News Brief

VIDEO: Branco and O'Neil Emmy Reaction
Moments after the Daytime Emmy nominations were announced, The Envelope's Tom O'Neil "powwowed" on the set of THE VIEW with Nelson Branco of TV Guide Canada and Hello! Canada.

Worst in Show: Daytime Emmy Review
Need another reason for Daytime Emmy Award reform? Check out the shocking nominations for the 35th annual kudofest including Nelson Branco's take on the nominees and the selection process!

AUDIO: Interview with Michael Bruno and Brody Hutzler
Popular agent (and judge on I WANNA BE A SOAP STAR) Michael Bruno weighs in on the Daytime Emmy nominations. Brody Hutlzer stops by as well to discuss his time as Patrick Lockhart on DAYS OF OUR LIVES and Zachary on GUIDING LIGHT and recent projects. He revealed he has been asked to be the next "Bachelor" on ABC.

Perez Hilton congratulates Van Hansis
"Our future husband, actor Van Hansis, has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his portrayal of Luke Snyder on AS THE WORLD TURNS.

Luke and Noah rule!

The crazy conservatives may have their panties in a bunch that there is a storyline involving an openly gay couple - that kiss! - on daytime TV, but it's nice to see that Emmy voters don't care.

Forget the hate. Appreciate!

We hope Van walks away with a statue!"

Van Hansis Emmy reaction
"I’m really proud of all the actors," Van Hansis praised to CBS.com. "I am so happy for Kelley Hensley and Trent Dawson. I couldn’t be happier or more excited for the show."

BLOG: DAYS headwriter Dena Higley
"For all you very vocal EJ/Sami fans, I want you to know I had a really good meeting with Ali and James and we are totally on the same page. I so admire the way they feel responsible to make their characters consistent through various head writer changes. I hope to make it an interesting summer for them. But Ali has another job too and we have to share her. We'll just see how scheduling goes.

I've got a meeting with Drake in a few hours. I think he's being very brave in the character choices he's making. Lots of good stuff for him coming up…"

Stephanie makes HOLLYOAKS comeback
HOLLYOAKS' Max Cunningham already has one feisty woman in his life in the shape of fiancée Steph Dean - and now it looks like he's going to get another as his sister Cindy returns to the village. The character, who is played by Stephanie Waring, first appeared in the soap in 1996, and soon made her mark as one of Chester's most troubled teens.

EASTENDERS: Sean is in trouble again
Spoiler for tonight's show: Gus feels trapped in Walford, despite having slammed the door on evil Sean, but when his girlfriend turns up it looks like he's found a brilliant escape solution, in the latest visit to Albert Square.

BLOG: AMC jailbait actress Lev Rambin
"When I was recently unexpectedly plucked from a visit in Houston to go to LA to film a new television series for the CW, I was excited (natch) but semi-terrified. I have only worked as an actress in New York City, where I find myself to be in the minority (in the 'actor' population) as a busty blonde with a dry sense of humor and Converse sneakers.

I would also like to thank [former American Idol-er] Constantine Maroulis for keeping me alert and from fading into delirium on-set in the 99 degree heat. Also, Nicholai H., thank you for throwing such an amazing house party and to Jon Alagem for keeping the partygoers in Nicky's backyard from causing overwhelming noise pollution. [Weeds actor] Hunter Parrish deserves a warm thank you for unwillingly climbing/posing in a large piece of construction machinery and proceeding to get covered in nearly-unremovable grease. And an enormous thank you to Leah Pepper for hosting my unofficial last-night-in-LA party in her hotel room sponsored by Johnny's Pizzeria and the troupe of underage partygoers Barron [Hilton] stampeded the room with. Thanks for making my work-oriented trip to LA so counterproductive! I love you all!"

Out on the Town - November 28, 2007

Former "As The World Turns" star Julianne Moore arrives at the Grand Reopening Celebration of the New Museum in New York City Co-Hosted by Calvin Klein.

"I Wanna Be A Soap Star" contestant Shamika Cotton arrives at the Launch of WE Vote '08 at Tenjune in New York City.

Former "Days of our Lives" and "Dynasty" star Jack Coleman and Ex-"As The World Turns" actress Swoosie Kurtz arrive at the 9th annual Family Television Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

World Turns Gets Wood Today

Travis Wood appears as Eli to help Meg gather information on today and tomorrow's shows.

