Gauthier out at OLTL

Dan Gauthier's official Web site is reporting that OLTL has let the actor go from the cast. Focus groups, apparently, don't like the character of Kevin Buchanan. Funny, my site's visitors seemed to have no problem with him, as he won last year's Soaphunks.net Award for Best Hunk Over 40. He will be missed.

Pot, meet kettle.

Here's an intriguing blind item from one of the recent soap magazines:

These newbie recasts are becoming the butt of many jokes around their set, thanks to their non-stop emphasis on their bodies over their bodies-of-work. Their coworkers rightly point out that if they spent half as much time studying acting as they do performing push-ups to pump themselves up before their scenes, they might actually have some inflection in their "tired, overdone expositions."

Now obviously this is about Adrian Bellani and Mark Cameron Wystrach on Passions. But what I want to know is WHO on that show feels confident enough to throw stones about OTHER people's acting (outside of Juliet Mills, of course).

No one tunes into Passions expecting Olivier. We do expect hot guys' bodies, though, and that's what Bellani and Wystrach consistently provide. So spare the snark, please! ;)

Soap hunk shakeup

Lots of comings and goings this week on the soap hunk scene:

• New head writer Hogan Sheffer has begun the expected DAYS housecleaning by axing hottie Austin Peck, who has been back in Salem just about a year now. Peck is set to exit in the coming weeks with co-star Christie Clark. Co-star Jason Cook is also leaving when his contract expires in September, but that appears to have been on his own accord. Ditto for Kyle Brandt.
• Y&R has just launched another Billy Abbott recast, this time with newcomer Scott Seymore. He's cute!
• AMC has cast former "Point Pleasant" star Brent Weber as Jackson's nephew, Sean Montgomery. The shirt has already come off.
• Drake's son Ben Hogestyn has jumped ship from GH, where he played gay teen Lucas Jones, and will now be joining B&B in the contract role of Harry. He'll interact, among others, with Jack Wagner, who would've been his uncle on GH.
• Also suiting up (and hopefully suiting down) as he joins B&B is former SUBE blond hottie Dax Griffin. Griffin also appeared on AMC in 2003.
• OLTL's Michael Easton has proven the rumors wrong and has re-inked a deal to stay in Llanview. Co-star Tuc Watkins, though, will be out in November.

Dancing with the Slaters

Hottie Mario Lopez, recently shafted by B&B, will appear on the third season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars, it was announced today. Mario is certainly the eye candy of the competition, as he will be twinkle-toesing alongside the likes of Jerry Springer, Tucker Carlson, and Emmit Smith. Oh my.

Sign of the apocalypse?

Just a heads-up for those who might not have heard already. The unthinkable happens this week when the skin-stingiest of all daytime hunks - GH's Steve Burton - loses his shirt in Jason's long-time-coming roll in the hay with Elizabeth. Cappers on alert!

Hopefully Steve will realize that we can all still appreciate his Emmy-winning acting talent as well as his fine physique...they're not mutually exclusive! He looks fantastic!

Hallelujah!

I think we should all stop what we're doing for a moment and observe something truly wonderful about the world right now. With all the problems we as human beings are facing right now throughout the world, it always helps to stop and point out when something extraordinarily wonderful happens. And here it is.

DAVID FUMERO FINALLY GOT A HAIRCUT AND LOOKS GORGEOUS!!!!