News
Michael Graziadei On His Y&R Return: "It Felt Like Coming Home!"
Courtesy/IMDB
On Thursday’s episode of The Young and the Restless, fan favorite Michael Graziadei begins his guest appearance when he returns as Daniel Romalotti. That will put Graz back in the orbit of his on-screen mother Phyllis, played by Gina Tognoni, and his half-sister Summer, played by Hunter King.
Daniel’s return to Genoa City is timed just as Summer is soon to be married to Luca (Miles Gaston Villanueva), and viewers will have to tune-in to see just what Daniel thinks of the not-to-be-trusted Luca, and just how he figures into the drama that is about to go down.
On-Air On-Soaps caught up recently with Graziadei when he spoke of returning to the set of the CBS Daytime drama series and how the return came about. Michael recalled: “I got a call from Y&R asking me to come back. It worked perfectly with my schedule as I have been shooting a show in L.A, Good Girls Revolt for Amazon Prime, and I told them as long as you guys can work out the dates, I said, ‘Why not?’ They asked me to come back for story surrounding the 11,000 episode celebration.”
This is the first time fans will see Michael in scenes on-screen with Gina Tognoni as Phyllis. The role was previously played by GH’s Michelle Stafford. Michael said of working with the two-time Daytime Emmy winning dynamo: “Gina is wonderful! I knew her before for years, but never had the opportunity to work with her. I got to work with her, and it was great.”
When he returned to Y&R to tape the episodes that viewers will see beginning today it was very special to Graz: “It was like coming home. You see all the faces of the people you loved and cared about all these years. “
Of course, Y&R fans remember Michael paired with Camryn Grimes before Cassie Newman died. When Michael returned to Y&R for this visit he saw Grimes in her newest incarnation as Mariah! He commented: “Wow! They have her playing a whole different character now!
Several years ago, Graziadei make the decision to exit Y&R, and here he tell us why: “It was super tough decision, and as I said being back here felt like I was coming home. This was my family. But at the time I was trying to do guest spots on primetime and movies and what not, knowing that at some point, whether you are fired, or you decide to leave on your own there is a whole other reality out there that you have to face. I tried to prepare myself for it as best as I could. I just felt like I just had really done so much here that I didn’t know what else I could possibly accomplish, that I wasn’t already doing. And I wanted to take that leap of faith and challenge myself, and see if I could have a career in this industry outside of The Young and the Restless. It has worked out really well, and I am living the dream!”
So, are you looking forward to seeing Michael today on Y&R? Will Daniel protect Summer for marrying Luca at any cost? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
I have never been happier than to see Michael’s beautiful, familiar face ( sans facial hair, LOL) on Y&R.
Love him to pieces. He is truly exhibiting his Italian roots by his polished, Milanese fashion sense.
Why is he back? Why now? To support his sister? Help his mother and everyone else ‘unmask’ the villainous Luca?
Regardless….I hope he stays a while.
Eager to have Daniel back on the canvas. I think Genoa City and do well with some fresh (although familiar) air to liven up proceedings.
Unanswered questions..
Enquiring minds want to know;
How long will Michael Graziadei be with Y&R..
( a guest appearance, how long?
A full return?
What’s up ??
he’s working on a series he’s not staying
Thanks, davlestev1..
awwww I don’t like that! I want him to stay 🙁
It was so nice to see Daniel back. Waiting patiently for him to meet up with Cassie look-a-like Mariah! O.M.G. Would it ever be something to see Daniel get involved with Mariah, not just because of the reaction Kevin would have ( since Kevin was his best friend) but what would it do to Sharon? What GREAT writing /acting lately. I cried over Adam getting 10 yrs. Chelsea acted her heart out with these scenes and Adam was nothing less than fantastic as usual. The only part of the show that was a bummer was too much Summer. Sooooooo great to see Travis back. I just love him & Victoria and he’s not hard on the eyes either.
LOVE the guy. He smiles with his eyes.
The day ahead show in Canada today is not to be missed. The interaction between Mariah and Daniel was short with a promise of the excitement ahead. So great to have him back for a visit.