Eli, Meg's genetic expert friend, was previously played by Marc Aden Gray.

Wood was a runner-up on this season's "I Wanna Be A Soap Star."

The 29 year old actor appeared on ATWT back in 2004 in a bit part as a PA Assistant.

Wannabe Soap Star Shamika Cotton on Criminal Intent

"The Wire" semi-regular Shamika Cotton says fans of the gritty HBO drama won't recognize her on tonight's episode of "Law & Order: CI," now on the USA Network. "I was so excited to get this role because she's something a lot closer to who I am," says the 2006 "I Wanna Be a Soap Star" semi-finalist, who's been playing a crack-addict mom on "The Wire," which returns for its fifth season in January.

"In 'L&O: CI,' I play a writer trapped between two worlds -- a gritty, urban life and a lavish circle. She's more youthful and more vibrant than my character on 'The Wire.' Plus, she's got fabulous clothes, and her hair was fierce!" Cotton adds with a laugh that she is occasionally recognized from "The Wire," "but if somebody recognizes me as Michael's mother on the street, I'm like, 'Do I look that bad?'" Fortunately, she says, more people "come up to me and say I saw you on 'Soap Star.'" She adds the reality competition show "was a huge jumpstart for my career."

I Wanna Be Bold and Beautiful

Mykel Shannon Jenkins has joined the cast of "The Bold and the Beautiful" in a contract role. He’ll be portraying Charlie Baker, the son of Lt. Baker.

Charlie has recently made detective rank within the police department and is introduced on canvas in the aftermath of Eric’s resurgence as owner of Forrester Creations and will be an integral part of "The Bold and the Beautiful’s" hottest and most suspenseful story-arc of the year, according to the show’s website.

Jenkins won the first season of "I Wanna be a Soap Star."

The actor’s first appearance on "The Bold and the Beautiful" scheduled for November 21.

News Brief

Burbank Leader: Matthew Ashford ("Days of our Lives") and Christina Saffran Ashford are performing at the Alex Theatre on Monday in a fundraising show of musicals by composers Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.

Jamaica Gleaner: After being put through several weeks of acting tests, Ashlee Holland is the winner of the fourth season of SOAPnet's reality series "I Wanna Be a Soap Star". She will be rewarded with a 13-week contract role on "Days of Our Lives", with her first appearance scheduled for December 26. During the live season finale, Holland competed against runner-up Jimena Hoyos. She received the good news in front of the eight other eliminated contestants, judges Mary Beth Evans (Kayla, Days), Hogan Sheffer (head writer, Days) and Michael Bruno (talent manager), as well as several other Days cast members. "I look forward to working with Ashlee. I believe she will bring a hunger and a passion to her work at Days of Our Lives," said casting director Marnie Saitta. "She will be a welcome addition to our talented cast, as it is always inspiring to see someone follow their dreams. Her determination and talent have made her dreams a reality."

Newsday: Enrique Iglesias performs his single "Somebody's Me" at the club owned by Kristoff St. John's character on "The Young and the Restless" on November 7th.

Salt Lake Tribune: Hollywood's studios, networks and producers say raising the writers' stakes would make the cost of film and TV projects too expensive and possibly reduce their profits. "When they get paid on work we wrote, we should get paid on work we wrote," said Cherie Bennett, a former Utahn who moved from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles last June to become one of the associate head writers - along with her husband - for the soap opera "The Young and the Restless." "There is a shift away from television and movies [to downloadable and streaming video], and it's vastly changing. This is the time we have to make a stand. It has to be now."

Knoxville News Sentinel: On Tuesday, Betty will shoot more "Bold and the Beautiful," in which she returns as Ann Douglas. It's her first soap.

New Brunswick Home News Tribune: ABC's "Desperate Housewives" (9 p.m. Sundays) has its first desperate houseguys. And they may be the most unconventionally conventional gay couple on broadcast television. The relationship of Bob ("One Life to Live's" Tuc Watkins) and Lee ("Judging Amy's" Kevin Rahm) is less than idyllic. There's marital tension. One likes the city, one likes suburbia. One's conciliatory, one's acerbic. One tries to blend in, the other couldn't care less. They have secrets. In other words, they're not that much different than most of the straight couples on Wisteria Lane. "In capturing the gay suburban experience, the joke is they have the same issues as everyone else," says series creator Marc Cherry, who eschewed stereotypical characterizations of gay men. "The politically correct thing would have been to have everyone get along with them. But there's a lot of comedy to be played against type."

