The soap opera Gods haves smiled down upon late night talk show and Emmy winner, John Oliver. The Last Week Tonight host revealed on Sunday’s June 28 episode of his HBO Max series, that he booked two roles on two different soap operas, General Hospital and Days of Our Lives and his long-fueled desire to appear in a role on the genre had been fully realized, twice over!

Previously, Oliver let it be known back in the March 8 episode of this late night show, that after realizing ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith (Brick) had a recurring role on a soap opera, that he was tinged with jealously and wanted to do the same sharing, “To all the soap operas out there, let me say this: I am officially offering myself to you. Write me a role, and I will be on your set so fast, it will make your head spin.” Oliver also had some mandates he wanted a character with a “ridiculous” name, and he wanted,” something juicy, like murder, or slapping, or being slapped, or being someone’s long-lost something.”

So, who came a calling? First up, General Hospital! Oliver will be playing a “significant” character to a major storyline (and i think you know who it will be!) in episodes that begin this week for a three-episode arc starting on Thursday, July 2, Friday, July 3 and wrapping Monday, July 6.

Photo: JPI

JOHN OLIVER COMES TO PORT CHARLES

In a statement, GH executive producer, Frank Valentini told Variety, “When John Oliver publicly threw down the gauntlet and said he wanted to appear on a soap, we didn’t hesitate for a second. He was everything you’d hope he’d be: prepared, professional, funny and genuinely kind to everyone on set. He plays an integral character in the story, and I can’t wait for fans to see who he crosses paths within Port Charles.”

John Oliver added: General Hospital was everything I hoped it would be. It’s a true honor to be a small stain on the history of this illustrious show.”

On the Sunday, June 28 episode of Last Week Tonight, Oliver shared, “General Hospital had genuinely picked me for a role and given me the chance to hang out in Port Charles, the home of Luke and Laura, the Corinthos family and Brick, and given me the chance to join the ranks of guest stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Sammy Davis Jr, and of course the great Colonel Sanders.”

Oliver explained, “I’ll be on General Hospital next week and while I’m not going to spoil anything. I will show you this picture of my character. Yes, that is me surrounded by men with guns. And yes, my hair has been dipped in an ink well (see lead photo of this article), and if you can tell from my face, I’m acting my hardest.”

As the story broke, GH’s Chris McKenna (Brennan) took to X and said “Go to ‘Z’ with the hashtags #GH and @HBO, meaning Oliver has to be playing the never-before-seen boss of Cullum (Andrew Hawkes), who Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) are trying to get to.

JOHN OLIVER COMES TO SALEM

Following, his stint on General Hospital and as first reported by Oliver himself, he will next be seen in episodes streaming on Peacock of Days of Our Lives, August 11, 12 and 14. Given DAYS usually tapes ten-months in advance of streaming, it’s clear they worked in some new scenes featuring Oliver just the other week.

On Last Week Tonight, Oliver explained, “I’m thrilled to announce I have an update, because I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of little show called Days of Our Lives. The show that gave us unforgettable moments like the Devil possessing Marlena, Sami Brady trying to rescue Phillip from Iraq by going in full soldier drag and Bo Brady discovering a mysterious woman in a bayou that everyone called Swamp Girl until learning she was actually a princess. Well, I’m happy to say that I’ve already taped a week of episodes on Days of Our Lives!”

Courtesy/HBO

He acknowledged being part of the iconic series and its legendary stars: “This is clearly a huge honor to come to the home of some of the more renowned soap actors like Deidre Hall (Marlena), Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie), and the late John Aniston (ex-Victor).”

Oliver then showed a photo of himself in a scene with EJ DiMera played by Dan Feuerriegel and wearing a rather humorous hair piece. No word yet on what role he will play on DAYS.

So, what do you think of John Oliver being given two soap roles from two shows, who quickly picked up on the the late night talk show host’s desire to appear on a soap and wrote roles and booked him? Weigh-in via the comment section, but first check out the promo from this week’s General Hospital featuring Oliver below.

