Beth’s affair with Coop has been exposed. Alan Spaulding has been publicly humiliated and is exacting revenge on his possession, Beth. How? By blackmailing her into an impromptu public wedding. The stage is set for one of the most dramatic returns of all of daytime. This Monday, Grant Aleksander returns for the first time in four years to “Guiding Light” as Phillip Spaulding, and actress Beth Chamberlin couldn’t be happier.

However, in this interview with “On-Air On-Soaps” it’s not all happy faces. Beth and I discuss the imminent departure of John Driscoll, and how the exit will impact the show. So, what’s it like to be the gal forced into a wedding dress, marrying a man you don’t love, while two men you do love are on their way to stop the nuptials? Beth reveals her thoughts, and of course, how she’s got the most rockin’ body on daytime television.

Listen to the audio:

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MICHAEL:

If we go back to the beginning, were you surprised when you found out that Beth and Coop were going to be lovers, and what the dynamic of that relationship would be?

BETH:

Yes. I was very surprised. In fact, when I first found out, I was on the set just doing a throw away scene with Frank and Coop. Just before we went to rehearsal, and just before we went to tape, Ellen Wheeler, our executive producer, told me, “Oh, and you have been carrying on an affair with Coop, but I don’t want you to play it here because it will be revealed down the road. But I want the audience to look back and say, ‘Oh, that’s what was going on there.” I was completely flustered. I went, “What? What’s going on?” It was great, and I have to say it’s been great fun!

MICHAEL:

I thought Coop and Beth’s affair was the most shocking plot twist of last year!

BETH:

Oh, yes! And what John Driscoll (Coop) brought to the table made it work. Thinking about the fact that Coop is a young writer, and has the same energy that Phillip brought to Beth years ago, it makes sense she would be attracted to him

MICHAEL:

And then to top this off, Beth’s daughter, Lizzie, was once involved with Coop, and Lizzie caught them together!

BETH:

Lizzie almost married Coop, and she did leave him at the altar! So I am not stealing my daughter’s boyfriend or anything like that, but obviously, she was and is quite angry about the affair. So are the people who do know, within Springfield. It’s hard for them to understand and to reconcile it. Although Beth is not married to Alan Spaulding, Alan views Beth as his property, and Alan is a dangerous man!

MICHAEL:

Did you like the idea of the younger man/older woman relationship, and that you were playing it out on television?

BETH:

I have to be honest. At first, I thought it was great because I love John Driscoll and I think he is a terrific young man. But, I was concerned about it. I think a lot of women may say when they look at Madonna or Demi Moore, “Hey, good for them.” At the same time, it’s something that a lot of women don’t really want. I was concerned about how this would play and would our female viewers get into this. I feel because of the depth and maturity John brought to the scenes, as I was playing it one day, I went “Ah, I get it,” and if I get it, then I will know our audience will get it. I think it’s been a great idea.

MICHAEL:

And this week, Alan found out about the liaison and has now strong-armed Beth to break it off with Coop. So in a heartbreaking scene, Beth tells Coop it’s over and falls apart.

BETH:

Yes, Alan found out and the way he did was explosive. Beth is his property and people do not walk away from Alan Spaulding. It creates a very dangerous situation, and he has a lot he can hold over his head, too. He views this as adultery and you don’t embarrass Alan. He does some awful things and uses everything in his power to make her break it off with Coop. Then he forces her to marry him, even though she is not in love with him.

MICHAEL:

However, Monday February 9, Phillip returns and we finally see the highly anticipated return of Grant Aleksander. Is Phillip on a white horse to stop the wedding?

BETH:

It’s an awfully nice position for a girl to be in, if she weren’t in such a terrible position. I have two men who are on their way to stop the wedding. One is Coop, and one is Phillip, although Phillip does not know until he gets to town that the wedding is taking place.

MICHAEL:

….That must send him over the moon?

BETH:

That’s a tough thing, especially when you start to look at it. You go, “Wait a minute. You shot me in the chest, Dad. You sent me off, and then you married my wife?”

