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RATINGS: All Soaps Gain in Total Viewers; GH Scores Largest Increase, while B&B Has Largest Audience in 9 Months

By Michael Fairman

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Photos: ABC and CBS

Finally, a week during the coronavirus pandemic that has gripped the nation and the world, where your favorite daytime soaps all aired new episodes, and all showed an increase in total viewers.

For the ratings week of January 25th through the 29th, it was ABC’s General Hospital which saw the most viewers additions for the week coming in with + 161,000.  Meanwhile, as previously noted, The Bold and the Beautiful scored its highest viewing audience in over nine months, nearing close to 3 million viewers while showing a net gain of + 68,000.

The Young and the Restless is now back above 3 million as it has been in the last few weeks (after dropping considerable viewers) and adding +54,000, while NBC’s Days of our Lives added + 9,000 total viewers.

 

In the key 18-49 demo, GH scored the most gains, and landed in the 3rd spot, while DAYS was the only show to lose viewers in the age group.  However, both shows still scored all-time lows in the 18-34 ratings demo for the second week in a row.

You can check out the full ratings picture at SON here.

Total Viewers
1. Y&R 3,341,000 (+54,000)
2. B&B 2,946,000 (+68,000)
3. GH 2,176,000 (+161,000)
4. DAYS 1,804,000 (+9,000)

Women 18-49 Viewers
1. Y&R 307,000 (+11,000)
2. B&B 273,000 (+15,000)
3. GH 252,000 (+24,000)
4. DAYS 230,000 (-13,000)

So, which of the four network soaps do you think is delivering to you the best storylines at this moment? What fixes would you make to improve your favorite show? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

51 Comments

51 Comments
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I really think it’s time for both GH & Days to seek other writing avenues.

I totally agree about GH, Nicole. Sam and Dante? Hasn’t anyone figured out they’re the same person? Dullsville Central!

I wonder if TPTB at CBS and Sony will get that Y&R is a hot mess after B&B overtakes the show in the ratings? Or will they simply change gears and tout B&B as the number one soap? Most likely the latter since they’ll refuse to be seen having egg on their face.

The Y&R writing team continues to implode, the undoing of Danny Boza- Chance Chancellor,after having just married Abby Newman, is total betrayal to the audience and the legions of us all who lov them. Bringing Michael and Kevin’s mother,Gloria and all her bags of chaos, does not make up for the shambles that the writers have created. Don’t even start on the chaos of Sharon, Ray, Adam and Chelsea, disaster…. WTF are they thinking???This is the worst storyline ever…all built around keeping Connor happy?????Give me a break….not dr behind this disaster is Devon, Nate,Amanda, her newly discovered mother and sister, they appeared briefly and disappeared, this disaster in waiting.SOMEONE PLEASE FIRE ALL THE WRITERS AND GET Melody Thomas Scott’s husband Ed Scott to come in and rescue this sinking ship….. they need an experienced leader to take over this sinking vessel.

Add the latest kyle ‘secret’ yet again…to your list Charles
Is another nonstarter
Its the latest in past redux stories of things happening off camera of things we know or care anything about
Poor Michael Mealor and Sasha Colle. They were in such a sweet young innocent romance with Summer as the antognist. This triangle could ve gone on forever as each couple had a rooting fanbase. Instead Josh Griffith dumped it mid story and instead we keep getting Theo and his amateur hinjinx.
Ughhhh. So frustrating

So right, Damien. I actually groaned aloud when creepy Theo revealed the latest “Kyle Caper”. Who cares? If I were Kyle, my first call would have been to Jack. Maybe he would have fired Theo and clued Lauren in about the Red Menace.

Josh Griffin was supposed to be the savior of Y&R writing woes, yet they managed to get the Emmy for best show… Go figure…. perhaps he just needs to get his mojo back….

