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Susan Walters Returns to The Young and the Restless as Diane Jenkins

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2022

In a highly-anticipated ‘back from the dead”, The Young and the Restless revealed today that none other than Susan Walters has returned to the CBS daytime drama as bad girl, Diane Jenkins!

The character of Jenkins, last played by GH’s Maura West, was killed-off when Nikki axed her in self-defense back in 2011.

As for Walters, she played Diane from late in 2001 to 2004, and then made a brief return to the role in 2010.  Alex Donnelly also previously played the role.

In story, Diane Jenkins now calling herself “Taylor Jensen” is interested in buying Keemo’s house and she will be sharing screen-time with Jack’s granddaughter Allie played by Kelsey Wang.  So, is Diane also the one that has been texting Jack (Peter Bergman)?.  Will she pass herself off as Diane’s twin?

Following the reveal today, Y&R released this teaser of what’s to come now that Susan Walters is back on the top-rated soap.

So, are you excited to see Diane back on the canvas? Comment below.

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To answer the question above.Why would anyone be excited to see this horrible woman back on the show? It was bad enough the first time with her marriage to Victor and devious conniving with Jack resulting in Kyle’s birth. Beware Devil Woman!

Oh Violet! They need to add another category to the Emmys: WORST REGURGITATION OF A BAD PLOT. How many times? Is this all they can come up with? I call it Creative Bankruptcy.

Exactly! What a horrible character to bring back.

So does this mean that Michael Mealor will return as Kyle Jenkins Abbott, Jack and Diane’s son?

I hope so! Michael as Kyle is terribly missed. The show needs a young jolt especially since Abby and Mariah are married and pregnant etc. I would’nt mind if Summer stays in Milan and a lonely Kyle hooks up again with a also returned Lola! Either way it seems there’s a new energy at y n r , I just hope it lasts!

Ask Keemo LOL. They never brought him back, and suddenly Diane Jenkins is crawling out her grave. Bwa-ha-ha. Y&R got jokes.

Yes. According to SOD, Michael Mealor will reprise his role as Kyle with his Mom back in town and very much alive. Kyle will be none too happy that Diane lied all of these years.

Wow. Kudos to Y&R for actually pulling off a surprise return. Love Susan Walters, great idea to bring her back to spice things up. Especially because, at the moment, Ashland seems to be the only villain on the show.

I agree. Walters is the main reason I’m currently watching.

Lisa & Sonny… I wasn’t watching Y&R when Diane did her original damage. Wasn’t sure if I could get interested in her. But watching her now, she has a slithering, silky way of putting herself where she wants to be. And Susan is very good playing the new and improved Diane who wants to be redeemed. Caution!!!

I read that when Ava was Diane that Diane was killed?
I really don’t recall- before my time.
I thought Diane was dead..
Or–
did she kill someone?
Anyways– anything concerning Jack will be a sleeper.
Jack is simply a dull gullible dud, IMO lol
the 3 G’s–
Time will tell.. I’ll be hopeful 🙂

SuOOO
Hi there. Yes, Diane was supposedly killed by Nicki and I can’t wait for her explanation as to how she’s still alive. I don’t know how much Kyle knows about his mother and her terrible reputation. I think she slept with every man in G.C. she will bring enough excitement to the show without Jack. OH, she is 10 years younger than he is, by the way. You asked about Keemo in another post. Once he was gone I don’t remember any communication between he and Jack, like Jack is telling it now. At least Diane’s arrival will provide us with some much needed entertainment.

Hi Violet 🙂
Thank you!
Looks like Y&R will be intriguing, finally.
I’m looking forward to the new storyline.
Jack will, without a doubt, forgive her or some such stupid thing.
He is quite gullible, indeed.
Hey- it would be great to live in soap- we’d never die LOL 🙂
Violet, be safe take care–

Diane slept with about as many men as Phyllis and Nikki have over the years.

I agree with the above – “why would anyone be excited to see this horrible woman back…”
I hate back from the dead storylines; regardless of how this plays out and who she is, this sl sounds ridiculous. Having not heard Keemo mentioned in years, all of a sudden we are in the middle of a “Keemo related” sl. Can’t the writers do better than this? Obviously not.

Much as I love Jack, and am always happy to see him on the screen, I would much rather see him in a major business sl. We hardly ever hear about Jabot and have not seen the offices in a long time.

Thank you, JenW. I was wondering if Devon bought Jabot when I wasn’t looking! I so prefer boardroom to bedroom stories and I enjoyed when Gloria created GLO-ON-THE-GO years ago. At least it was an attempt to represent a cosmetics giant. Also, Adam needs to cut his losses and leave Newman; I fear his progress toward being a kinder, gentler Adam is going to be left in the dust. But that would fit the show’s pattern… the same thing over and over.

