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THE KYLE LOWDER AND JACQUELINE MACINNES WOOD INTERVIEW – THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

By Michael Fairman

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By Michael Fairman

-Are Rick and Steffy ‘up in smoke’ or the real deal?-

On “

The Bold and the Beautiful”, Rick and Steffy have turned up the heat…literally! In shocking and BOLD moves, the soap has changed Rick Forrester into a smug and selfish cad seeking revenge on his family. Meanwhile, Steffy has lost her fraternal twin, Phoebe, through all of the dramatic twists and turns and is now head over heels with Rick, her sister and mother’s ex beau!

TV Soap sat down with actors Kyle Lowder and Jacqueline Macinnes Wood to get an insight into what’s going on in their character’s head, and how they are making steamy windows!

Listen to the audio:

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TV SOAP:

Jacqueline, this pairing between Rick and Steffy came out of the death of Steffy’s twin sister, Phoebe. Were you surprised when you first read the scripts that your character would be linked romantically with Rick?

JACQUELINE:

I was completely shocked how fast we are moving! It was less than a week when I found out that Rick was next. Steffy’s feelings were raw and she had been going through so much. It happened through Phoebe’s death, but I was in shock about it.

TV SOAP:

So now, how does Steffy really feel for Rick?

JACQUELINE:

Steffy is head over heels in love with Rick right now. She wants to give herself to him. When that does happen, nothing is going to stop them or tear them apart.

carcrash.jpgTV SOAP:

As the story unfolded, it seemed that out of their mutual grief for Phoebe dying in the car crash, they got together. Kyle, what is your take on that?

KYLE:

Yes, they came together at the height of their emotions when Phoebe died. Rick was a shell of a man, and everyone was coming down on him. One day, Steffy came to him and said, “I believe you. I know you are not responsible for this.” With their physical attraction to each other, (this was there from the beginning) I don’t think it was love at first sight. I think they were drawn to each other over a mutual grief and found solace with each other, and outside it was dark and scary. They were each other’s support system.

TV SOAP:

So, as we have seen, Brad Bell (executive producer and head writer “B&B”) has been known to write very intriguing stories, and yet throw some “curve balls” to the actors and the characters that one would not expect.

JACQUELINE:

We do shoot a lot and are thrown “curve balls”. It’s good to finally click with your character and get your character, kyle_jackie_2photos.jpgeven though you are being thrown curve balls. I am Steffy now. The things we get to play can be crazy, and we play great off of each other. With the Rick and Steffy relationship it’s complete honesty and no games.

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TV SOAP:

Kyle, you have taken Rick through a 180! He is now kind of despicable. How did you feel when they told you of the character change? How did it come about?

KYLE:

They did a little experiment after Rick got paralyzed as to what Rick would be like. I think it was a nice test and they did like that aspect. He was now a catalyst to bring out a side of Ridge that people had not seen on the show, and I think it worked. Phoebe’s death was supposed to bring the redemption of Rick and make him not evil anymore and come out of that. I think it did for a while. However, the show wanted to get back to having him be the antagonist. I feel I am not alone in saying that first of all, “Of course, I am going to go all out when playing a scene. However, you don’t want to be downright unlikable.” You need to maintain, as they say in the scripts “roguish charm”, which they start writing in the scripts now. (He laughs) You want them to love you, or want them to love to hate you. I have said this so many times before, but it’s so true. If people down right hate you, then they don’t want to watch you. Then you become indifferent, and you become dead in the water. My challenge every day is to maintain almost a charming likeability in the midst of being so unbelievably self -centered and down right sleazy at times, for people to be like, “Oh, he is so deliciously gross.” That’s been the challenge!

TV SOAP:

What has been the feedback from Ron Moss (Ridge) or Susan Flannery (Stephanie) to your portrayal of Rick?