MICHAEL:

Beth and Phillip are the loves of each other’s life, wouldn’t you say? How is Phillip
going to view that Beth is marrying his dad?

BETH:

It’s ultimate betrayal that Phillip is feeling. Beth does know that he is alive at this point and did not know for years. She thought he was dead. When she did find out, in a sense he was dead to her. Phillip left the family and was gone somewhere out there, and had no contact with them. In her mind, Phillip was gone for good, had a breakdown and had dropped out of sight. So it’s kind of a shock for Beth and everyone!

MICHAEL:

John Driscoll’s upcoming departure from the show must have been so devastating for you. I have to say; his performances this past week were some of his best work.

BETH:

I have worked with him fairly recently, but I am so upset that he is leaving. It’s really hard for me and for everyone who has known him. He is such a terrific guy, a wonderful gentleman, and a good actor. With this storyline, he has gotten the chance to do great story. He is so terrific! So many people are devastated that he is leaving, and that’s a testament to who he is as a person and as an actor.

MICHAEL:

He will be exiting on the heels of the wedding drama…

BETH:

….I will tell you it’s some good storytelling. The writers wrote a terrific story. I would say for all of us that are involved in the story, our first concern is, “Have we been doing justice to the story they wrote?”

MICHAEL:

Grants’ return has been building for all soaps fans for months. Next week he returns. What are your thoughts of having your on-screen acting partner, and real-life friend, back in the fold with you?

BETH:

It’s fantastic! Grant and I are close and we stayed in touch. Truthfully, we got closer after he left the show, than when he was on the show. We did not see one another that often. We would talk, but he and his wife live quite far from my husband and me, so we rarely see one another. It’s lovely to see him as a friend at that level, and then the other level getting to work with him as an actor. He is such a wonderful actor. Grant is talented and committed to the work. I hold Grant in the highest regard.

MICHAEL:

It must be fun to watch Marcy Rylan (Lizzie), work with Grant Aleksander for the first time. How is working with Marcy?

BETH:

I have adored Marcy from day one. It was one of the things I would talk about with Grant and say, “Oh, I wish you would come back. You’ll love working with Marcy so much.” They had
their first real scenes together
a few weeks ago, and they felt
really good about the scenes.
Marcy is a terrific actress!

MICHAEL:

Now we must discuss the fantastic physical shape you are in. You put all women to shame with that killer body. You do the Kettlebell workout?

BETH:

I am truly in the best shape of my life. I look better in a bikini now then I did in my teenage years. I truly believe it’s the Holy Grail for exercise. I say, there may be other women my age that may be in good shape, but I would guarantee if they were not doing Kettlebell workouts they are not in the shape I am. I see people running and I think what an incredible waste of time. I mean, I am a mother and I am working, and I don’t have time for lots of exercise.

MICHAEL:

What do you eat? Nothing fattening?

BETH:

I eat whatever I want to. That was not true before, and that’s why I think this is the “It”. Anthony Diluglio who I paired with
for my workout DVD, “The Kettlebell Way
to Your Perfect Body” is the foremost
expert on this in the country. He put
together pure true Kettlebell training.
It’s cardiovascular, and strength training
together. I don’t believe in low fat anything.
If I am having “Ben and Jerry’s”, I believe
eat want you want, but you need to exercise
to do that.

MICHAEL:

Did Grant Aleksander who is a big fitness buff himself, direct your video?

BETH:

What he did was advise us. He was not available for the whole project. He is very knowledgeable on the body, and on camera, and so he was able to give me a lot of good advice on how I would go about doing this.

MICHAEL:

In closing, on Monday the wedding of Alan and Beth begins. Should we expect high drama and do we need “hankies”? Is there going to be a bloody wedding dress?

BETH:

I am telling you it’s such good drama, and not only the part I am part of, but stuff I am witnessing. I think it’s some of the best story in…. I can’t even tell you when. It’s so dramatic, and again, everyone that’s involved in it is bringing everything they have to the table.