It was Mal Young that won that Emmy. Griffith is the one who has undone everything Mal was creating. I can’t stand this writing. There’s no consistency. The only thing I was enjoying was Lilly and Billy. Now they’ve got Victoria acting stupid and Billy like a king of woes doormat

Days then GH,,i no longer watch the other two…

I don’t watch GH anymore the story line are horrible need to put back JaSam and Carson back together

There are only four soaps on the air, so of course they’re ranked 1-4. How idiotic for people to get so upset that their show isn’t #1! GH is #3 and it’s my main soap, with DAYS coming in as my second. I enjoy both soaps and am soooo thankful to have them still! GH is so much better than the ratings might suggest and IMHO deserves much better ratings. But I’ll say that these soaps are a lot better than the majority of programs in primetime. When you look at primetime show’s low ratings and how much they cost to produce, soaps look like a real bargain that the networks ought to do a better job of promoting. JMHO.

It’s upsetting only because the ratings matter to advertisers as we know. If they didn’t, I couldn’t care less where they came in. To see B&B which is the most redundant, boring, lackluster show beat GH & Days? That’s where the advertising dollars will go…to a crap show… while the other two could be at risk of cancellation…

Oh Rebecca1, so right. The endless unmerry-go-round of Brooke and Ridge. I’d rather watch water evaporate!

B&B is absolute garbage. Same old/same old, lazy writing. It’s mind-numbing; gave it up. I find it astounding, looking at the ratings, that they’re higher in the ratings than Days and GH, both of which I think are completely enjoyable; love them both.

Bring Danny Boaz diehard Y&R fan

The Gwen/Chad/Abigail storyline has been amazing. I thought the Eli/Lani storyline would be great, but am not thrilled this is yet another Vivian storyline. I would love to see the show move forward, away from gimmicky tributes to the past. I have grown tired of Clyde, Ivan, Vivian, and other cartoon villains. I miss the days of Victor causing chaos. Also, PLEASE no one ‘back-frim’the-dead” stories. The writers need to find a way to get Kristen out of jail. Her storyline with Brady is boring. I am not feeling the returns of Phillip and Chloe. Their chemistry seems a thing of the past. Lastly, why has Sarah started acting like a teenage girl? Her character seems too silly to be a doctor.

I am looking forward to seeing Jackee and her ties to the Carvers. I would love to trim the cast, and then recast Peter and EJ. Chad is great, but still seems too young. I would also love to see Johnny and Sydney come back with Sami.

Marcy Miller is an acting powerhouse and the writers need to show her as a badass, instead of wimpy and granola. Her scenes with Gwen and Chad should win her an Emmy.

Im tired of Ciara getting kidnapped 100 times…they cant think of anything else?

That’s ReRon for you… Kidnappings, baby switches, and Identity disorders. Repeat endlesssly…. that’s what he does.

To be fair though, Marlena’s been kidnapped far more than Ciara… and that’s just within the last year.

Ray, I wholeheartedly agree with your commentary! One point in particular: “Lastly, why has Sarah started acting like a teenage girl? Her character seems too silly to be a doctor.”

While I like the pairing of Zander and Sarah, it’s clear that, despite much heartbreak and angst, Sarah is now supposed to provide comic relief. But it’s all too forced and bizarre, almost hard to watch.

In general, I like when a soap injects some humor into characters/storylines, but it has to be written and executed well and believably…

I have seen episodes that my mother recorded back when Vivian was a daily part of Days. She is definitely not a cartoon villain. And Ivan was hilarious as Vivian’s major domo.

Ray,
I agree with all your comments starting with Marcy Miller who deserves an award for her acting as the betrayed wife of the stupid Chad who’s character has turned into a real jerk and I hope Abby dumps his ass! The twins birth and joy of their parents was ruined by the kidnapping by the nutty Vivian’s man- servent. I would love to see Kristen get out of jail and leave Salem for good. Iam sick if her obcession with Brady and his crazy notion that she’s changed.
I also totally agree about ” Silly Sarah” she is like a nutty windup doll on speed. I’d hate to be in the O.R when she comes tripping in with her actions, knowing she was going to operate on me. Now we’re losing Cady whom I love as Jennifer with no return of Melissa Reeves. Boy, can this show get any worse?
Hopefully Jackee will spice things up, one can only hope.