KYLE:

They have each said in their own way, “ We never thought Rick could be like this.” That is the highest compliment, because it’s coming from the vets of the show. At first, they were wondering how it was going to work. I have been evil with all of them, and they want me to go further with it. I would be lying if I said it did not worry me at times. And I quote, as some people have said to me, “Brad’s really writing this character into a corner.” I feel as long as I keep doing my work I don’t see it that way. A character does not always have to be likeable, or a hero and charming all the time to stay on the canvas and be liked. If anything, it’s a lot more fun to be the antagonist.

TV SOAP:

What was it like working with Susan Flannery, in all of those recent scenes of conflict between Stephanie and Rick?

susanflannery.jpgKYLE:

I really have nothing but the highest respect for her. She makes me a better actor. Susan has one of the most intimidating stares on camera and when you happen to be at the receiving end of it…watch out! She makes me want to be so angry to Stephanie. She raises my work to a different level. Every time I know I am going to work with Susan, I really look forward to it.

TV SOAP:

Jacqueline, how is working with Susan for you?

JACQUELINE:

I love Susan. You can tell when she knows people work hard and studies their lines, but she likes to challenge them. Susan likes it if you can be on point. She has thrown things at me and played moment to moment, and so has Kyle.

TV SOAP:

Recently, Rick enlisted in the Army and the move was a bit of a controversial choice. Please explain the background as to Rick’s rationale for that out-of-character decision.

KYLE:

I think the only way I can put this, is to be as respectful as I possibly could be, in respect to where we are as a nation. It’s not exactly a taboo subject matter, and it’s not something like, “Lets do something to shape him up. Let’s put him in the army and that will be a fun story.” No, it was this: Rick needed some structure and discipline. He had gone so far in one direction in betraying his family’s trust; selling out his father and the company’s designs, and had gone too far in everyone’s mind. Rick has gone way too far in his crazy “leap before I look” mentality. He had got himself into the biggest hole and he thought, “I cannot get out.” So, the only way to illustrate he was changing was showing people that, “What other way can I show people I am serious about changing my life, than to commit myself to the military and serve my country?”

army.jpgTV SOAP:

Jacqueline, what did you think of the military component of the storyline?

JACQUELINE:

I have to say, it was a surprise how fast he cleaned up to his act and went into the Army. I thought, “Now, what was Steffy going to do?” For Steffy, it was the love of her life leaving, and everyone was against her.

TV SOAP:

What ended up happening, that stopped Rick from being shipped out?

KYLE:

The Army rejected him because he had been paralyzed.

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TV SOAP:

So, do the two of you think with all of the drama thus far, that Rick and Steffy are ultimately star-crossed lovers?

KYLE:

Here’s what I think: I really believe Rick loves Steffy more than life itself. The problem right now is that he has so much baggage with this whole thing. I think his general love for Steffy is clouded by the fact of his revenge against Ridge. I think he has become so obsessesed with making this relationship work. I don’t think it’s about Steffy and being ‘happily ever after’ anymore, as much is it is about winning to prove a point. I think when all was said and done, the family said, “Good, be together.” I think Rick would sit there like, “I do love her, I really do,” but I think he is too obsessed with the family. I believe in this couple. In my opinion, if and when it does not work out I believe there is a nice foundation being laid. Not to compare us to a Brooke and Ridge, but it’s not the amount of times they break-up. It’s that something will always draw them back together again and viewers would want that.

makingoutnaked.jpgJACQUELINE:

At the beginning, Steffy was just so strong. Not to mention even before that she slapped Rick across the face telling him, “You are not going to touch me.” Her foot was down on it and you don’t know what’s next. I had to play that my fraternal twin is gone, and maybe I am doing this to live her life as well as have fun. She had to fill that void, and she could not talk to anyone. She lost apart of herself. I have to stress that to the viewers. You have to keep remembering that she did lose her fraternal twin, and I think people tend to forget that because we do shoot so fast, and that’s how it’s started. It was about the honesty and it was raw, and we could open up to each other in the heat of the moment! I could tell from the crying and screaming and making out on the floor where this was going to go. It just all happened so fast. I know it’s kind of weird, because of the closeness between Rick and Phoebe. Steffy felt if she was close to Rick, then she can feel she is close to Phoebe.

