News
Patrika Darbo’s Daytime Emmy Revoked by NATAS After Submission Guideline Violation Investigation
After an internal investigation, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) had to make the heartbreaking decision to revoke soap opera favorite Patrika Darbo’s (Ex-Nancy Days, and Shirley B&B) Daytime Emmy; that she received at the 45th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards this April.
Darbo won the gold for her role as Mickey Walker on The Bay. She won in the category of Outstanding Guest Performer in a Digital Daytime Drama Series.
According to Variety, it was determined that Darbo’s submission reel for competition contained two violations of the official rules. One, that she had previously appeared on the show, and two, that her reel contained material from more than one episode.
However, NATAS Sr. VP Daytime Emmy Awards, David Michaels, clarified to Michael Fairman TV, “Patrika’s violation was based solely on the previous appearance – not on number of episodes.”
But the story has a few twists and turns to it. A NATAS rep commented that they immediately commissioned a thorough internal investigation, and determined that Patrika Darbo and Thomas Calabro, both of Amazon’s The Bay, should have been deemed ineligible, as they had each appeared in a prior season of the program.
Darbo spoke to The Bay’s Gregori J. Martin, who told her the situation was being looked in to and then received word from David Michaels, who told her the investigation was completed and the ruling was not in her favor.
“Early on, I owned this mistake,” David Michaels expressed. “I had spent most of the day vetting supporting categories, then I switched over to (guest). My big mistake was not noticing some of the entries weren’t following the one-episode rule.”
Then, in another shocking twist, after Darbo was notified that they would be taking back her Emmy, the plan was to give the award to the performer in the category with the next highest number of votes. That turned out to be All My Children’s Jennifer Bassey, who appeared as Everly Newman in Anacostia. Bassey was informed she would be receiving the Emmy, but then, in yet another twist, found out that her win was also being retracted after it was determined that her submission reel also included scenes from more than one episode. When she found out that she wasn’t getting the Emmy, according to Anacostia creator, Anthony Anderson, “She broke down, it was unbearable to listen to.”
David Michaels, who was dealing with the submissions and executive producing the ceremony that live-streamed on April 29th, clearly had a lot on his plate. Paul Pillitteri, Sr. VP of Public Relations and Communications NATAS, said, “Human mistake is human mistake, upon further review, it seemed that the entire category was questionable. Everybody was a little off. The awards committee decided instead there would be no Emmy in the Guest Performer category this year.”
NATAS started looking into their submission investigation after communication was received from Ladies of the Lake EP, Michael Caruso. This occured two days prior to the Creative Arts Daytime Emmy ceremony, where the majority of the digital category winners are announced.
Michaels recalls asking Caruso if this was something that could wait till after the awards ceremony. “If I had been told, ‘No, this can’t wait till next week,’ this all would have gone differently, I didn’t actually have all the facts until after the show.”
Because of the determination of the awards committee, moving forward, there are proposed changes in the competition.
However for Darbo, who is a previous Primetime Emmy winner, and who sits on the board of governors for the TV Academy, she has this to say: “If you’re taking away mine, you have to take (other perceived violators’) because you have a cloud over you. It’s a sad thing that I’m going to lose my Emmy because of a paperwork error, but if we let little things like that go through we are negating the Emmy brand and that cannot happen.” Darbo ends with that she would ask to, “please see how we’re submitting and what’s going on. Because this has really broken my heart.”
In an official statement released today by NATAS, they offered up: “While the Daytime judges found each performance worthy of distinction, and the investigation determined that neither performer was involved in the selection of categories in which their performances were submitted, prior-season appearances are nonetheless a disqualifying violation of the guidelines for the category. Ms. Darbo’s Daytime Emmy Award and nomination and Mr. Calabro’s nomination have been withdrawn. Other nominations in the category will remain, but no Emmy Award will be presented in the category this year.”
“NATAS also investigated whether entrants in this or other categories violated guidelines limiting the number of program episodes from which submitted excerpts could be drawn. The questioned materials were often fleeting, representing only a single line of dialogue, and their inclusion was deemed not to have impacted the outcome of the competition. Further, in retrospect, the guidelines were not sufficiently reflective of current digital distribution trends, causing ambiguity regarding the submissions’ qualification. The questioned entries will not be penalized for this ambiguity, and the guidelines will be updated for future competitions.”
So, what do you think about Patrika having to return her Emmy? What do you think about the guidelines and submission policies of the Daytime Emmy Digital Drama category? Share your thoughts on this series of unfortunate events via the comment section below.
Michael Fairman TV will have more on the Emmy revocation in a follow up interview with David Michaels forthcoming.
There have been many great performances from the actors through the decades.