IMHO, GH is on fire at the time and so good and it’s my favorite…B&B, I only watch for Heather Tom and to hear the BEAUTIFUL background music, lol…B&B is horrible, like others said, same old stuff over and over that it’s sickening…Also regarding B&B, the way they all stand apart, I know due to Covid and Y&R is the same and a show I no longer watch…Look at GH, it basically looks normal with the way the film the scenes, why isn’t B&B and Y&R not able to do the same? Wakeup CBS/Sony, IMO Y&R is doomed and it’s extremely sad what this show has become…

I agree with the filming of GH and Y&R. It bugs the shit out of me that Y&R actors are 10 feet a part and dont hug someone they love. Deena died and all the Abbotts sat around 20 feet apart! Weird and disturbing! GH is basically normal and I commend them for doing a great job in these odd times.

Timmm
Boy are you right! What got me was the newlyweds saying goodby for God knows how long, Abby walks out leaving Chance, no hug or kiss . Chance wants to be alone and then leaves a note for Abby and for his mother whom he hasn’t seen in years, and Abby’s going to carry on having a baby with family and friends but without the most important person, a husband and father. Only a Newman would do this.

DOOL

Soaps have beyond peaked and with other options out there via streaming; it is very unrealistic to think they will bring in too many new viewers or any. Powers to be should be concerned with how to keep their audience (the average viewer age has increased to around 63 if I’m correct, Soap Opera Network put that out recently). I love GH and will continue to support it & the CBS drama’s. Days is too far removed from reality with poor plot camp writing and focus on the wrong characters. They would be better served to concentrate on core cast/veterans and stop bringing in more characters for short arcs, etc. They should use that money for production, their sets are horrible.

Lincoln, I totally agree re:Days…I tried watching the episodes that Jaime Lyn Bauer are on, oh how Days is no longer the show it use to be…IMO DOOL is horrible and so is the background music, very annoying. IMO Y&R and Days are the two shows that really have majorly deteriorate and it’s extremely sad what these shows are like today.

Ratings and quality of storyline don’t always match up. Y&R is helped by it’s time slot in many parts of the nation — airing earlier with less quality competition than GH, which goes against better talk shows.

On the other hand, in many markets, each soap doesn’t compete time slot-wise with other soaps. A live viewer could channel switch and watch all 4 shows in a row.

Regardless, Y&R benefits from a less competitive time slot than GH.

I am tired of sharron and Adam you all have to stop repeating the story lines . Why can’t sharron keep Ray and they fall in love . also jack needs a wife in his life and someone honest

Steve, you make some great points: Specifically, “Ratings and quality of storyline don’t always match up.” I must add, however, before the 30-year reign of Y&R as the #1 soap, GH was for years the #1 soap, achieving the highest soap ratings ever for the Luke and Laura wedding, never to be seen again — the ratings, not Luke and Laura! And that was during a time when there were quite a few more soaps; also, GH aired at 3 PM Eastern while Y&R had the same time slot it has now.

My larger point is that, in entertainment (TV, music, movies, etc.), ratings success (or sales, or box office) is not always commensurate with quality. I think we’re seeing that on display with this article.

In San Diego, CA: Days, GH and Y&R are all on at 1:00 PT. B&B is at 12:30, where its only competition is local news. If one doesn’t have means for recording devices, what a terrible choice to have to make!!

GH is the best soap ever!

Gh has messed up so many couples that’s it ridiculous story lines u can’t keep up don’t watch any more until they put those power couples back JaSam Carson
Trying to rewrite JaSam love story with Jason and Britt no chemistry all fake

I personally love General Hospital the best out of all the shows. I have watched it since High school. It is on fire now I tried the other soap Young n Restless but I found it boring.