KYLE:

I really don’t know the fate of this couple, but what I can say to the viewers is it is a couple to really watch. There is a multi-million dollar company affected by their relationship because of the people that work there. There are families affected by this relationship. There are aspects of this relationship where they have no business being together, yet they persist. We are talking about a man and a woman who are so attracted to each other, and really do love each other, but everything is stacked against them, and it’s their effort to win this war, sort to speak. And, who knows what will happen to them when the war is over? Can they survive without the drama? Feedback is divided with people who are for it or against it. Rick was engaged to her mother, Taylor, and her twin-sister!

TV SOAP:

Jacqueline, what is Steffy and Taylor’s relationship at this point?

JACQUELINE:

I think Steffy and Taylor do have closeness there, but I think sometimes they treat it more as friends, with Steffy giving Taylor advice or vice-versa. Steffy is growing and wants to be a woman, yet there is always this competition like, “Oh yeah, you are going to tell me what to do? I don’t think this so. You have not been there for me. I have been in Europe this whole time. Who are you to tell me who to be with? “

kyle_hunter.jpgTV SOAP:

How is working with Hunter Tylo (Taylor)?

JACQUELINE:

I love working with Hunter.

KYLE:

She is unbelievably meticulous about what she wants to say and her intention behind that. She definitely takes what’s written and owns it. I have worked with her for months, and she works her butt off
and knows her stuff. I respect
that!

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TV SOAP:

Jacqueline, what did you think when you first saw Kyle and knew you were going to be working with him?

JACQUELINE:

I thought, “He’s incredibly hot!” Kyle is down to earth and funny. I am in tears sometimes from laughing so hard between scenes. You can chat with him for hours.

TV SOAP:

Kyle, what did you think about Jacqueline?

KYLE:

It’s along the same lines. You look at Jacqueline and she is slamming “hot”, and we have a similar sense of humor. She rides a skateboard and roller blades to work. I think that’s really attractive, especially in Los Angeles where you have good-looking people everywhere. She does not saunter outside into her Bentley and designer clothes and drive home. She gets on her roller blades! So there is a down-to-earth quality to which makes her approachable.

TV SOAP:

And you have some “hot” on-screen sex coming up! How is it to do those love scenes?

makingout.jpgKYLE:

When you are having “screen-sex” with someone you are not romantically involved with, it’s not the most comfortable thing, but to lighten the ice and have a comfort level, it’s always going to help the chemistry. When working together and sleeping together on-screen, we have been able to accomplish that.

JACQUELINE:

My parents watch the show and love it. However, I must
admit my dad feel’s very
awkward about the love-making
scenes. I don’t think he likes it at all!

Interviews

WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus Talks Humble Beginnings, Test and Albert, WrestleMania 22 with Mickie James, Current Women’s Roster (Exclusive)

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WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus has had an incredible in-ring career, on and off for over 25 years. Having debuted as a heel back in 2000, she held the then WWE Women’s Championship for a record 445 days back in 2005 and into 2006, before dropping the title to her nemesis, Mickie James at WrestleMania 22, and is considered one of the best to ever to it by many in the women’s locker room, then and now. When it was her turn to be inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2013, she chose Stephanie McMahon (this year’s Hall of Fame class 2026) to do the honors at the ceremony.

Fast forward and April’s WrestleMania 42 week in Las Vegas, Michael Fairman TV had a reunion with Trish for this very special interview. For when Trish started in the WWE, Fairman was working as a writer/producer for ‘Raw’ and ‘SmackDown’ and as told in their discussion, recalled how he worked with an upstart Stratus to help her learn her lines for her promos and more. Now two and half decades later, we caught up at Trish’s WrestleMania 42 pop up at Flankers at Mandalay Bay entitled First Crush by Trish Stratus. Trish had created an immersive experience for wrestling fans, Trish fans, and offered on stage Q&A’s with special guests and much more.

Backstage, she sat down with us to take a trip down memory lane, share her picks for WrestleMania 42 in the top women’s bouts (see if she predicted, correctly!) and talked some of her greatest moments. opponents. and friendships in the ring and out, plus what keeps getting her to come back when she has already accomplished so much in her iconic career.

