General Hospital
Toronto's Crack-Smoking Mayor Rob Ford Gets A Mention On General Hospital Via A Dig To Liz From Britt!
Courtesy/TorontoStarGetty
Leave it to General Hospital to once again make some headlines in pop culture and this time it’s by using the name of current pop culture mess … Toronto, Ontario, Canada’s own mayor, Rob Ford! The crack-smoking Ford is running for re-election despite his public admissions of drug and alcohol use and has become quite the butt of many jokes for his off-camera and on-camera antics!
However, on Wednesday’s episode of GH, as picked up by The Hollywood Reporter first, Nikolas (Tyler Christopher) told Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) that two more guests were expected at their big engagement bash, because Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) has agreed to come and she’s bringing a date. To which Britt, who is not too happy with Liz, replies, “Hmm … you don’t say …. Rob Ford?” To which, Nikolas retorts back, “Someone almost as notorious!”
Rob Ford’s name became a media sensation when the story broke of a smartphone video that allegedly showed the mayor inhaling from a glass pipe.
So what do you think of the dig at Liz by Britt using Rob Ford? Do you like the way the writing team at GH often has some very clever one-liners? And the fact that GH gets some additional media attention from it? Let us know!
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.
Antonio Sabáto Jr., the former Jagger Cates of General Hospital and GH: Night Shift, and the former Dante Damiano of The Bold and the Beautiful has issued his first public statement since the incident involving his son, Jack’s arrest in Alaska for a fatal hit-and-run.
Jack is the son of Sabáto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, and according to court documents obtained by KTUU Jack, was allegedly driving a white Chevy Tahoe when he hit and killed Carl Simmonds, 42, near an intersection in Anchorage around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, November 9.
The reports indicated that Jack fled the scene — but later decided to called the cops to say he hit “something” that “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing.”
Photo: NBC
Now, Antonio has taken to his Instagram breaking his silence on the situation, sharing, “At this time, my family and I are navigating an extremely sensitive and deeply personal matter.”
He added, “As a father, my love for my children remains unconditional, and my priority is the well-being of my family. We ask that the public and members of the media honor our privacy during this difficult time and keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.”
The soap alum concluded, “I also wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the gentleman who tragically lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with them as well. We sincerely appreciate your compassion, understanding, and respect for the privacy of everyone affected.”
Jack Sabáto was arraigned in court on Tuesday, November 10 with bail set at $5,000, and a no-driving order and the potential of $5,000 penalty fees if he fails to attend future court appearances.
Antonio is the father to Jack, 34, daughter, Mina Sabato, 24 and son, Antonio Sabáto III, 15.
This is a developing story. You can check out Antonio’s official statement below.
So, let us know your thoughts on this tragic hit-and-run, which claimed the life of another man, and Antonio’s statement, via the comment section below.
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‘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
RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers
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Y&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
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‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
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‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
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As a Torontonian I wish the media would stop giving this buffoon attention ~ he loves it. Next thing
you know he will be a guest star. I hope he doesn’t show up at the party 🙂
Whats scarier, is he will probably take the offer, after all, he gives his contact info to everyone, all they would have to do is ‘we want you to guest role on GH’.. he would likely say yes.. get another ball of upset rolling..
Whats even more odd, is I recently watched the Jimmy Kimmel episode which had Ford as the guest… Im gonna get lambasted, but the way Rob Ford handled it, he seemed almost in control.
Where can I get odds on Rob Ford getting re-elected in October? I wanna put $50 down…
.. and before I forget.. I loved the fact his name showed up.. it goes to show that we dont get forgotten north of the border.
That said.. I love that GH gets some attention out of it.. I had to have my wife listen, to make sure I wasn’t hearing things… (She said, but there’s like hundreds of Rob Fords right? LOL)
I do not live in Toronto, thank god but Rob Ford is known all over Canada and he is s joke, the joke mentioned in the episode on GH was so dam funny, thanks to whomever thought it up.
How was that particular “joke” so damn funny. You could have inserted a dozen different names in there and had the same result. And the result is merely a reference, not even a joke.
And leave it to General Hospital? Everyone in the world has made a Rob Ford reference in the last few months, Jimmy Kimmel had him on his show.
