General Hospital
Wally Kurth Returning To GH As Ned, While Also Staying Recurring at DAYS!
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
Tracy (Jane Elliot) is having a health crisis and so it would seem a perfect time for her son Ned Ashton (Wally Kurth) to come back into the picture to help take care of his mom, and to help figure out exactly what is going on with ELQ, Hayden (Rebecca Budig), and who may be trying to hurt Tracy!
Enter, Wally Kurth! The fan favorite who was recently taken off contract by DAYS, but remains recurring with the NBC soap opera as Justin Kiriakis, can now also be recurring with General Hospital, and so that allows Wally to venture back to GH from time to time.
Kurth told Soap Opera Digest of his impending return to Port Charles which begins on March 28th; “I am ecstatic to return to Port Charles… I’ve really missed being there and look forward to seeing all my friends.”
So glad to hear Ned is coming back to GH? Do you think he will help Tracy, and figure out what is happening to her, and why? Share your thoughts in the comment section 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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Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Ava’s (Maura West) daughter Avery looks quite different, starting on today’s November 9 episode of General Hospital. That’s because GH has made Avery into a full-blown teenager and the role is now being played by actress Alya Bullington.
In her debut, the Tennessee native was thrown into the deep soap waters with Daytime Emmy winners, Maurice Benard and Eden McCoy (Josslyn). Bullington weighed-in to TV Insider about her first scene which featured Avery overhearing a fight between Sonny and Josslyn.
She explained “It was something I have never done before, I did not have a lot of experience with the screaming and the crying stuff, but I got my first script, and I was like, ‘OK, this is a huge opportunity to learn so much about how that stuff works and to become this character that I have never even tried playing before.’”
Photo: ABC
THE TEENAGED VERSION OF AVERY WILL HAVE A LOT TO CONTEND WITH
Speaking of working with McCoy, Bullington shared, “She’s incredible. I remember her just laughing and making jokes on set, and then the minute that they started taping, she just locked in and she cried immediately, and my first thought was, ‘I want to be able to do that.’
The soap opera newcomer added, “I think she just inspired me so much because she is so great and she can just lock into whatever character she wants to in the moment.”
The character of Avery was born back in 2014, but as recently as the October 8 episode of General Hospital, the character was suddenly referred to as a teenager. This is the second young female character in recent months to be aged up following the casting of Kayden Brenna Tokarski as Scout Cain.
As for her take on Avery and what’s ahead, Alya said,“She’s emotional, and she’s curious, and she’s a really fun person to play because so much stuff is happening in her life. I think she’s kind of confused about what’s happening and what to believe.”
So, what do you think about General Hospital making Avery a teenager? Are you excited to see the conflict between Sonny, Ava and Avery now that they have aged up the character? Share your thoughts and welcome Alya to GH via the comment section below.
‘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
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
Antonio Sabáto Jr. Breaks Silence on His Son’s Arrest for Fatal Hit-and-Run
Y&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
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THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
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Sounds good to me, though I would have preferred DAYS to have kept Wally on contract, to really explore the Justin & Adrienne situation, with Eve (Kassie DePaiva), but that ship has unfortunately sailed. Hopefully, adding Ned back into the Quarermaine mix will help, and a reunion with Olivia, will hopefully be in the works, I want to see more movie and popcorn nights with Ned & Liv.
Great news, always good to see Wally back home on GH where he belongs. There’s plenty for Ned to get involved in, with whatever is going on with Tracy and the whole ELQ story. Not to mention the budding romance with Olivia that was just starting to gain a little steam on his last visit. I thought they had the makings of a good couple. This is the best of both worlds for him. He gets to appear on both shows, and the fans of GH and DOOL are the ones that benefit the most.
Good news…i watch both shows…perhaps Ned will learn Rachel is his half sister…thought Paul was her daddy but i guess Aston will be the lucky(sarcasm) pappa instead.
They should KEEP him and have him get back and run ELQ!
Yes! I’ve always enjoyed WK on GH. With Ned helming ELQ, a business story-line can be front burner and would make sense. Some intrigue, some romance, some competition, some dirty-dealing, some humor…lots of Quartermaine’s. Much more interesting than stupid arms dealing. Ugh.
Love Wally 🙂
Yea!!! If recurring is all we can get in the brave new world of soaps I’ll take it. It’s also given us Scorpio, and maybe Jax in the future. And who knows maybe Lois to rein in Brooklyn, her daughter with Ned, when Quinn needs a place to run and hide from B&B. I still wish they would do more fun, non-hospital stories with some other favs…Monica, Felicia, Mac, Frisco, Lucy…
Good! Wally/Ned will be back!