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: “Friday Night Lights” launched its second season in October with a shocker: Smart, funny, geeky teenager Landry Clarke killed a man threatening to attack Tyra Collette, Landry’s crush. Then, rather than face up to the crime, the pair dumped the body. There was just one problem. The show’s relatively small, extremely intense fan base didn’t buy it.

Soap Opera Digest: Video: Take an exclusive look behind the scenes at "As The World Turns'" most recent photo shoot with some current and soon-to-be cast members! Featured in the shoot are Austin Peck, Terri Colombino, Dylan Bruce, Ryan Serhant and Chauntee Schuler.

News Brief

Contra Costa Times: "Friday Night Lights" rapist weighs in on murder storyline. Matt McTighe says of playing "Mike the Rapist": "When you're playing a creep, you think, 'Wow, I hope nobody thinks I'm like this in real life.'"

New York Magazine: Football has been removed from Friday Night Lights in the same way that sex is removed from R-rated movies that run on television. The event and the ramifications of it are still represented, but we don’t get to enjoy any of the details. The second game of the Panthers’ season was dispatched in a rapid-fire montage, just long enough to convey one important message — that Coach McGregor is a one-dimensional dunderhead loath to make midstream adjustments to his game plan. Which, it turned out, was all that was required for Buddy to succeed in his scheme in deposing the new coach and reinstalling Coach Taylor. Man, that was fast — and borderline implausible. But at least McGregor didn’t go down without kicking a crotch or two. The scene where he goes to Taylor’s home and accuses him of complicity in the scheme was the best of the season so far. “I’ve got a family, too,” McGregor said, which is socking Taylor right where he lives.

The Star-Ledger : Early in tonight's "Nip/Tuck" season premiere (10 p.m., FX), our plastic surgeon anti-heroes are getting a tour of a TV show in need of some medical consultants when they witness the show's star throwing a tantrum over a script for a musical episode. "That's the kind of desperate schlock you don't do until your fifth season!" he screams.

Soapdom: Mykel Shannon Jenkins joins the cast of "The Bold and the Beautiful" in the contract role of “Charlie Baker,” Executive Producer and Head Writer, Bradley P. Bell announced. “Charlie” is the son of “Lt. Baker” (Dan Martin) and has recently made detective rank within the police department. “Charlie” is introduced on canvas in the aftermath of “Eric’s” (John McCook) resurgence as owner of Forrester Creations and is an integral part of B&B’s hottest and most suspenseful story-arc of the year.

Now Magazine Online: "EastEnders" favourite Sid Owen – aka Ricky Butcher – is set to return to the BBC soap. Patsy Palmer is back in Albert Square next March as ex-screen wife Bianca and now the actor has signed a deal to reprise his role as dopey mechanic Ricky. 'I'm over the moon they have asked me to come back,' says Sid, 35. 'I'm looking forward to working with Patsy again, although not to her nagging me by shouting Ricky's name.'

News Brief

Entertainment Weekly: Gay Hollywood: Out of Sight? These days, you might catch the gay romance on "As the World Turns" or get sucked into a bitchy same-sex speed date on MTV's Next.

Medai Post: Proctor & Gamble Co. has been in the news lately, as the company recently launched an online program called "Crescent Heights." The show features a recent college graduate named Ashley, who hails from Wisconsin and recently moved to Los Angeles to begin a career in public relations. The story focuses on Ashley's work life, love life and acclimation to being in a new city. Intertwined throughout the program is the connection to Tide, which serves as the sole sponsor/creator of "Crescent Heights."

Reno News & Review: Knitting has come a long way since the earth-tone, scratchy acrylic mittens, ill-fitting turtleneck sweaters and ponchos of the 1960s. The Zanders’ booth became a popular stop for celebrities, like Patrika Darbo (Days of Our Lives), who says she regularly knits on the set. “It was fun to do something different, and people kept coming back,” Zander says of the three-day event.

Computerworld: Geek stars: The secret (nerdy) life of celebrities. Soap opera heartthrob Drake Hogestyn (John Black, "Days of Our Lives") graduated from the University of South Florida with a double major in microbiology and applied sciences.

