After fans began speculating on her possibly joining a soap following a January 8 posting on her website, which said, “Good things are ahead this year and I hope to have more to report very soon,” NBC’s “Days of our Lives” made it official: Soap veteran actress Kassie DePaiva is joining the series in the contract role of Eve Donovan (originated by Charlotte Ross).

“Days of our Lives” may be losing actress, Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady) later this year, but an equally powerhouse actress may be swooping into Salem: Former “One Life to Live” actress Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair Cramer)!

It seems like just yesterday that the world was ready to nail the lid on the coffin of daytime soap operas. Ratings were low across the board, and a slew of sudsers — “Guiding Light,” “As the World Turns,” “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” — were cancelled, leaving only “Days of our Lives,” “General Hospital,” “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “The Young and the Restless” on the air. But to the surprise of critics and many soap fans, 2013 saw a drastic turnaround: All four remaining soap operas saw a significant increase in ratings, and “The Young and the Restless” once again made a list of the top 10 most-searched television programs of the year, among popular series like “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead.” So why the complete 180 in daytime soap popularity?

As we previously reported, celebrity wedding and event planner David Tutera is headed to “The Young and the Restless,” where he’ll help Neil (Kristoff St. John) and Leslie (Angell Conwell) plan their upcoming wedding. And guess what? Soap Opera Network managed to snag an interview with the busy “My Fair Wedding” star to get the scoop on his visit to Genoa City!