General Hospital
Rebecca Budig Clarifies Status With General Hospital
The name Hayden Barnes has been brought back up over the last several months on General Hospital, leading many to believe that the character may be on her way back on to the canvas, and in turn, that would bring back fan favorite, Rebecca Budig to the role.
Rebecca spoke to Soap Opera Digest for their upcoming issue out this Friday, about a possible return in the near future. However, she intimated that it does not look, for now, that she will be back.
In addition, she clarified that she did not turn down an offer to come back to ABC daytime drama series, either.
Budig expressed: “Listen, I love (executive producer) Frank (Valentini), and Frank and I are friends, but I haven’t been asked back since I left the show (in 2019).”
So, would you like to see Rebecca back on GH, sooner than later? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
Please bring her back!
Why bring Hayden back when it might interfere with the Corinthos Crime Hour? Seriously, it’s time to bring her back, even in a different role. She could have Peter’s screen time…and salary. Or Esme. Or Drew. Or Michael. Or Sam and Dante. Or half of Carly’s time. I can dream, can’t I?
Soaphound,
It’s more like a nightmare. I think I’d tell Rebecca, if they don’t intend on asking her back, then quit using her name.
@Violet – While I’d like her back, she has zero say in what TPTB do with the Hayden name/character…
I don’t want to see her and Elizabeth conflicted over Finn… and further.. it sort of make me uncomfortable with these two pairing up anyway, with Elizabeth becoming an “aunt-mom” being with Finn. Finn will aleays br better paired with Anna…but i likw Anna and Valentine, and Elizabeth with Drew
Their bringing back a different actress in her place so what your thinking is irrelevant.
How so ? Elizabeth and Hayden are half sisters regardless whomever plays the role of Hayden. So Eliazbeth raising Voliet would make her an “Aunt-mom” to Voliet if paired with Finn.
Kitty… do watch General Hospital?
Kitty, it’s they’re, not their, and you’re, not your. And how is what Brian said irrelevant? It’s his opinion. Geez. Moving on—Brian, I really love Anna with Valentin and I think Finn has the most chemistry with Hayden. I just think Anna and Finn are delightful together as dear friends, not lovers.
Cheers to Anna & Finn, and to you Harry.
Brian, cheers to you and Harry, you both Crack me up!
Probably just as well that they don’t bring her back, because you know the first thing they would do is force her into a pairing with NuDrew. AMC never aired a single episode in Hell, but even I know those two were a “thing” on that show.
Not that it’s a guaranteed fit when you revisit pairings on a different show. Remember when Maxie had the very short lived relationship with Patrick’s little brother (can’t even remember what they called him)?? Didn’t work out so well, despite their history as the “iconic” legacy teen supercouple from Days (and they remain the definitive version of those characters)
On the other horn you had Stefan Cassadine & Katherine Bell…. who were just Steve & Kayla without the eye patch. That was the rare case where it actually worked… and they didn’t even really change the names by much.
Of course this DOES leave the hanging question of who the screaming woman was in one of the cells in the Cassadine basement prison. If it wasn’t Hayden, then it must have been Holly…. but there’s nothing indicating she’s about to return either.
Who else could it be? Psycho Nelle? What would Victor Cassadine want with her??
Haven’t you heard their bringing back an actress to replace her who used to be in a different role.
No I haven’t heard anything about that. Who are you talking about, and what’s your source for the info?
Not that I would be entirely surprised, given all the insane casting moves in the last few weeks. Firing Jason, aging all the kids with new kids that look nothing like them, and replacing one kid who could act with…. well, I’ll just leave it there…..
The RUMOR is that Marie Wilson (ex-Karen Wexler #2) is coming in to play Hayden, but that’s NOT from a reputable source.
I certainly hope that’s not the case. I only liked the original Karen Wexler. And as for Marie Wilson’s last role on Days…. don’t even get a Devil started on that abortion of a storyline.
What would anyone want with her? Nelle that is.
Well, I’d hire her to be a succubus here in Hell. The fact that she’s NOT doing that at the moment is proof that she’s not actually dead.
Bring her back. The writers and producers don’t have a clue with what they are doing and couldn’t care less what the fans want.
I really like her as an actress. I think she needs to come back, that’s the only thing that makes sense
I truly look forward to seeing her back as I have followed her for years since I saw her as Greenlee. I love her acting but wh at is so frustrating with her is that she doesn’t stay very long on any soap. Her coming and going each time raises how dedicated is she in her career? .
Sandy
I think she must have been pretty dedicated on GL. She played Michelle quite a while.
I liked Hayden’s character. She was interesting with Nicholas, but I wasn’t fond of her with Finn. (I liked him with Anna). Maybe she’d have chemistry with the new Nicholas? I don’t see her with the new Drew. Of course she doesn’t have to be with a guy to be interesting, as long as they conger up a compelling story for her. She’s good at demonstrating strength & tenacity, with a convincing softer side. Sure, bring her back if there’s a good storyline
Bring her back and the spin could be all victor’s doing.
I would like to see her back, but I equally feel like they need to wrap up the stories they have going before thy tie up the Hayden story and set her onto another story. Hayden is Violet’s mom, but now Liz is heading toward Finn. Liz being Hayden’s half-sister, how will that play out? Plus, weren’t they also hinting at Jeff Weber returning? There’s a lot out there right now: Marshall just arrived, Phyllis has yet to find her estranged relative in PC, we’re waiting for someone to (please) kill Peter, Victor has it in for Laura for some reason, Cain just came back, Jason hasn’t been found, the whole canvas has so many stories playing out. I’d rather wait for some of these stories to conclude before another one is introduced or expanded.