Lexington Herald-Leader: A Lexington man who told the audience he couldn't pay his rent when he won a local "I Wanna Be A Soap Star Live Tour" audition in August, has won the ultimate prize of a walk-on role on NBC's "Days of our Lives", SOAPnet officials announced Wednesday. After winning the local competition in Triangle Park, Darren Zancan was one of six semi-finalists from across the country to audition for the daytime drama. After he was chosen by "Days of our Lives" casting director Marnie Saitta, he taped his scenes on Oct. 17 and will make his national television debut Nov. 12.

Metro Spirit: Jerome Preston Bates not only credits Paine College’s Upward Bound program for setting him on his path to acting success — he just landed a featured role on ABC’s “All My Children” and wrapped the film “The Narrows” with Vincent D’Onofrio — but he worked with Wilson, starting in 1994 with the debut of “Seven Guitars.”

FemaleFirst: Dancing with "All My Children" star Cameron Mathison, Week Five.

AfterElton: Tuc Watkins, who plays desperate househusband Bob Hunter, recently took time out of his bi-coastal work schedule to talk about playing gay on a hit show, how he almost had Nathan Fillion's "Desperate Housewives'" role, and what secrets Bob and Lee might know about their neighbors.

News Brief

AfterElton: Jensen Atwood is a man of many talents. Gay fans probably know him best for his work on Logo's "Noah's Arc". But Atwood is also an accomplished singer and dancer having appeared in music videos for Destiny's Child, Toni Braxton, Ashanti, Lil Mo, and other well-known acts. Now fans of the supernatural soap opera "Dante’s Cove" can look forward to the temperature getting even hotter at the Cove when Jensen joins the cast for the third season set to premiere on here! next week.

TV Fodder: The Passing of John Black on "Days of our Lives".

Roanoke Times: She's a soap star. As Ashlee Holland wins "I Wanna Be a Soap Star" and a role on "Days of our Lives", her father cheers from Roanoke.

What's on TV: Some of the BBC's top-rated shows, including "Strictly Come Dancing" and "EastEnders", could be forced off the air by a strike, according to reports. The Mirror says that angry workers at the corporation are preparing to strike over Director General Mark Thompson's plans to axe 2,800 jobs to solve a £2bn cash crisis. "The mood has turned militant and the place is in uproar," one executive told the paper.

Times of India: Latino singer Enrique Iglesias will be making an appearance in the popular U.S soap opera "The Young And The Restless". The 32-year old singer will be seen performing a track from his latest album Insomniac at the Indigo; a jazz haunt owned by fictional character ‘Neil Winters’, played by Kristoff St. John in the hit soap.

News Brief

Roanoke Times: Roanoke native Ashlee Holland triumphed on the reality show “I Wanna Be a Soap Star” Tuesday night, beating out nine other contestants to win a part on “Days of Our Lives.” Holland is the first woman to win on the SOAPnet reality show, which concluded its fourth season with a live finale in Los Angeles.

CBS 46: “The Young and the Restless Screen Test" comes to Atlanta on November 1st and 2nd. One talented actress will be selected to travel to Hollywood and appear in an episode of "The Young and the Restless".

Fox News: Procter & Gamble once had 10 soaps on the air. Now it has two left, "As the World Turns" and "Guiding Light," and they’re determined to kill them off, too. On Tuesday it announced the shows would be filmed like the reality program "The Hills" starting in January. P&G already has hobbled the shows with cut budgets and no sets. Now it will opt for handheld cameras and exteriors shot off sets to save money. It’s a recipe for disaster and I suspect they know it. It’s too bad: The P&G soaps have been launching pads for Kevin Bacon, Morgan Freeman, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei, Susan Sullivan, Steven Weber, Kate Capshaw, Tamara Tunie, Justin Chambers, Brad Pitt and dozens upon dozens more. P&G can afford anything. It's one of the world’s richest corporations. This cost-cutting just makes it look kind of pathetic. It should just sell the shows if it doesn't want them.

iVillage: Kristian Alfonso is a mom of three boys, designs jewelry and recently launched her own clothing line. Oh -- and as if that isn't enough to keep a woman busy -- she's a full-time actress! The brunette beauty has played Hope Brady on NBC's "Days of our Lives" since 1983 and is thrilled to still call Salem home.

Soap Opera Digest: NBC's first online-only soap opera "Coastal Dreams" debuted October 2. Every Tuesday and Thursday for the following 12 weeks, new five-minute episodes of the drama featuring daytime beauties Danica Stewart (ex-Jessica, "Passions") and Kam Heskin (ex-Sheridan, "Passions"; ex-Caitlin, "Sunset Beach)air on NBC.com.

