If you caught today’s Tuesday, August 11 episode of Days of Our Lives streaming on Peacock, you caught the debut of John Oliver in his Salem role as the chief water inspector in town named Devlin St. John.

The ‘Last Week Tonight’ host has been on a jaunt through the soaps over the past few months, first on General Hospital, where he played the WSB head named Z, to now the man who has got the goods on EJ DiMera.

In his first of three appearances (the remaining two stream August 12 and 14), Devlin meets up with Paulina Price (Jackée Harry), Julie Williams (Susan Seaforth Hayes), Rita Lesley (who takes a liking to Mr. St. Jonn), played by Maggie Carney, and EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel). When Oliver arrives on the scene there is the wig, the quipping dialog, and a few soap stares and such along the way.

Courtesy/Peacock

Days of Our Lives is the only American soap opera in production to tape so far advance, often 10 to 11 months, that it makes it difficult to get out of any storyline that is not clicking with the fans, or if the writers want to change course.

In addition, casting announcement of exciting returns or new characters while initially exciting, finds the viewers having to wait a very long time to see them on their screens. On the flip side, without this production model the soap opera, which will turn 61 in November, wouldn’t remain and that would be a serious blow to the fans, to the soap genre and all that it employs.

DAYS OF OUR LIVES EP KEN CORDAY ON THE PROCESS OF ADDING JOHN OLIVER INTO PREVIOUSLY TAPED EPISODES

When John Oliver made his pronouncement on his late night talk show back in March that he desired to be on a soap opera. DAYS executive producer, Ken Corday was going to make it happen. He explained to Vulture, how they were able weave in Oliver’s request and take him up on it, while making it look seamless into episodes taped so long ago.

Both Corday and co-executive producer and showrunner, Noel Maxam, intially went back and looked at previously taped episodes and story outlines to search for a potential story thread where they could place the character to be played by Oliver.

Corday shared, “We didn’t want to wait until next year for these shows to air, so we lifted (already produced) show and put him in. We basically had to shoehorn him into our schedule because we were so far ahead.” The longtime EP also expressed its challenges stating it, “was somewhat complex. It was basically, ‘We have to do this; let’s get it done.’ And we did. He was too good to pass up.”

THE CREATION OF DEVLIN ST. JOHN

In terms of the scripting and creation of Oliver’s character of Devlin St. John, it was a two-team effort. Corday explained that Oliver’s overall storyline was scripted by DAYS writers, but John Oliver’s team punched up some of the dialog.

“John and his producer had a lot of input in making the words fit the way he talks,” the EP recalled. “He’s (Oliver) very machine-gun in how he speaks, so that took a little work. But in the end, we both got what we wanted.”

In terms of the look of his DAYS character of the Salem chief water inspector, Oliver brought the wig he wears in his scenes to the set, and the DAYS hair and make-up team refined it for the cameras.

You can check out more behind the scenes moments of Oliver’s appearance on Days of Our Lives in the newly released video package from Access Hollywood that dropped last night below.

So, what did you think of John Oliver’s debut as Devlin St. John on today’s Days of Our Lives? Ken Corday sharing how the soap opera was able to shoehorn in Oliver’s scenes in previous shot episodes from months ago? Weigh-in via the comment section below. 

After a few months of speculation, it has finally been revealed who John Oliver will be playing when he kicks-off his three episode guest stint on Tuesday, August 11 on Peacock’s Days of Our Lives.

According to a rep for the soap opera, Oliver will be taking on the role of Salem’s Chief Water Inspector who opens an investigation into the local water supply.  As previously reported, Oliver will share scenes with EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) and Rita (Maggie Carney), and Mayor Paulina Price (Jackée Harry).

In addition, Soaps.com spoke with Dan Feuerriegel who shared that Oliver’s character name is none other than “Devlin St. John.” Feuerriegel also explained what the late night talk show wanted out of his Days of Our Lives experience noting, “He wanted the whole thing. From my recollection, he wanted a wig. He wanted a ridiculous name, and he wanted to slap or be slapped.” Feuerriegel then coyly admitted, “We did all the things. Everything you would think cliché in a soap, we did. I got slapped. I slapped.”

