Launched in July 2025, the “Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart” podcast series has quickly become the go-to destination for nostalgic conversations with beloved soap stars, past and present and creative minds behind some of the most popular daytime dramas.
Now in its third season, the podcast, hosted by soap stars Rebecca Budig (Taylor Hayes, “The Bold and the Beautiful”) and Greg Rikaart (Leo Stark, “Days of our Lives”), recently announced some of its upcoming guests, including Brad Bell (executive producer and head writer, “The Bold and the Beautiful”), Sydney Bullock (Melissa Dylan, “The Bold and the Beautiful”), Don Diamont (Bill Spencer, “The Bold and the Beautiful”), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis, “General Hospital”), Cherie Jimenez (Gabi Hernandez, “Days of our Lives”) and Josh Swickard (Harrison Chase, “General Hospital”).
On Instagram, the official account for “Soapy” is asking fans to share questions they’d like answered by future guests, personal stories and/or memories they might have tied to a guest and the soaps they love, and which dream guests they’d like to see on the show.
The most recent episode of the podcast features an informative interview with “Beyond the Gates” star Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree). The indepth conversation includes Tunie revealing that just before she got the call to play the matriarch of the soap opera, she had been acting in a play at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, “Purpose,” which had received an order for a Broadway run at the Hayes Theater, though she was told she wouldn’t be a part of the new production “because they needed stars in the role.”
“It broke my heart. It broke my heart… it didn’t break my spirit,” said Tunie on her feelings of rejection. “It came close because I was really like, ‘Okay, what is the point? I’ve been doing this for 30-something years. One stellar performance after another in shows that matter, things that matter, and yet I’m not good enough?’ Little did I know that three months later I would get a call that said, ‘We have this new show, and we can’t imagine anyone else playing this role but you.’”
In addition to Tunie, guests appearing this season on the podcast include actors Tanisha Harper (“General Hospital”), Sean Kanan (“The Bold and the Beautiful), Eileen Davidson (“The Young and the Restless”), Robert Scott Wilson (“Days of our Lives”), Brandon Claybon (“Beyond the Gates”), Melissa Claire Egan (“The Young and the Restless”), Joshua Morrow (“The Young and the Restless”), Donnell Turner (“General Hospital”), Morgan Fairchild (“Flamingo Road,” “General Hospital”), Jackée Harry (“Days of our Lives”), and Donna Mills (“Knots Landing,” “General Hospital”), as well as writer Ron Carlivati (“Days of our Lives,” “One Life to Live”) and director Owen Renfroe (“The Young and the Restless,” “General Hospital”).
Episodes from the audio/video podcast series are available for free via the Audacy app and the CBS brand YouTube channel.
The podcast is produced by the Paramount Multiplatform Production Group, with Mike Benson serving as executive producer.