I’m sure he will put some omph into the ELQ takeover !
I’m enjoying Tracy..
my take;
Tracy got brain parasites in Mexico..
Some type of parasites in her .
(it is not rare, it happens and would mess her up like she is)
Oh yay! Was totally hoping this would happen once the Tracey health scare started.
Love DAYs, but their loss could be GH’s gain…sign him to contrace GH!
I do have to agree with you, Phil—while I do like him as Justin on DAYS, I do prefer him as Ned on GH and his scenes with Jane Elliot as Tracy are always outstanding. Maybe GH will get the hint and sign him.
Oh, I NEVER said that I liked him better as Ned, in fact I don’t! I prefer him as Justin. DAYS just screwed up by ditching him and Judi Evans and then firing Kassie DePaiva…. I was suggesting GH cash in on DAYS stupidity!
Best news I’ve heard all day!
Come home, Ned–and figure out if your father poisoned your mother Tracy (yeah!).
I agree Nancy! Can’t wait!
So happy that Wally can make a return to GH.
Yay! Great news!! Can’t wait!
Excellent news! I absolutely adore Wally Kurth! And Ned!
Awesome! More Quartermaines; less Corinthos!
I like both families BUT would hope that Morgan room with Heather!
Glad to have him back on board!
Really happy about this news!!! Ned will be needed for whatever is wrong w Tracy, he can help w ELQ n maybe try again w Olivia!!!
is this permanent? I keep thinking of how they did Robert. He kind of just disppeared. love ned so I hope so, but have to admit. never could stand olivia.
but then again there aren’t many on GH now that I care for ..was the 80’s 90’s fan and to me, Sonny and Alexis who also I don’t care for are new. like to see more of laura, thought she was supposed to have s real Story, not just a filler role.
Big Frisco fan, would love him back even part time. Maybe he and laura could hook up.
sorry don’t care if ever see Mac, he is so one diminesinal, predictable and boring. He could have been good in beginning but they turned him into such a full of himself, I am so great saint. think it woul d have been fun if he did something wrong once it a while.
I love the Ned character. He really is the “glue” that pulls a lot of storylines together.
I felt so bad for Wally when DOOL took him off contract; felt like it was such a slap in his face. However, as soon as I heard the news, I began hoping it would mean he could and would come back to GH. This is such great news for all his fans and for the show. Welcome home, Wally!
I thought I clicked reply, DW, but I must not have. Please read my comment meant for you.
If you felt like DAYS slapped Wally in the face, DW, does that mean GH continues to slap Wally in the face? GH doesn’t have Wally on contract either. He’s free to go back and forth until he’s offered something better.
Some people may argue that his contract with DAYS caused him to lose work where he would have been used more at GH, but there was no guarantee. Plus, little work at DAYS under contract meant he was still being payed for a certain amount of episodes even if he didn’t appear.
GH has their chance to sign him or they risk losing him to DAYS again. If he’s an actor who appreciates his craft more than money, then it may be best to work without a contract, which could allow him more work between the two soaps and even elsewhere.
I was happy for Wally when he was offered a contract at DOOL. I wished GH would have done it first, but he deserved to have a contract somewhere and DOOL got there first. I felt it was a slap in the face to offer him a contract, giving the impression he would be working steadily for a long period of time (granted, no one knows what the length of the contract was) and then just a few months later, he was dropped to recurring again. Selfishly, I am happy as a fan of GH that he’ll be able to come back & play Ned. And, again, he can do both as long as he’s not offered another contract at one of the shows. I’m happy for him either way. I just didn’t feel DOOL treated him very well. My opinion, I could be wrong. They all know how the game is played, and I’m sure he’s fine.
EP Frank at GH has a lot to do with who comes and who goes but he listens to his HW to and Ron didnt care for the vets. The lady writers do and they will sink their teeth into the character of Ned and the viewers will be the ones who reap the benefits!
Love Wally as Ned. Glad he’s back in Port Charles.
Would be more excited with different writers. Wally is an asset to this show but since his character has no mob ties I doubt he will get much in the way of story.
AMEN! Wally is one of my all time favorite GH characters and he is a Q! What I like most is he is back on GH now and he should be. Too many times we’ve seen characters deal with major issues and GH wont or cannot bring someone back. We’ve seen this a lot in the past with Laura when Luke needed her or her kids needed their mom. Tracy is ill, Ned should be by her side and he will be! Whomever is responsible for this, god bless you! I cannot wait for Ned and Hayden to nip at each others ankles over EVERYTHING!