IMO the only reason B&B saw an uptick in viewer’s was because of the Y&R Sally Septra storyline crossover! I’m over the constant Steffy/Liam/Hope storyline regurgitation! The writer’s storylines are so predictable it’s like rote memory. Rather sad, I’ve been watching Soap Opera’s since the early 60’s . The network’s cancelled all the well written one’s. Leaving we soap addicts with predictable merry-go-round storylines from boring writer’s.

General Hospital is Showing the Best Stories From the Mob war , to Sonny’s Memory loss , the Sasha/Michael , Willow/Chase turmoil , Franco’s illness

Marianne Lynch
I feel the same. I enjoy Sonny and his Mob while others just hate this part of the show. Luckily, there are enough Sl’s for everyone’s taste I think.

I don’t know why more people don’t watch Days. For me, it’s the best soap and have been for a while.

Y&R and B&B have some good moments, but also some blah stories. I don’t watch GH.

I tried but between some of the bad acting, poor sets, and dialogue with over the top characters, all it did was teach me to appreciate GH even more.

Days is a bit more fantasy than the other three soaps. So if that’s not your bag baby, you won’t like it. I don’t think acting is bad. Sets are fine to me.

These ratings are fake news! Y&R is horrible! I watch the show in 15 minutes! Jack is basically the new John Abbott, they cut Chance, Nina, Jill, Michael, Gloria, Kevin and Chloe are just decorations! Rey and Sharon have to be the worst couple ever! NuAdam sucks. I’m loving the new silent Chelsea! This show cannot be outscoring GH in the ratings. GH is normal looking, has so many talented actors and their stories are for the most part, interesting. GH#1!

Lol
Its not ‘fake’ news
Yes I agree y n r is the absolute pits but the only reason y n r is still #1 is not out of quality
Its the viewers loyalty for the cast and holding on to the memories of how groundbreaking the show once was soooo long ago
Cbs takes the viewwrship for granted and hasnt taken proper steps especially in the last maybe 15 years since the shows become progressively worse. However y n r has hit an all time new low. Whats worse than ‘bad writing’? Take a look at y n r , its ‘ no writing’! Absolutely nothing is going on here . Shows are filled with two characters repearing lame boring dialogue.

Pretty bad when they have to drag B&B stars over to light a flame. Bill and Sally are 10 times more interesting than any Y&R character!

Timmm
Right! Chelsea’s inner thoughts are priceless. Wait until she can move more than her arm, I hope Sharon can run fast. I hate her and Rey, they are like brother and sister. Never thought she’d agree to treat Chelsea as a patient especially with the method they are using, though it seems to be working.

With all the Impeachment stuff this week and no shows, the one I missed most was GH, but I did catch up with them later on UTUBE. Just watched the parts that I was interested in.

Don’t know where you get your numbers but I fought Y &R picked up what you said or what you lost.

Dante and Sam is just DUMB
You want somebody with Sam is should be Curtis or recast somebody to play Drew
But I’ll will always love Jasam!!

I have never ever been a fan, of The Young and the Retarded. Sorry, just never understood why it is still on. It will never have the magic of General Hospital!

Days

Days has the best storylines

I think the ratings are actually much higher, but the system hasn’t caught up, and that’s a bit of a problem, making it look like less interest than there is,
I mean that’s a good addition of viewers, but many people don’t even watch on network tv anymore, millions of people watch GH for example, all around the world now, but they may be watching from hulu, youtube premium, amazon prime, and other such sites,
They may not respond to surveys and they aren’t able to be tracked, (I guess if companies like hulu cooperated they could tally hits on episodes posted on their site) but the point is I know way more than 3 million people approximately are watching, there’s about 300 million americans and it seems almost everyone in my area watchs gh at least once a week, often more. Plus I’ve talked to people who watch from Canada, Ireland, England and even Mexico, so just using common sense id imagine world wide fan base is at least 100 million.