Last weekend, we shared the news that General Hospital alum and Daytime Emmy winner, Chad Duell (ex-Michael Corinthos) was releasing his first single today on June 26th and it has indeed dropped! And for those readers who guessed that Duell’s first track out of the gate was going to be an EDM/Dance/House track … you are correct, sir!

The song entitled, “If You Need Me” is perfect for the late night clubs and can be found on Spotify and other major streaming platforms! Duell is noted as the performing artist, but as the composer/ lyricist and the beatmaker of the track. For his music projects, Chad is going solely by the name of “Duelly” which has been his social media handle for years.

Taking to his Instagram on Friday, Duell explained his deep dive into making music, expressing, “I’ve wanted to make music for a long time… I just never did it. It always felt like this huge, overwhelming thing to learn. All the technical side of it, the programs, everything that goes into actually building a track… it was easy to keep pushing it off.  A couple months ago I finally just decided to go for it.”

Photo: JPI

BIT BY BIT PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Chad added, “Since then I’ve been putting in a lot of time learning, experimenting, figuring things out, and slowly starting to find a sound I’m really proud of. This first release is more of a dance/EDM vibe, but I’ve also been working on a lot of different styles behind the scenes that I’m just as excited about. At some point I realized I could keep holding onto everything trying to make it perfect… or I could just start putting music out and grow as I go.”

Stepping out of his own way, Duell firmly says, “So that’s what I’m doing.  My first track “If You Need Me” is out now. More coming soon… this is just the beginning.”

As GH viewers know, Chad made the decision to step away from General Hospital after a 15-year run with the series where his last episode aired in January of 2025. By May of last year, the role was recast with Rory Gibson debuting in the part.

Give a listen below to Duelly’s “If You Need Me,” and let us know what you thought of it via the comment section below.

In a major behind the scenes move, The Young and the Restless current head writer, Josh Griffith is stepping down from his duties and is soon exiting the top-rated soap opera.

TV Insider was first to break the news and according to their report, Griffith’s departure was his own choice and the cast and crew learned of his decision earlier today on Friday, June 26.

Griffith’s resignation is not effective immediately and for now he will be continuing to tell the stories in Genoa City. As of this writing, Y&R has not named Josh’s successor.

Photo: JPI

Previously, Josh stepped down from his other major duty as the soap opera’s co-executive producer. It was just two months ago we learned that longtime Y&R vet Sally McDonald took over the EP role, while Josh was remaining the series head writer.

A SOAP WRITER WELL-TRAVELED

The seven-time Daytime Emmy winner has had a storied career and tenure in the field of daytime drama. Josh began his soap writing career in 1988 with Santa Barbara, then went to One Life to Live, where he was promoted to co-head writer. He ended his time in Llanview, at that time, in 1995. Later, he co-created Sunset Beach with Bob Guza Jr. The series ran from 1997-99 on NBC. One Life to Live called again and Josh returned as co-head writer again alongside Michael Malone from 2003-2004. Next, he joined the writing team of As the World Turns.

It was back in 2006 that Griffith first came to Genoa City and The Young and the Restless. He started in the capacity of creative consultant, as a breakdown writer, and then was tapped as the series co-executive producer. After departing in 2008. It was not until 2012-2013 that he made a short return before heading to Days of Our Lives to become the co-head writer of Salem from 2015-2016.

Eventually, Josh resurfaced at Y&R as Supervising Producer before becoming head writer in 2019 after Mal Young’s exit. Griffith had served as both head writer and executive producer from 2023-25. In 2025, Sally McDonald joined him as the series co-executive producer until the recent change a few months ago where McDonald is the sole EP.

So, what do you think of Josh Griffith stepping down as head writer at The Young and the Restless? Who would you like to see as his successor? Share your thoughts and picks via the comment section below.