Arkansas Times: Though this writer hasn't sat through an entire episode of a soap opera since my stay-at-home mother got addicted to “General Hospital” around the time Luke and Laura got married, I can still appreciate the genre. Unlike real life, things happen on soap operas — big things. Unwanted pregnancies and murders for hire. Incest and suicide attempts. Dirty business deals and shocking revelations. These days, we hear, even stuff like alien abduction and possession by the Devil gets thrown into the mix. With action like that, who could blame UA student Raymond Burks for wanting to get in on the fun? A 22-year-old senior seeking a degree in English and creative writing when not running campus radio station KXUA, Burks is also the writer, producer and editor of his own cable access soap opera: “Bring Down the Moon.”

PGP Blog: 2007 Daytime Emmy-nominee Stephanie Gatschet returns to "Guiding Light" as Tammy to help her mother Cassie through a difficult time on Wednesday, October 24. Meanwhile, long-time soap veteran Linda Cook will be making an appearance on "As The World Turns" to give bad news to Will and Gwen.

News Brief

CBS: Vote now in Nielsen's Daytime Entertainment Panel on "The Young and the Restless".

News & Observer: How much of an Erica Kane fan are you? Do you know her well enough to win two tickets to see Lucci and Regis Philbin at the Progress Energy Center?

NY Post: "Friday Night Lights" is back in the ratings doldrums after a promising start this season. Last Friday's episode averaged only 5.4 million viewers - and, more alarm ingly, finished second-to-last (9-10 p.m.) in adults 18-49, losing roughly 300,000 view ers its second half-hour.

New York Magazine: "Friday Night Lights": Has Everyone Forsaken Small-Town Values? After overblown season debut — in which Landry kills the stalker who tried to rape Tyra last season — it was time to restore peace to Dillon in episode two. As peaceful as things ever get anyway. The seeds are now in the ground for a season’s worth of blowups, heartaches, and wounds that can only be mended by winning football games.

Kansas City Star: The finals of SOAPnet’s “I Wanna Be a Soap Star” air live tonight. The finalists are Ashlee Holland from Roanoke, Va., and Jimena Hoyos from Bogota, Colombia. One of them will get a 13-week contract with “Days of Our Lives.” The runner-ups included Monica Thomas of Topeka and Travis Wood of Ottawa, Kan.

Peterborough Evening Telegraph: It's been the launchpad for countless superstars and is a hot topic of conversation in homes, pubs and offices up and down the country four nights a week. And now, one talented city actor's name will be on the lips of millions of soap fans after clinching a once-in-a-lifetime part on EastEnders. Himesh Patel (17), from Sawtry, near Peterborough, hopes big things are also in store for him, but, at the moment, he is just revelling in rubbing shoulders with the likes of film legends Barbara Windsor and Phil Daniels on the Square.

News Brief

News Herald: A warrant has been issued for the fiancée of "Days of our Lives" star James Scott who were both caught au naturel on a St. George Island beach in August.

National Ledger: Lynda Hirsh soap previews: "The Young and the Restless" is set to have a life-changing storyline starting on Oct. 21. Patrick Duffy, best known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the long-running CBS primetime series "Dallas," rejoins the cast of "The Bold and the Beautiful" in the role of Stephen Logan.

AfterElton: Alexandra Chando leaving "As The World Turns".

The Advocate: Interview with "As The World Turns" stars Jake Silbermann and Van Hansis: The actors behind daytime television's cutest (and only) gay couple come clean for National Coming Out Day.

TV Guide Canada: Soap Power 2007: The 15 Most Influential Players in Daytime! From Brian Frons to "Guiding Light's" Kim Zimmer.

MSNBC: Plot twist will ruin "Friday Night Lights".

The State: New viewers give "Friday Night Lights" a chance — and they aren’t impressed.

News & Observer: "Friday Night Lights" may be going overboard.

Daily Press,: When SoapNet began its one-minute soaps in 2003, "we really were just thinking about building our brand," says SoapNet executive Deborah Blackwell. By the third season of its micro-series rollout, SoapNet was promoting sponsors' products with compatible themes. Its short-series "Office Romance" with job site Monster.com focused on the downfalls of love in the workplace. Another, titled "Too Late," with dating service Match.com, explored a romantic triangle.