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

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GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

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Patrick J. Gibbons

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.

However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.

Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC

FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG

Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!

Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”

MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).

Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI

PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY

Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”

It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”

A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons

IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”

He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”

Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.

So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.

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‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)

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Chad Duell, the Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who stepped away from the pivotal role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, opened up about: his previous decision to leave the series after nearly 15 years, where’s he’s at now after time away from the demands of a daytime soap opera, and took a stroll down memory lane with some of Michael’s most-acclaimed storyline during his run, during a livestream chat on August 19 on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Viewers last saw Duell on-screen as Michael in January of 2025, and with his successor in the role, Rory Gibson making his debut at the GH Nurses’ Ball in episodes that aired later in May. It was clear that during the conversation, Chad was a bit surprised that the GH brass decided to recast him when he thought he was just taking some much needed time off.

Burn-out of the daily grind of being on a soap was definitely a part of Chad’s decision to take a break. Duell explained “People know when you’re doing something for so long or your character is kind of in the same place for so long or doing the same stuff over and over again, you do get a a little burnt out, you get a little stiff, stale, a little stiff at times. I didn’t want that to be any sort of lasting impression. I have 15 years of a body of work of I’ve done on that show, which is fantastic.”

Chad Duell

Photo: ABC

WHILE CHAD WAS AWAY GH RECAST MICHAEL CORINTHOS WITH RORY GIBSON

Chad shared, his mindset when leaving GH was, “I’m taking some time away, we’ll see what happens.” Then he added, “Obviously, they decided to go in a different direction with Michael when I was gone. I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”

Duell also shared he has not watched a single episode of General Hospital since he left the series, but now feels he reenergized following the loss of his father and stepping away from the GH, “I’m in a place now mentally, where I’m ready to sink my teeth into it again.”

Courtesy/ABC

Even though he is no longer Michael on GH, Chad was very happy with his final storyline where Michael was set on fire when a bomb exploded at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. “It was fun to put him in a dangerous situation, because I was wanting Michael to be in something scary instead of trying to be a hero character or just things happening around him, but to be the center point of tragedy happening to him. (I always saw) Michael as the heart of the (Corinthos) family.”

When Michael was badly burned the show chose not burn his face, which normally a soap does when they are recasting role and switching actors. Chad weighed-in, “They didn’t burn my face because I told Frank Valentini (EP, GH) I’m willing to come back. It was just a little bit of a break. So, I assumed that if they would have burned my face, they could have brought somebody back looking different than me… if that’s what their plan was.”

Courtesy/ABC

MEMORABLE MICHAEL STORYLINES

One of Chad’s most memorable performances was the in the storyline of Michael’s rape while he was sentenced to prison in 2010 and the confession of it in 2011. “It was so well-written and I was very nervous,” recalled Chad. “When I get really nervous about something, it ends up being really good when I do it, because it just means I care a lot about it”

“I have to put a lot of effort and work into it, and I really want it to be good.  I was working with Dominic  Zamprogna (Dante) and Steve Burton (Jason) a lot during those scenes, and Laura Wright (Carly). It was great working with Steve and Dominic, especially, during that storyline.

A NEW SOAP ROLE FOR CHAD?

As to a future soap opera role, Chad is open to the idea and would love to jump back in to a juicy role, “I know people over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless. They know that if they’re interested, I would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”

Meanwhile, Chad has been busy putting out new music under the moniker Duelly and during the interview he explains how he creates his EDM tracks and much more. You can stream his latest single, Static in the Quiet Room on Spotify, Apple Music and You Tube Music.

You can check out the full conversation with Chad Duell below.

Now let us know: what show would you like to see Chad cast on down the line? BTG, DAYS, B&B, Y&R, or a new role on GH? What did you think of his thoughts on the casting switch while he was away in the role of Michael? What was your favorite Michael storyline during Chad’s 15-year run on the ABC soap opera? Let us know via the comment section.

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