June 1997
It’s showtime…but Mary Beth gets the giggles during her big moment.
Years ago – as a much younger “Patch” and Kayla – Stephen Nichols and I won a Soap Opera Award as the year’s Best Supercouple. In fact, Stephen and I even hosted the awards show one year…and that was the time I learned about tele-prompters.
In rehearsal, my autocue kept going faster and faster until I couldn’t keep up with it. Then the producer Dick Clark, tells me: “My dear, the tele-prompter is keeping up with you!”
Now that Stephen and I are working together again, we were asked to be presenters once more at this year’s awards. And to celebrate our screen reunion, they wanted us to present a prestigious award, so we got to announce Best Actor.
For the first time, the fans were able to buy tickets for this show. It was a lot of fun for them, and they really pumped up the energy as they screamed and hollered for their favorites.
And it was a lot of fun for me to be there, too. General Hospital won nearly everything for which it was nominated, including Best Soap – the biggest upset in more than 10 years!
I think our show is terrific and I’m glad we won! Our producer, Wendy Riche, even thanked Ken Corday. I thought she was thanking him for sending all his Days of Our Lives actors over to GH, but she really meant thanks for giving us a look-in a Days dominated category.
Richard Biggs (ex-Days) tells me he saw Ken a few days beforehand and wished him well. When GH beat Days, Ken said: “Don’t ever wish me luck again!”
The thrill of the awards shows is getting all dolled up, new clothes, fancy hair-dos, manicures, facials, the works! Then there are the limos, the lights, the fans, and the red carpet! And the photographers, autographers and interviewers. Makes your head spin!
Let me tell you, no man in a dinner suit is more handsome than Aussie Ingo Rademacher – and Vanessa Marcil is even more beautiful in person.
I was nervous about going on stage but decided to forget it and just have fun. I considered skipping on but that might be pushing it a bit.
Stephen and I announced Eric Braeden as Best Actor. He hugged me and knocked off my necklace, leaving Stephen holding his trophy for an eternity. And then I got a fit of the giggles. Honestly, I really had to control myself to prevent a complete giggle meltdown!
Best moment was when Tyler Baker won. He’s in his 20’s, but his character is just 16, so whenever I pass him in the studio I always whistle “Mrs. Robinson”!
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