General Hospital giveth, and General Hospital taketh away. As soap fans react to the news that Jonathan Jackson is once again leaving the ABC daytime drama, Kelly Thiebaud is getting ready for her comeback.
Thiebaud, last seen on GH more than two years ago, will be back on the show in July, according to Deadline.
The actor said in a statement that it’s “good to be home,” and executive producer Frank Valentini said he’s “thrilled” to have her back.
“We have some great twists and turns planned for her character,” Valentini added.
But what is that character? As Deadline reports, it’s unclear whether Thiebaud will once again play Dr. Britt Westbourne — who, as far as GH fans know, is dead — or will play a different Port Charles denizen.
Craig Sjodin/ABC
Thiebaud made her debut as the antagonistic Britt — daughter of supervillains Cesar Faison (Anders Hove) and Dr. Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati) and brother of Det. Nathan West (Ryan Paevey) — in September 2012.
Playing the so-called Wicked Witch of the Westbourne earned Thiebaud a Daytime Emmy in 2022. Britt left the General Hospital canvas in January 2023 as she succumbed to a poisoned hook wielded by Heather Webber (Alley Mills).
“I wanted to be dead dead, as sad as that is to say, because I really love playing Britt. I really, really do,” Thiebaud told Michael Fairman at the time. “I had so much fun on the show, and I feel really lucky with that character … Overall, I really loved playing her, but just where I am in my life now and things that I want to do, it was basically like, Frank was like, ‘You want to die, right?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I think we should kill her.’”
During her first GH run, Thiebaud also appeared on ABC’s primetime lineup, playing Eva Vasquez on the firefighter drama Station 19.
The news of Thiebaud’s comeback comes soon after the news of Jackson’s exit. Jackson returned to the role of Lucky Spencer on General Hospital in August 2024, but fans learned last week that he’d be leaving the show again next week.
“We were so glad Jonathan was able to reprise the role of Lucky, even if it was for a limited time,” Valentini said in a statement. “We wish him nothing but the best, and the door is always open for Jonathan to return.”
General Hospital, Weekdays, ABC