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OLTL's Corbin Bleu & Robert S. Woods Talk Jeffrey's Dark Side, Clint's Meltdown, Erika Slezak, Phil Carey & More!

By Michael Fairman

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Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

On Monday night, after the season finale of One Life to Live, the Blog Talk Radio series TOLN Soaps Live with Michael Fairman played host to a special One Life special featuring series favorites; Corbin Bleu (Jeffrey King) and Daytime Emmy winner, Robert S. Woods (Bo Buchanan).  During the broadcast, Corbin and Bob answered several questions from Michael, and then fielded numerous questions from callers.

Hot topics of the night included: Jeffrey’s turn to the dark side, if Jeffrey is really into Destiny or just faking it to integrate himself into her life, and the Buchanans life, as part of his mission orders from the Organization, what made Bob Woods decide to return to One Life to Live for the reboot, after he said he was retired and done with the show, how much he missed Phil Carey (Asa), what both Corbin and Bob thought of  the one and only Erika Slezak (Viki), and what they both thought of the performance of Jerry verDorn (Clint) who goes ballistic in the season finale at the Man of the Year Gala!

Here are some excerpts of some of the night’s most popular questions and Corbin and Bob’s responses.  However, there is much more contained in the entire TOLN Soaps Live with Michael Fairman OLTL Season Finale Show! You can listen to the player below to hear the broadcast!

What did they think of being on set watching Jerry verDorn in the scene where Clint had his meltdown in Club Shelter?

Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

CORBIN:  Man, was that scary! Being in the room, that moment when he tosses the table over, and everybody goes over there to grab him, the reaction from everyone in that room was 100% real.  He was completely in it, and when he started losing it, you could feel the heat coming off that man, and everybody backed up, because no one wanted to get hit! (Laughs)

ROBERT:  It was a lot of fun.  I was like a member of the audience, because he was on a roll. He was driving the ship and taking it some place. As Corbin said, he threw everything into it.

Corbin, the rumor has been that one of the main reasons you wanted to take on the role of Jeffrey King, was that you knew from the outset that he was going to turn out to be bad?  True?

CORBIN:  Exactly! It has been funny to see the reaction from the fans! Of course, a lot of them are extremely shocked and I knew about this from the get go, so I was ready for it.  Before I even signed on, that was one of the conversations I had … what Jeffrey’s arc was going to be.   There is so much more to come about too.  It just got revealed, he is part of the cult and that there is going to be a lot of changes from him, and who his character is linked in with. But beyond that, there is so much more that is going to be shown about his character.  I really love where Jeffrey is going to be going. You have to understand, whether or not what his intentions have been up to this point, he has still been there in this town with these people, and the experiences he has had are real. There has been some beautiful and wonderful moments with characters that he has encountered. So those experiences are going to take a toll on him as he goes about his mission.  But they did tell me from the beginning, “What we have in mind is for you is to eventually become a villain! And I said, “Really? And then, my ears perked up and I was all ears!

Courtesy/TOLN

What does Jeffrey really feel for Destiny (Laura Harrier), since he is on a big date with her the night of the Man of the Year gala, and these two seem to have a very apparent attraction for one another?

CORBIN:  Jeffrey does like Destiny and his feelings for her are real. Now, whether or not his intentions with her, and where those are going with her, is still up in the air, and how that continues. But he definitely has feelings for her.

What can you both say about working with six-time Daytime Emmy winner, Erika Slezak?

ROBERT:  Well, I screen-tested with her, and it was really cute because she was pregnant at the time, so we did the test in the Banner office, and she never got up. (Laughs)  But she helped me tremendously in that test and went to bat for me. So I owe Erika a lot. I am eternally grateful to Erika Slezak.

CORBIN: I am in love with her and I love that woman. She is the epitome of classy and she is so talented. The first day I met her, it was just like, “You are a beautiful person.” I learned every day from her on set.  She is just one of those peoples and stars who you look at across the room and she just has such poise. I feel like there is always a wind fan blowing on her hair, (laughs). She has that elegance going for her.

Courtesy/TOLN

Bob, what made you decide to return to One Life to Live after you had retired and said you were done with the show when ABC cancelled it?

ROBERT: When the show ended with ABC, I said, “That’s it. I am burnt out. I am gone.” But when Jennifer Pepperman (EP, OLTL) called me a year or so later, and I had some rest, I just wanted One Life to Live to keep living. I owe a lot to that show, and I want to go on… and on… and on. I always thought it would.  I was shocked when ABC cancelled All My Children and One Life.  We are so fortunate on One Life because the first question I asked when Jen asked me to return was, “Who do you have?” She said, Erika Slezak, Robin Strasser (Dorian), Hillary B. Smith (Nora), Jerry verDorn.  So then, the old fans can turn on the show, and go, “There they are. This is it.” And then you add the whole great company of young actors who have come in with all their energy and talent, and I think we are in good shape.