Jackée Harry previewed her scenes with Oliver to TV Insider, noting, “He is the water commissioner and coming to her with some scheme. He is trying to get one over on the city of Salem and she is not having it. And then he’s onto the next victim.”

Photo: Peacock

JOHN OLIVER’S TOUR OF SOAP DUTY CONCLUDES IN SALEM

After his initial entrance on Tuesday, look for Oliver on  the Wednesday, August 12 and Friday, August 14 of the soap streamer. Last month, John Oliver appeared on General Hospital in the role of the head of the WSB named Z for three episodes, as well which was more of a dramatic turn for the late night talk show host.

DAYS and GH both came calling after Oliver put the word out an episode of his HBO series back in March, that he is aiming to be on a soap! John shared, “To all the soap operas out there, let me say this: I’m officially offering myself to you. Write me a role, and I will be on your set so fast, it will make your head spin!”

Days of Our Lives executive producer, Ken Corday previously said in a statement, “When John Oliver said, ‘Call me, soaps, I’m available and willing to travel. I want to be a part of that world,’ our world, we had to heed the call!”

So, looking forward to tuning-in to see John Oliver as Salem’s Chief Water Inspector, Devlin St. John on this week on Days of Our Lives? Let us know via the comment section. But first, in case you missed it, check out this week’s Days of Our Lives promo below with Oliver as Devlin St. John  asking to see Mayor Paulina Price in its final moments.

On General Hospital, Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Jane Elliot (Tracy Quartermaine) have been appearing together more and more in scenes together and storylines than in recent years on the ABC soap opera.  The result has been emotional moments built within the rich history of the Quartermaine family between Jason and Tracy.

In 2025, it was Jason who found his mother Monica Quartermaine upstairs in her room passed away, which then led to Jason having to tell Tracy that Monica was gone. This began the beats of the story that played out for weeks and then months as General Hospital paid tribute to the late Leslie Charleson.

Coming up at the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards, Burton is up in the Lead Actor in Daytime Drama Series category and previously reported, Steve revealed on his That’s Awesome podcast with Bradford Anderson that he did not include scenes from Jason at Monica’s funeral in his Emmy-nominated reel. However, he did share without naming specifics, he did include some moments from Monica’s death.

Photo: ABC

JEFF KOBER DOUBLE EMMY NOMINEE

Now on Sunday August 9, Steve and Bradford welcomed double Emmy nominee, and former co-star Jeff Kober to their show.  Kober is up for a Primetime Emmy in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Duke Ekins in The Pitt. He is also up Outstanding Guest Performer at the Daytime Emmys for his work as Cyrus Renault on GH. Kober previously won a Daytime Emmy for Supporting Actor back in 2022.

Kober was discussing how many takes he may get working on a scene in various projects from movie roles to primetime to General Hospital and one particular note he received from a director on a take was just to do it and be ‘simpler,’ and as an actor to strive for ‘simplicity.’ That prompted Burton to recall the moment Jane Elliot congratulated him on his Daytime Emmy nomination last month.

A TEXT MESSAGE FROM JANE ELLIOT

Steve shared, “Jan was gracious enough to to text me when I got nominated and she said something to the effect of like .’thank you for not chewing the scenery’. Thank you for not chewing it. You know, because it’s easy sometimes when you get that meat (referencing a scene or story material) and you’re like, ‘Here’s my shot,’ and especially in daytime, and you go, ‘This could be my Emmy material,’ OR ‘Here’s your chance to blow it. Here’s your chance to ruin everything.” (Laughs)  It’s just all very interesting.”

Check out the discussion with Jeff Kober, Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson below.

Then, let us know what do you think of Jane’s comment on Steve’s Emmy nomination, ‘thank you for not chewing the scenery.” Coming from Jane, who shared several scenes with him during the aftermath of Monica’s death, it’s a very high compliment, because Burton moved many to tears with his moving portrayal of a man grieving the woman that raised him. Share your thoughts in the comment section.