TV Week: Pimping My Soap Star Girls on SoapNet’s reality series “I Wanna Be a Soap Star.”

News Brief

The Sun: "Hollyoaks'" Max set for new love.

Detroit Free Press: Tonight is the season premiere of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" (9 p.m., Bravo). It's the last makeover rodeo for the Fab Five, led by stylishly snarky Carson Kressley, as the Village People of male fashion fabulousness unfurl their final season of episodes. The kickoff features two editions of "Queer Eye." The offbeat first is a spoofy fun "Ultimate Straight Guy" pageant. "All My Children" daytime diva Susan Lucci hosts as made-over men from previous seasons return to compete tongue-in-cheek. Chic? You be the judge.

Digital Spy: Former "EastEnders" actress Lucy Speed has joined the cast of "The Bill" – following in the footsteps of a long line of ex-Walford stars.

Gay Wired: Talent Agent Michael Bruno is interviewed.
GayWired.com: I have to say—the stereotype on soaps is that people can’t act. So when you’re casting people for "I Wanna Be a Soapstar, what are you looking for?"

Michael Bruno: You really need a look. If people say, ‘Oh, they don’t need to be good looking', they’re lying. You really need the best looking person who is actually a good actor—there’s 60 pages of dialogue a day, so you really need to know what you’re doing. Sometimes they’ll look the other way if someone is so beautiful, and they hope they’re going to get better, and usually they do get better. But it’s a look, and it’s typically youth oriented—we really want to kind of look for 18-30. And you want those Shemar Moore’s, Steve Burton, Austin Peck, Cameron Mathison—and it’s usually the guys you want.

News Brief

Playbill: First Preview of "Die Mommie Die!", the Off-Broadway play starring "As The World Turns" Emmy nominee Van Hansis, Will Benefit Live Out Loud.

Orange County Register: Christopher Maleki from "Passions" and Joseph Mascolo from "Days of Our Lives" will be the celebrity grand marshals along with Disney Channel teen star and "Cory in the House" actress, Maiara Walsh, at Tiller Days in Tustin.

The Press Association: Never let it be said the Inside Soap Awards aren't a great place to get a bit of gossip about what's coming up in our favourite serials. The latest snippet to emerge comes courtesy of Digital Spy, which reveals that new "EastEnders" cast member Scott Maslen's character Jack won't be thrust into the centre of the action straight away, when he appears during Stacey and Bradley's nuptials.

Gary Post Tribune: A former Northwest Indiana resident will find out in October if he has what it takes to be a soap star. Darren Zancan is one of six contestants vying for a walk-on role or possibly a small speaking part on the long-running and wildly popular soap opera "Days of Our Lives" on Soapnet's reality show, "I Want to be a Soap Star." And he has a real good chance of making it to the top, predicts one of the show's judges.

News Brief

NY Daily News: On "The Young and the Restless", Phyllis doesn't like Sharon her man.

Soaps.com: Interview with "As The World Turns" actor Jake Silbermann.

Myrtle Beach Sun News: "Guiding Light: Jonathan's Story" is #10 this week on the Wall Street Journal Best-Seller list.

I Like Music: Ex-"All My Children" legend Karen Lynn Gorney celebrates 30 years of Saturday Night Fever.

Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph: "EastEnders" actress Kara Tointon, who plays sultry single mother Dawn Swann, will open the new showroom at a Kettering company.

Roanoke Times: A former Roanoker and aspiring actress continues to charm the judges on "I Wanna Be A Soap Star." Ashlee Holland survived a tough scene during Tuesday night's episode of the Soapnet reality show as the number of contestants dwindled to four. The winner gets a 13 week contract on "Days of our Lives".

News Brief

SCpols.com: Former The Young and the Restless actress Victoria Rowell will travel across South Carolina this weekend, sharing her own life journey from foster child to star of stage and screen and how her experiences have led her to support Hillary Clinton for President.

Buddy TV: Days of our Lives star Shelley Hennig to serve as a judge at this year's Miss Teen USA competition.

Tallahassee Democrat: Young banker Colleen McClure competes on I Wanna Be a Soap Star for a role on Days of our Lives.

Orlando Sentinel: Susan Lucci of All My Children to lead stars at ABC Super Soap Weekend.

Local10.com: Miami Actress Hannia Guillen Set To Star In Passions.