Rebecca is the greatest asset to GH. Her portrayal of Hayden has been endearing and at times mysterious. She’s a great soap actress and doesn’t need to be replaced with Marie! Give us a break. Why does Frank keep replacing our favorite actors? It doesn’t make sense!!
why is the show prolonging her return? nudrew is back, everyone knows the actors have a history, i’m not saying pair them together but gees at least have them interact and give the old AMC fans a bone to chew on, actress Rebecca Budig just like Rebecca Herbts have chemistry w/ anyone they interact with, I would love to see them have a storyline together so much going on here, theres their father story to play out, hayden coming back as liz and finn get closer, hayden mother just got killed, by who? Victor Cassadine? Nikolas ? Shawn is in the mix. So much going on here, come on GH bring her back.
I don’t think GH knows what they’re doing half the time anymore. Between propping Whiny Heiny (and propping the equally useless Frodd for several years before that)… throwing Jason under the bus for the second time in less than a decade, recasting every child in the cast at the same time, and the programming this week…. Xmas on the 22nd, after Xmas on the 23rd and a completely irrelevant rerun on the 24th, and also the dropped storylines with Jeff Webber (is he coming back or not??) and the identity of the screaming woman in the cell next to Drew on Cassadine Island…. things seem to be a bit chaotic at the moment. Hell only knows when they’ll get back on track.
Yeah, Satan, that was really weird, even for GH. Who reruns a tepid Valentine’s Day episode, from 2021 at that, as a Christmas show? There must be so many vintage episodes to run instead –just pick one out of a hat. And my 87 year-old mom can’t tell the new Rocco from the new Danny (who I thought had to be Jake). Not a good move on the recasts, either.
I think they painted themselves into a corner with a Jake recast. Their first error there was when they super SORASed Josslyn from the “corn girl” to the teenager. Of course at that time everybody believed Jake was dead, so it wasn’t an issue. But when they brought him back, initially as the same kid who allegedly got ran over by his own grandpa (Luke) in front of Liz’s house, we were reminded that 4 year old Jake supposedly gave a kidney to Joss who was about 18 months old at the time.
But if you SORASed Jake to be 4 years older than Joss now, he would also be 4 years older than his brother Cameron, and obviously that won’t work. But now they have aged Danny & Rocco, and Jake would obviously be several years older than them.
They’ll probably aim for the middle and put him at somewhere around 15 or 16, but that’s not really accurate in comparison to the age difference between Jake and either of his half-brothers, especially Danny who should be just short of 10 years old.
O,K you are making me nuts!I thought Olivia and Robert heard a screaming woman, supposedly Holly in that casino they went to a while back ?
Yeah that was definitely Holly. That’s when we saw the brief 10 second scene of Holly being held prisoner somewhere. The scene was filmed on a cell phone, obviously due to Emma Samms COVID status at the time, but it was enough to establish that she was, in fact, being held prisoner, and not dead, although they had just attended her “funeral”.
By the time Maxi gets her kid back, she’ll be in nursery school.
General Hospital
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’
On the Thursday, November 12 episode of General Hospital, as battles line are drawn by Carly’s (Laura Wright) ex-husband, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and her daughter, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy), she realizes things are about to get a whole lot worse, and she expressed her fears to Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart).
After Sonny came to see Carly to get her daughter to back off of him; especially when Josslyn lit into him in front of nuAvery (Ayla Bullington), Carly is terrified that Sonny could retaliate against Josslyn. Realizing, Josslyn is in danger, Carly won’t sit by and let anything happen to her. She tells Valentin, “I’ve already lost one kid because of that man. I won’t lose another.”
Viewers won’t soon forget the devastation Carly felt when Morgan (Bryan Craig) died in a car bomb explosion back in 2016 because of Sonny’s dealings in the mob in a complex story involving Julian (William deVry) and Olivia Jerome (Tonja Walker).
Courtesy/ABC
SONNY IS READY FOR WAR
Meanwhile in the aftermath of his visit with Carly, Sonny told his brother Ric what went down when Josslyn disrespected him in front of his own daughter and hurt Avery. Since Josslyn already make it known that she no longer considers herself part of Sonny’s family, he’s decided to treat her accordingly.
Sonnys first step in payback is to take away her support system at JJE by approaching Hudson Parker (Troy Lennon Appel) again, but this time in a much less-friendly way.
Ric points out that this would go against every move Sonny made as a legitimate businessman in Port Charles and would mean he’s back in the mob? Sonny doubles down, saying Josslyn changed the game when she involved Avery. While he showed concern of how bad Carly would feel over all this year, he said he is ready to finish what Josslyn started.
At the Metro Court, Ava (Maura West) is listening to Avery explain what happened between Sonny and Josslyn and how much she hates Josslyn right now, which Ava seems to be OK with.
WILL JOSSLYN’S WORLD BLOW UP ON HER?
Speaking of Josslyn, she is on the pier still after her talk with Hudson and still crying over her confrontation with Sonny and Avery overhearing it, and what she told her sister. Lucas comes across her at the pier while out for his run.
Explaining how badly she feels for what she said about Sonny to Avery, Lucas says that eventually Avery will discover the truth about Sonny. He explains to Josslyn that even though Avery hates her now, she will come to realize that what she said about her father was the truth, and that Josslyn was not lying to her at all.
So, what do you think about Sonny ready to play dirty to take down Josslyn? How will Carly ensure her daughter does not wind up dead? Who do you think is in the right here? Is Josslyn’s vendetta against Sonny justified, at the cost of the relationships with her family? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
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!
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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‘The Bachelor’ Names NFL Quarterback Sam Hartman as Lead for Season 30
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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
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
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‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Tamara Tunie On Bittersweet Emmy Win Without Scott Bryce: ‘I Only Wish He Had Been Here a Little Longer to Share This With Me’
‘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)
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