Photo: WWE

TO SINK OR SWIM IN THE WWE

Trish shared on being a rookie in WWE with little to no experience, explaining, “I was thrown right into it. I was a fan of wrestling, watching it, enjoying it. Started to dabble into fitness modeling. So suddenly, I was kind of a public figure all of a sudden. Modeling is very different than actually speaking. They (WWE) literally threw me into the water and it was like sink or swim. The wrestling was one thing and they threw me out there for my first couple matches. Most people come up in the independent wrestling circuits. I had done some wrestling, but it was foundational kind of stuff. It wasn’t like performance yet and they gave me my first promo and I was the green one.

In the world of pro wrestling its all about getting the moment to prove yourself and making something out of it, Trish did just that when she became the beautiful manager/wrestler of the late Test and Albert, and suddenly they were known as .. yup … you remember … ‘T and A.”

BAD GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN

Photo; WWE

Stratus recalled, “I was sitting backstage waiting for them to find the storyline. I remember just chilling actually with Lilian Garcia (then the ring announcer.) We bonded right away. She was my little bestie. I was on the road for a couple weeks in a row and, and then finally they came to me like, ‘Today’s the day. … we’re putting you out there.’ So, there I was with Test and Albert, otherwise known as T-and-A … get it! Those were the days of the double entendres. We were told we were bad guys, and we had to flesh out our characters.   had to get people to boo me right off the bat.”

“I love being a heel” Stratus said passionately. However, when she comes out of retirement or makes special appearances, or comes back for a lengthy storyline she prefaces it with, “The thing for me to come back to the business for a little while means leaving my kids. I have to make sure that it checks all the boxes, right? I want be challenged as a performer, number one. I want to make sure I’m coming back and giving back to the businesses. Not just being self-serving.  So, when I can check those boxes, it’s exciting, and makes it fun to come back.”

BECKY LYNCH AND MICKIE JAMES

Photo: WWE

Trish revealed her favorite WrestleMania moments through the years and her perfect opponents; the women she feels she created magic with in the ring. “When I returned in 2023, we had done the babyface come back. I’ve come back and they’re cheered me and they’re excited to see me. Nobody expected that, and that’s what I love doing. I love the unexpected. I was working with Becky Lynch.  I knew she was the perfect babyface to be a bitch to and to turn on; bringing in the bestie so that I could turn on her with all those years of history, that’s juicy to me. I love it.”

As to her WrestleMania match resume, it was an easy pick fo Stratus, “I’m going to do with Mickie James WrestleMania 22. We like to call us the hashtag ‘longest rivalry in history.’ Becky Lynch and I might have rivaled that rivalry just because we did have a lot. But, I’m all about the stories, and to make sure there’s a meaning behind it. I want to foreshadow a little. I want to understand what my character’s thinking when I go into this. We had the fans captivated. I think at WrestleMania 22, with the way the crowd reacted and the way they were so invested in our storyline, I feel like we got them.”

Proud of what she and Mickie accomplished, Trish added, “They were like, ‘the women can hold a crowd, like the men can.’ I think that was like the moment we kind of had arrived. I have to say the Jazz/Trish stuff, the Victoria/Trish stuff, this is all stuff that planted the seeds. Mickie James and I, right there at WrestleMania, and we’re talking about a WrestleMania moment. I’m also going to give a shout out to WrestleMania 19 with Jazz and Victoria and Steven Richards … who took the best Stratusfaction I’ve ever seen!”

THE STACKED WWE CURRENT WOMEN’S ROSTER

Photo: WWE

While WrestleMania 42 is in the record books, we asked the Hall of Famer, her picks for the key women’s championship title match-upsbetween: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan, AJ Lee vs. Becky Lee, and Jade Cargill vs. Rhea Ripley as you will see below in our video chat.