News Brief

TMZ: All My Children's ex-Tara Is Stayin' Alive.

Fox News: A surprise guest at the "Nanny Diaries" dinner was a young knockout Norwegian actress I wrote about several months ago. Ewa da Cruz (pronounced "Eva") is a drop-dead Audrey Hepburn look-alike. She shows off a wild sense of timing and humor as a madcap heiress on the CBS soap As the World Turns.

AfterEllen: Why do lesbians hate The L Word?

Fayetteville Observer: Like any good soap actress, Patricia Mizen has her toolbox of soap-acting staples. Mizen, who grew up in Fayetteville, will put all those skills to the test in I Wanna Be a Soap Star, a reality-show competition on SoapNet. The fourth season begins tonight at 8 p.m. Mizen is competing against nine other aspiring soap stars for a 13-week contract role on NBC’s Days of Our Lives.

Roanoke Times: Ashlee Holland, who had stepped into her tub an aspiring actress, would step out of it with some bright new prospects. Tonight, the former Roanoker makes her prime-time debut on the reality series I Wanna be a Soap Star.

Soap stars come to Tallahassee

On Sunday, the I Wanna Be a Soap Star Live! tour rolls into Tallahassee and sets up shop inside the Civic Center. On hand will be actors James Scott, E. J. Wells from Days of our Lives, and Alec Musser, Del Henry from All My Children. Cameron Mathison, host of I Wanna Be a Soap Star, will be there, too.

Several casting directors on the soap tour will select 20 potential actors and actresses from the Tallahassee audience to act out scenes on stage from audition scripts. One lucky person will win a trip to Los Angeles and a chance to compete for a walk-on role in Days of our Lives. You must be at least 18 to audition.

There will be a make-up artists on hand offering free make-overs and professional head shots.

If you're a DISH Network customer, you can also enter to win a trip to Los Angeles and seats to the live finale of the reality show, I Wanna Be a Soap Star. The winner will also have lunch with talent manager Michael Bruno. Auditions for the trip will be at a DISH booth.

Registration at the Civic Center, 505 West Pensacola Street, begins at 11 a.m. Audition registration closes at 3 p.m. Auditions and other activities are from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

News Brief

Soap Opera Digest: Soap Opera Digest is doing a survey to find out who their readers are and what they want to see.

Cherry Hill Courier Post: Ladies, keep your eye on Corey Shelton. Sure, he's charming, good to his mama and hard-working. But the guy is slick. He's a smooth talker, a sharp dresser and very, very available. Want more? You can catch the Lindenwold man in action, starting at 8 p.m. Tuesday on Soapnet's reality show I Wanna Be a Soap Star. The aspiring actor is one of 10 men and women vying for a 13-week contract for a role on Days of Our Lives.

Sunday People: Coronation Street nice-guy Sean Wilson is making a TV comeback as a Mr Nasty. Sean, who lost his role as loveable Martin Platt in 2005, has bagged a part in ITV police drama Heartbeat later this year.

Soap Opera Digest: Soap Opera Digest has interviews with the three InTurn finalists - heartthrob Ryan Serhant, country girl Jessamyn Bradley and early favorite Dyon Donley.

News Brief

Gaithersburg Business Gazette: Gaithersburg native Bo Gorman spent weeks perfecting sultry love scenes and dramatic pauses as a contestant on the I Wanna Be a Soap Star reality series that premieres next week. He's vying for a chance to win a 13 week role on Days of our Lives.

The BV Entertainment Blog: Long-time As The World Turns star Tamara Tunie Sets Her Sight On Directing Feature Film.

Buddy TV: Sharon Case has a new villain and it comes in the form of pesky mosquitoes. The 36-year-old actress is currently dealing with an insect problem that's been affecting her work on The Young and the Restless and most especially her health.

PGP Blog: A photo preview of Cassie's wedding on Guiding Light.

Syracuse Post Standard: "this regional premiere of "Hate Mail" proved a charmer, thanks to clever writing and the delightful presence of its performers, Nancy St. Alban and Paul Anthony Stewart, who each spent five years on the Guiding Light. The soap opera stars work easily together, and their visible camaraderie settled well with the audiences."

Digital Spy: HolbyBlue actor James Hillier will make a brief appearance in EastEnders
.

Musixbox Online: A preview of the Friday Night Lights soundtrack.