Don’t understand this. I didn’t watch when Susan played Diane.

Momo
I think you will prefer Susan better than Maura West’s version.

I agree Susan Walters was better than West in the role. However, Alex Donnelley, the original actress to play Diane, was the best portrayer. I would have preferred to see Donnelley return rather than Walters.

Barbara from Atlanta
I had completely forgotten the fact that Alex Donnelly was the first Diane, for 3 or 4 times actually before Maura West .I do like Susan Walter’s version though.

Hmmm, this is a GH move, clearly seeing a character die and miraculously bringing her back to life! So what, at least Jack has a love and Kyle gets his mother back! Lots of drama!.

Yandr needs to get it together Diane is one of there worst characters of all time. Even when Maura west came over it was a bust. Bad idea while it’s great to see the return of the best actor ever to play Kyle it’s a shame they are bringing Diane back. This writing team needs a big change

Agreed, Richard. You know you’re in trouble when the brilliant Maura West can’t make a character viable or interesting. What a debacle that was. Can’t wait to see how Diane survived having her head bashed in. But at least we have the return of the handsome and talented Michael Mealor. Now Adam and Noah have some eye candy competition. Lucky us!

I’m glad Diane is back . I would have been happier if it was Maura West. This show needs drama, villains , psychos . It has been painful the last 7 years . Still not ready to watch . Bring back original music scores please!! Put more money into the sets !! Have actual dramatic scenes . I feel like I’ve been watching a cheesy hallmark movie. Any fans should watch clips from 90s to early 2000s and see what it used to be and can be.

Please let this not be a resurrected Diane Jenkins. She’s dead. And that’s OK. She is not missed. Y&R (Was it Maria Arena Bell who penned the story?) had Maura West (!) and prime opportunity to craft an enduring vixen who would always be present as she is Kyle’s mother. Blew it by having Nikki kill yet someone else. Please let this not be a lame atempt to recreate Sheila storytelling. Lightning rarely strikes twice. I don’t mind her conning her way into Genoa City but again, no GH or DOOL madness. Y&R never played by that rule book. This said, I do like Susan Walters. She is a beautiful actor and was so good on Loving. Guess we wait and see.

Boy she’s good! Almost forgot why she was so hated back then, but the flashbacks helped. She seems sincere now but we know what they say about Zebras.

When I want a predictable, romantic time out without Diane, Esme, Carly and guns I go to the Hallmark Channel. So FYI…If you are looking for Summer 1, Hunter King, she will be staring in Hallmark’s “Hidden Gems” tonight in my market. Right now Ryan Paevey is on “A Summer Romance.” Seems soap actors can make a little extra change on Hallmark.

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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Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Mike Manning Lands Role in Indie Horror Feature ‘Deify’

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Mike Manning

While Smitty tries to hold the fort down in his marriage to congressman Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon)  and their two teenaged children, Samantha (Najah Jackson) and Tyrell (Jaden Lucas Miller) on Beyond the Gates, Emmy-winner Mike Manning has also landed another feature film role.

According to Deadline, Manning has joined the cast of Deify with 6 other new cast members for the indie psychological horror film starring Neal McDonough and Skeet Ulrich, which was previously announced last week.

Joining Manning as the latest cast addition are: Dennis Haysbert, Ashley Greene,  Casey Harnett, Kirk Avecdo, Anji White, anf Nicholas Chimera who’s directing the pic also has a part in the film.

WHAT’S THE STORY OF DEIFY?

Taking to his Instagram with the news of his casting, Manning shared, “A movie about a cult? What could possibly go wrong? Come for the enlightenment. Stay because they won’t let you leave. DEIFY is coming…”

The movie is currently shooting in Chicago and in story, “a cult leader is put on trial after causing his devoted followers to be burned alive. The film is inspired in part by events surrounding the 1993 Waco, Texas, standoff between members of the Branch Davidians church and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, one of the largest civilian firefights ever recorded on American soil.”

MIKE MANNING IS A DAYTIME EMMY NOMINEE

In addition, the multi-talented Manning is a producer on the feature. Previously, Mike was nominated last month in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. He previously won an Emmy for his role on The Bay and for being a producer on the digital drama.

Mike’s previous credits include the role of Charlie Dale on Days of Our Lives and the Manny on This Is Us, plus various primetime and screen credits.

So intrigued to find what role Mike will play in the upcoming horror/cult film, Deify? Enjoying him as Smitty on Beyond the Gates? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

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

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