Trish went three for three and had nothing but high praise for all six of the women who laid it all on the line less than two weeks ago at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Now below, watch this exclusive conversation with Trish Stratus. For more WrestleMania 42 week interviews, make sure to check them out on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Let us know, have you been a fan of Trish through her years in the WWE? Do you agree with her favorite WrestleMania moment with Mickie James? What has been your favorite match and story in Trish’s in-ring career? Share your thoughts via the comment section.

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Interviews

Y&R’s Christel Khalil Talks the Emotional Winters Family Turns of Events; Shemar Moore, and Lily and Cane’s Future (Exclusive)

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This week on The Young and the Restless, viewers have been served up an emotional series of scenes and episodes centering around the return of Malcolm Winters played by Shemar Moore, who returns to Genoa City to ask his daughter, Lily for her help (Christel Khalil). 

In story, Malcolm has aplastic anemia and needs a bone marrow transplant and his best option is a family member. However, things turn bleak when they both learn that she cannot be his donor because Lily previously had cancer. Enter Dr. Stephanie Johnson, the also returning Vivica A. Fox, who tells her son, Holden (Nathan Owens) and Malcolm, that Holden is his biological son! This admission gives Malcolm a chance at a donor match to save his life.

Now, Christel Khalil, who recently came back to the CBS soap opera following her maternity leave, and the birth of her third child, chatted all about the new complex family dynamics, working with Billy Flynn as her new Cane, and Lily being in cahoots with Victor Newman, and more in a new conversation on the Michael Fairman Channel. Here are some of the takeaways below!

Courtesy/CBS

Working with Shemar Moore again and their touching scenes in front of Neil Winters’ portrait

CHRISTEL: “It’s always amazing to have anyone come back that’s been away for a while, but especially, Shemar. It’s all the history with him being Lily’s dad. For me, it’s been 20 years of knowing him. Obviously, I don’t get to talk to him or hang out with him and that kind of thing. So it was just nice just to see him again and have that moment around Neil’s portrait, and to be able to share that together and even talk about that off-camera. It’s just special and feels like family, which is nice.”

The emotional scenes with Malcolm and learning Lily has a brother

CHRISTEL: “It’ a great story. I love when anything is grounded in reality where people who have maybe gone through the same thing can relate and it can help people I feel like that happened when Lily had cancer on the show. It’s nice to see something really heart-based, really family-based. I feel like we haven’t been able to see that with Lily in a long time. Then, finding out that she has a brother, I thought that was really amazing.”

Photo: CBS

Working with Nathan Owens

CHRISTEL: “I love Nathan. We have so much fun together. We’re already teasing and joking each other on set like brother and sister, so it’s really nice. I was really excited to find out that he was part of the family, which is I think more interesting.”

Shemar Moore returning to tape more episodes

CHRISTEL: “I haven’t read that far ahead, but there must be something happening because when Shemar returns, I know a lot of people are involved in something. So we’ll see!”

Photo: CBS

Lily’s involvement in faking her own abduction

CHRISTEL: “When I first read it I was like, ‘Yikes, that’s really bad. It’s very not like Lily.’ It seemed very out of character for her. But then, as I started reading more and learning more about the reasons behind doing it, I actually really liked it. I see what some of what the fans say and they’re like, ‘Lily’s always on her high horse and she’s always, little ‘Miss Goodie Two Shoes.'”

Lily with an edge

CHRISTEL:“Oh yeah, she can definitely be bitchy for sure. I think when she’s bitchy, it’s because she’s usually judging someone else. I think this was a nice thing to kind of temper the judgment that she’s always giving where it’s like, ‘Ok, you do some things wrong too, so let’s just relax.'”

Photo: JPI

Billy Flynn

CHRISTEL: “I love Billy. He’s such a sweet, amazing guy, and an amazing actor and very professional. We have a great time together.  I like how they’ve really switched up the Cain character completely. He’s not trying to be the old cane. It’s a completely new cane and you know, I think we have good chemistry together. So, t’s been really fun to play with him and there’s some exciting stuff coming up. Hopefully, everyone likes it.”