Not all the actors subject themselves to being judged and they do not submit clips.
I say; good for them!
Why any actor would submit their work for judgement by the whomevers, is beyond me.
I admire the actors that have no need for validation by not submitting their work . I , as others, know which are the best.
(but- that’s just the way I see it ))
I think you made a lot good points and I too believe most actors do not need or want an “award” to validate their hard work. However in every industry there are ways to recognize work that is outstanding– not BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE– but work that goes beyond the expected standards– and I do believe in those cases “awards” have a place. Unfortunately the Emmy system has corrupted those noble values over the years and the system in place to deemed who warrants the “Outstanding” distinction flawed that at this point I think the whole thing should be scrapped. In the end like you said, the viewers know and appreciate the quality work– we don’t need the Emmy people to tell us who is outstanding.
Its crazy and stupid feel bad for her, now I am thinking this whole EMMY’s for daytime is nothing but rigged from the beginning, it’s not like it used to be, it’s 2018 they committee only picks their favorites to win it all. Y&R has been on top from the beginning, they cannot win top soap, directing, writing, etc.. but Days can really? It’s rigged no wonder it’s not show on regular TV anymore and you have to watch it online- that’s for the birds.
“It’s not like it used to be”? The Emmys were never fair bcuz the CBS shows voted together. The ABC shows voted together. The P&G shows voted together. DAYS never had a chance bcuz they were the lone NBC show. Now, that most of those shows are gone, DAYS is finally breaking thru. Which is sad bcuz it never should’ve been like that to begin with. You’re supposed to vote for the best performance…..not for whoever is on the same show/network as you.
The emmys arent as entertaining and good as it used to be…daytime has really gone downhl!!!
This “startling” revelation would have mattered more if they cared about how important watching the Emmys are to fans. Snatching the show off the air, snatching back Emmys. Well done. Well done.
It seems odd that performers are only eligible as guests in the first season they appear. In the Prime Time Emmy’s these errors are corrected during the voting period. If you get all the way to the awards presentation, win, and receive the Emmy then the performer should not be penalized. Then the Academy has to suck it up because they didn’t catch the error. Clearly, the rules are not clearly stated to the performers if 2 of the nominees, the 2 with the most votes!, both made errors which do not appear to be purposeful… Ugh.. this sucks!
Seems odd. Vernee Watson won as guest performer for GH yet, she has been in a bunch of episodes. How does this differ or how did it not violate the same rules as PD’s win?
This should NOT have happened!
It’s NATAS fault, and they should have just said…”In the future this can’t happen”…and left things as they were!
It’s not the actors fault they fucked up!
And they did it more than once!
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
General Hospital star Cynthia Watros, who can currently be seen in on the ABC soap opera in the role of Nina Reeves, has had a enduring career in television. That included her time on the 2000-2002 Fox sitcom, Titus.
In Titus, Watros starred along with Stacy Keach as Erin Fitzpatrick and Ken Titus, respectively. After the November 10th news that Keach had passed away at 85 while living in Poland, Cynthia took to her Instagram on Thursday, November 12 to pay tribute to the great actor.
Watros expressed, “My first prime time show was along side Stacy. I loved him instantly. What an amazing talent and man.❤️”
Photo: ABC
In Titus, Stacy played stand up comedian Christopher Titus’ heavy-drinking, chain-smoking, five-times-divorced father who frequently pulled cruel pranks and tried to toughen his kids up. Cynthia played by Christopher’s level-headed, big-hearted girlfriend trying to build a normal life with him. In fact, Cynthia’s role on the sitcom was first series regular role after her Daytime Emmy run of Annie Dutton on Guiding Light which ran from 1994-1998.
STACY KEACH’S WIFE ON HIS PASSING
Keach’s wife, Malgosia shared the news of the actor’s death publicly in a statement with PEOPLE. Malgosia expressed, that Stacy had, “a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.”
She added, “Stacy peacefully departed this world. He fought for so long, with extraordinary courage, determination and strength. He was a true warrior, facing his illness with the same remarkable spirit and resilience that defined his life.”
Małgosia continued, “Stacy was not only a legendary actor, admired and loved by audiences the world over, but also my beloved husband, my companion and the heart of our family. His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever.”
Now, let us know do you remember when Cynthia made her sitcom debut in Titus? Share your thoughts via the comment section on Cynthia’s many TV roles and the passing of Stacy Keach in the comment section. But first, check out the very first episode of Titus with Cynthia Watros below!
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.
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly Fears Escalating Tensions Between Sonny and Josslyn: ‘I’ve Already Lost One Kid Because of That Man. I Won’t Lose Another’
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
‘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
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’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
‘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
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