “Elizabeth’s rape was really important to me because I was watching the Campus Disco in 1979 (when Luke raped Laura), and I was raped when I was 12-years-old. I know what rape looks like. I wanted to win Tony Geary (Luke) an Emmy because he hadn’t had one since 1983. I also wanted to call a rape a “rape,” and I wanted to heal myself, because back when I grew up on the south side of Chicago in the sixties, you didn’t go to therapy. You pulled yourself up by your bootstraps, and you went on. There was a trial and my rapist went to jail. Once that was over, there was no more talking about it. So, those were my three reasons for doing that story. I managed to do all three, and that was the most personally satisfying.”

Courtesy/ABC

STONE AND ROBIN

Perhaps, there is nothing more iconic and important, than the death of Stone Cates, who tragically dies of AIDS. The episode where he passes away with his girlfriend, a young Robin (Kimberly McCullough) who now has contracted HIV by his side, aired on November 29, 1995. Val Jean had noted on social media that it was both an honor and a heartbreak to write this episode.

BEYOND THE GATES EARLY FAVORITES

Now, Michele is setting new favorites in her repertoire with Beyond the Gates. She revealed that so far, there have been two standouts. The first, the violent altercation on a deserted country road where Martin (Brandon Claybon) fatally struck one of two racist white men with a tire iron to save his grandfather, Vernon Dupree’s (Clifton Davis) life and his own.

“I am most proud of Martin by the side of the road (story), because I didn’t think the CBS network would let me do it, but the network has been so supportive. I took a lot of personal satisfaction from that. I’ve never experienced anything like that! ” Another top pick?  I loved the anniversary party when Nicole’s (Daphnée Duplaix) marriage got all blown up!

So, are some of your all-time favorite storylines the ones Michele Val Jean chose? Elizabeth’s Rape, early Kevin/Ryan and Stone’s death on General Hospital? What about the racism storyline centering around Martin Richardson and the bombshell reveal on Beyond the Gates that Ted had an affair with Leslie and a child, which came to light at the anniversary party of Ted and Nicole? Let us know via the comment section below.