Phyllis and Lily’s history

CHRISTEL: “Lily’s always annoyed with Phyllis, right? Michelle Stafford and I always have  conversations where I’m like, ‘You killed my mom.’ She’s like, ‘No! I didn’t. She let go! ‘(in reference to Dru falling off a cliff) To know that Phyllis and Cane had a thing, is very disturbing to Lily.”

Now below, check out our full conversation with Christel on the homecomings of Shemar Moore, Vivica A. Fox and welcoming Nathan Owens to the Winters clan, plus the drama ahead for Lily.

So, have you enjoyed the Lily and Malcolm scenes thus far? What do you think will happen when Shemar returns for another set of scenes taping this month as teased by Christel? Are you down for Lily and Cane, as played by Billy Flynn? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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Interviews

‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Jacqueline MacInnes Wood Talks What’s Next for Steffy Forrester (Exclusive)

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Three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood is celebrating nearly two decades as Steffy Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful. Last September, she returned to the CBS daytime drama after her most recent maternity and giving birth to her 5th son.

Now back at the soap opera and a mom of five, Michael Fairman TV caught up with Jacqui at the recent launch party for the BBTV global streaming app which also served as a gathering for the series 39th anniversary.

Wood gave us the lowdown of what may lie ahead for the often in-your-face Forrester dynamo who has no problem snarking a comment or two to Hope (Annika Noelle), and who definitely wants her mother, Taylor Hayes (Rebecca Budig), and all her loved ones to stay away from Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown)!

Photo: JPI

‘It’s been fun what we’ve been filming, we’ve been non-stop,” shared Wood. “The other day I was doing four episodes back to back, and we were just in it. It’s fun to play Steffy right now. Love her or hate her. I have fun playing her.”

FROM LEADING ROLE TO SUPER MOM

Jacqui also weighed-in on; if throughout her run on the show, she has changed dialog or  something in a script to help out her performance. “Sometimes, but not all the time. I let Brad Bell (executive producer and head writer) write. I try to execute the best way I can,” reflected Wood. “There are times where I see it and I go, ‘Let me take the reins here. I got this.’  They’ll kind of let me go. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’m OK for critique. We can’t work scenes over and over again. We’re not on that kind of medium or set. You kind of have to know what you’re bringing, but I’m always open.”

Being supermom to sons: Rise Harlen, Lenix, Brando Elion, Valor James and Talon, wife to husband Elan Ruspoli, and a leading actress on The Bold and the Beautiful is a lot to juggle, but Wood has found the way to do it all. “Honestly, I just truly live intentionally, ” explained Jacqui. “I know what we have here, and it makes me truly grateful to have my kids and to be able to still be a mom. I still see myself as a full-time mom. I’ll film episodes back to back, and then I go and I be a mom. I get to bring my kids to set. So. it’s cool.”

Photo: JPI

THE YOUNG AND THE BOLD

Wood is very impressed by B&B’s “new kids on the block,” Crew Morrow (Will), Sydney Bullock (Dylan), Brayan Nicoletti  (R.J.) and Laneya Grace (Electra) and shared she likes where Steffy is at in 2026, “I like the steady right now. I don’t want to like hit my cortisol levels yet. The younger generation can do that right now. I love the younger generation. I think they’re doing such a fantastic job, I just want to lean in and let them go and let them do their thing. If Steffy needs to chime in she will do that, and if she needs to slap some people, she can do that too!”

As to what man is in Steffy’s future, if it’s remaining happily married to Finn (Tanner Novlan), rekindling a romance with her ex-Liam (Scott Clifton ) for the umpteenth time, or a new man enters Steffy’s life, Wood would not say the way things may go down the line.

Photo: JPI

When talked turned to Steffy’s former pain killer addiction, Jacqui did say that. “It’s always a possibility” for the show to bring that back when it makes sense for Steffy and to service the story.

You can check out the full conversation below, and all the BBTV launch party interview with the cast, now on the Michael Fairman Channel.

So, do you think Steffy will be giving everyone trouble at Forrester? Do you think she will stay with Finn for years to come? What story would you like to see Wood be given at this point on the daytime drama series? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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