Bob, who do you miss the most from the cast of One Life to Live and wish they were with you today?

Courtesy/ABC

ROBERT:  Phil Carey, I don’t think a day goes by where he does not come up.  He was like family. Recently last March, I was at his daughter’s wedding, this gets me. (tears).  We were very close friends. I learned so much from him. He was one of the last of those actors who were put under contract to a studio.  He was in that old studio system.  He worked with John Wayne, Patricia Neal, and then he worked with Gary Cooper.  He was not a big fan of Henry Fonda, but he thought the world of Jack Lemmon and Jimmy Cagney.  He just had stories that were fun.  And he would tell me stories about John Wayne, “The Duke” and I would say “Philly, you’ve got to realize … you’re The Duke to me!”  I love him dearly.

What do you think about Corbin and Bob’s comments on Jerry verDorn, Erika Slezak, Phil Carey? And, Jeffrey’s turn to the dark side? And Bob Woods deciding to continue with OLTL after it had been axed by ABC?  Share your thoughts!

 

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THanks guys for the great season…. see you soon?

Amen!!

both corbin & robert seems so down to earth – the show was awesome!

I so enjoyed the OLTL season 1 and the finale
and I’m anxiously awaiting Season 2.

Me too!

I miss ASA!!!!! He was such a good actor !!!!!!! He was the whole package all in one!

I totally agree with Bob & Corbin with what they said about Erika Slezak. But Michael you know she is my Idol. Jerry VerDorn was fantastic in the finale. So glad though that they will find out that he was drugged. I still want a Viki & Clint wedding. Asa-Phil was superb. All the cast said such wonderful things about him. & Bob Woods was needed on the show. Just been watching back shows of OLTL & when Bo went back to save a friend in Vietnam it just wasn’t the same without him. I am oldie so I need my family on the show. Most are but some are still missing but there is still hope. Thanks Michael for the great interview.

Beyond the Gates

RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers

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Beyond the Gates and General Hospital

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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General Hospital

Antonio Sabáto Jr. Breaks Silence on His Son’s Arrest for Fatal Hit-and-Run

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Antonio Sabato Jr.

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.”

Jack Sabato

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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A post shared by Antonio Sabato Jr (@antoniosabatojr)

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Breaking News

‘Days of our Lives’ Veteran James Reynolds Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis

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James Reynolds

Days of our Lives long-running cast member James Reynolds revealed on the November 10 edition of Entertainment Tonight that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and his character of Abe Carver will now be going through an on-screen Parkinson’s battle as well.

Speaking with ET’s Nischelle Turner, the 80-year-old actor and Daytime Emmy winner shared how he attempted to hide the warning signs dating back to 15-20 years ago when he would have, “What they call the hallucinations. My wife (Lissa) would say, ‘You were hitting me last night in bed,’ and I would say, ‘What?!’ I was having these really horrible dreams.” Reynolds also added that he realized falling out of bed was an early symptom of Parkinson’s too.

Discussing the on-going tremors that have become more noticeable over time especially in hands, James shared that when he finally told the Days of our Lives cast they were nothing but “extraordinarily helpful and supportive.”

Photo: ET

SCREEN LIFE TO MIRROR REAL LIFE

Now with DAYS about to launch into Abe’s Parkinson’s storyline, Reynolds hopes that he can turn his experience into something positive by encouraging others facing the disease to keep fighting. During the sit-down, Reynolds co-star Jackée Harry (Paulina Price) recalls her reaction to learning of Reynolds’ real-life diagnosis and how she has continued to search for new treatments to inform James about.

Although Parkinson’s disease currently has no cure, there are medications and treatments can help those manage symptoms and improve quality of life. The condition progresses at a different pace from individual to individual.

As discussed in his conversation with ET, Reynolds cited Michael J. Fox and Alan Alda as two high-profile celebrities who have brought awareness to the disease.

Abe

Photo: JPI

In story on DAYS, Abe in recent weeks had been experiencing tremors which led to seek help and a diagnosis Dr. Kayla Johnson (Mary Beth Evans). Soon Abe and others will find out of his battle with Parkinson’s. Although on the promo for this week’s DAYS, Abe is seen telling Kayla, that he will do something, “when the time is right.”

James Reynolds is one of the most prolific performers, being the longest-running Black Actor in a role on a television series, not to mention his aforementioned Lead Actor Daytime Emmy win in 2018, and being inducted in 2025 into the Daytime Emmy Gold and Silver Society of honorees.

You can check out James’ in-depth conversation on his Parkinson’s diagnosis below.

Share your thoughts for James after learning of his health battle, and what do you think of Days of our Lives incorporating the disease into Abe Carver’s Salem storyline? Let us know in the comment section.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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