B&B's Courtney Hope dishes on Sally's mystery diagnosis

Brace yourself, because this really could be the end of the line for The Bold and the Beautiful's Sally Spectra, reveals the character's portrayer, Courtney Hope.

The Bold and the Beautiful recently made a unique creative decision that has fans on the edges of their seats. The CBS soap opera gave front-burner character Sally Spectra a grim medical diagnosis, but rather than reveal exactly what health issue Sally is facing, the scene was shot in a way in which Sally received the news, but the audience couldn't hear what was going on -- meaning it's anybody's guess as to what ailment the fashion designer is battling. Sally is keeping mum about her devastating diagnosis so as to avoid pity from characters like Wyatt [Darin Brooks], but luckily, her portrayer, Courtney Hope, is willing to spill the beans on the soap's unique storyline.

"As an actor, I thought this is what I live for," Hope told TV Insider of the powerful story, adding that while she's incredibly excited to play this arc, she has conflicting feelings about Sally's diagnosis being kept secret. "It's a double-edged sword. I see why [Sally's specific condition] won't be named, but I can see both reasons for doing so. Selfishly, I wanted to sink my teeth into something as an artist and to be an advocate for it, but I respect the decision not to do that. You want people to have outlets of hope and positivity. Ultimately, this story is about the fight that Sally is facing. She's asking herself, 'Do you take life by the reins and move on? Or do you just cash in your chips?'"

Questions like that bring about thoughts of Sally's demise, but is it necessary to jump to such doom and gloom? As the powers that be are the only ones who truly know what's going on, it might be smart for fans to prepare themselves for the possibility of the character's death. After all, it sounds as if Sally may be battling something she ultimately cannot win -- no matter how strong she is and no matter how hard she tries.

"If you give someone a terminal illness then, by definition, it's terminal and you can't come back from that. You've already got one foot in the grave," Hope points out. "[But] I don't want anything to happen to Sally because she's so young and has so many hopes and dreams."

Time will tell whether or not B&B will go the distance and bring about Sally's end. Either way, Hope says she's grateful for the opportunity to play such a challenging storyline. "I've never done a story like this before," she enthuses. "I'm excited to see what's going to transpire."

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For more from Hope on Sally's diagnosis and how her health issues might affect the character's connection with Wyatt, read TV Insider's full interview with the actress here.

What health issue do you think Sally is facing? How will you feel if Sally actually dies? What are your thoughts on the creative way B&B has chosen to tell this story? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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