Hopefully he is back for four episodes to take Summer to never never land!
If he takes Summer and Luca to never never land let him take Stitch with him.
…..to the island of Forgotten Toys
I love the fact that Michael Graz is back, just wish he’d get rid of that Cheech and Chong facial hair but I’m guessing he has to have it for the role he’s playing on another series with Amazon Prime. Still, it does not look good on him. Other than that, I love having him back even if it is only for a short stint.
He doesn’t stay permanently in character the facial hair is MOST likely something Michael Graziadei likes for hisself
FINALLY a good episode of Y&R! Maybe the best so far, this year? Adam going away to prison and him looking back at Victor, Nikki, Chelsea, Conner and Nick as he walked away in shackles was great acting! [No words necessary] Adam being abducted by Victor, a twist! Dylan taking a swipe at Victor when Victor called him “Boy!” Glummer and Puka were tolerable. But the best part was Daniel. Never a big fan BUT he lit up and fit in the room quite nicely. I looked at him and wondered what he was up to with that facial hair? Wild Bill Hickok? THEN Red makes a comment about him fighting in the Civil War! General Custer? Funny stuff. Those two seemed to fit as mother and son. We’ll see, only there first episode on Thursday. I cannot wait to see Daniel and Mariah together. I cannot BELIEVE I am excited about tomorrow’s Y&R!
I wish he would rejoin the cast again and not be just a guest appearance he could bring so much to the show again. Have missed him so much he is a good actor and I am glad he has a life after Young and the Restless but really wish he would come back at least for awhile and stir things up.
Beyond the Gates
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
Soap opera fans are always clamoring for when Dancing with the Stars reveals their cast each season, that they would include a familiar face from daytime drama, but it rarely happens, if ever, anymore.
Over the last several years, the series has leaned heavily into casting celebrities with massive TikTok or Instagram followers, which in turn, have helped this season and last have their best ratings numbers in years.
But, how about for next season’s cast of Dancing with the Stars, that it could include newly-awarded Daytime Emmy winner, Ambyr Michelle (Eva Thomas) of Beyond the Gates?
Photo: CBS
LOVE OF DANCE TO LOVE OF ACTING
Michael Fairman TV spoke to Michelle about her dance background and if she would love a shot at lifting the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy during Wednesday’s November 11, livestream chat on the Michael Fairman Channel.
Ambyr explained to fans (who joined in on the live chat), how she began her show business career. “I started off as a dancer, first and foremost. Acting wasn’t really something I wanted to go after. I did plays when I was younger, but it was just something we did in school, but I really wanted to be a dancer. I moved out to LA to dance, and I fell out of love with dance, which was so weird.”
This year’s Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series winner, added, “I was like, ‘What is going on?’ I moved all the way out here for dance. I found I was forcing myself to go to dance class, and I just didn’t have the passion for it. I was working at this restaurant at the time, and one of my coworker was like, ‘What about taking an acting class out here?'”
Next, Ambyr took the coworker up on the idea. “So, I took an acting class and I fell in love with it that day,” shared Michelle. “I was like, ‘I want to do this for the rest of my life.’ I thought, I would love to book a role, of course, as a dancer, but I think acting has a little bit more longevity.”
Photo: ABC
A SHOT AT THE LEN GOODMAN MIRRORBALL TROPHY
When the talked turned to if Ambyr would consider or be interested in appearing on the ballroom dance competition series, she piped up with, “I would love to do Dancing with the Stars! Pick me!”
As those in the live chat rallied around this idea, it made us think, Ambyr could be the first contestant from Beyond the Gates, and someone representing the soaps. It checks off so many boxes! To which Ambyr replied, “That would be beautiful.”
You can check out the full conversation with Ambyr below.
So, what do you think soap fans? Can we make sure Ambyr’s name gets in front of the producers and casting director for next season’s Dancing with the Stars? Would you like to see her in the competition? If so, who would be your dream pro professional dance partner for her? Let us know in the comment section.
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.
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‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
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
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)
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (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’
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News3 days agoY&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
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Previews4 days agoTHE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
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General Hospital3 days ago‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
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