This is just the ABC PR department trying desperately to get some attention for the show leading up to the Donna Mills stunt. Wouldn’t it be great if they concentrated more on writing a good show instead of having to resort to gimmicks and stunts to hide all the deficiencies.
Its funny to most, your obviously not up on comedic laughter or jokes, every time he is mentioned in some form its FUNNY, if you do not understand it then thats on you, quit blaming everyone else for you not liking the show, if your not happy let them know or just do not watch, its so simple.
I guess I have soaps on the brain because that reference flew over my head. I thought first and foremost about Ford from One Life to Live! And when I realized that made little to no sense, I forgot all about it. Until now.
I thought they met Bobby Ford from OLTL too…then i told myself Bobby died and went to Hell if i recall correctly and began to wonder if Britt knew him from there somehow…lol
Bobby did not go to hell. Mitch was carried to hell by Bobby’s Dad & Stacy. Bobby died a hero!
Thanks Sandra…i shouldve remembered that, especially since i have the episode on tape and watched them 3 times!!!
LOL LOL THAT WAS HILARIOUS, I’M FROM TORONTO ONTARIO, CANADA, THAT WAS A FUNNY MOMENT ON GENERAL HOSPITAL. BRING IT ON GH, INVITE THE MAYOR ON GENERAL HOSPITAL AS A GUEST STAR.
I must of have missed it because I don’t recall that line at all– but being from Canada my mind could have blocked it out along with what’s his name Justin something? LOL.
well.
I like to be entertained..
So– I would get a real kick outta having Rob Ford as a guest on GH..
I do not take soaps as creed/seriously, so let Rob Ford entertain me Haaaa that would be fun..
But– iIdoubt he will ever be a guest on GH 🙁
Being from Canada (Manitoba) I laughed… but thought the scene called for a bit more camp to really made the joke fly… Nicholas could have pulled more of a “look” in response…
but loved the shout out for Canada.
I’m USA, but
Rob Ford is a real one!! He is not a pretender He is what he is and he doesn’t hide it.. Gotta respect him for that/not being a politician player..
I also, read/heard he has done some good things for the people..
Can’t disagree with anything you have stated….and he is running for re-election, but he did deny the “glass pipe” incident right up to the public showing of it…..
I’d love to have Rob Ford do a month on GH as himself..
And mix it up with Dr. O … !!!
ohhhh gawd!! that would be unforgettable!!
and– the ratings would burst the charts!!
Oh he’s real okay. And hard to respect, or be entertained by, if he’s your mayor, or the people who have been associated with him and his brother’s “extracurricular” activities since highschool…some of whom aren’t around anymore. And as for what you’ve read/heard about what he has done for the people, he is after all a “political player” fighting for re-election and in this regard believe “none of what you hear” as the saying goes. And no, he doesn’t hide it…anymore…that’s because he got caught and his “rehab” isn’t working.
Sorry to be so serious but you hit a sore spot.
Many seem to luv the guy and I’d bet he will be re-elected ..
none, no politician can be believed but Rob is real, as real as any politician can be/ a rare one ….
I would love to see him on GH.. that would be great! LOL 🙂
God bless him, he really is one of life’s characters!!!! I immediately caught the mention and just roared…Mr. Ford has now truly arrived with his mention on GH! Hope he appreciates the shout out…..of course, if he did turn up in Port Charles it would make perfect sense since the city is supposed to be located close to the Canadian border! (Hey, he could have gotten lost and wandered….LOL.) However, to all our friends north of the USA, I sincerely express that we only are laughing with you, not at you….as we certainly have no place to judge with the buffoons that are currently running this country!!!!! That being said, I pray for Rob’s continued safety and sanity(?)….his recent run-in with the fire hydrant had me a bit concerned! Gotta love him…… ; ) P.S. Hello to my buddy “Jules”….hope you jumped onto this thread since you don’t normally post for GH anymore…I’ve missed you!!!!!
Good to see GH acknowledge pop culture BECAUSE thats what the real world does EVERYDAY!
I thought it was great that GH can use real life events to their advantage.Plus it gets people talking about GH and maybe more attention to other sort of events that GH might do in the future.