BIG DAYS NEWS: Kristian Alfonso, Peter Reckell are returning in 2023

BIG DAYS NEWS: Kristian Alfonso, Peter Reckell are returning in 2023

It's the announcement many hoped for, but few ever expected to hear. Kristian Alfonso and Peter Reckell are set to reprise their roles of Hope and Bo on Days of our Lives. And they'll also be bringing some company with them.

Days of our Lives fans, brace yourselves. Kristian Alfonso (Hope Brady) and Peter Reckell (Bo Brady) are headed back to Days of our Lives.

"We wanted all of you to be the first to know that we are back taping at the [Days of our Lives] studio," the pair announced together in a video that was shown to fans at the end of today's Day of DAYS festivities in Los Angeles.

The fan favorites then appeared in a special sneak peek video of what's ahead on Days of our Lives in the months ahead. The video, now on social media, premiered at the DAYS fan event.

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Nestled amongst a slew of shockers -- Marlena, Kate, and Kayla all die?! -- there were surprise scenes of both Alfonso and Reckell.

Alfonso and Reckell made waves earlier this year when they reprised their roles on the DAYS spinoff series Beyond Salem. It was in that five-episode second season that fans learned that Bo wasn't really dead. He had been holed up in a cryogenic chamber by Megan Hathaway.

Peter Reckell originated the character of Bo Brady on May 9, 1983. He played the character on-again, off-again until retiring from the role in 2016. Back in August 2021, rumors swirled that he would be returning to DAYS for a one-week stint, but the actor set the record straight by sharing that while he missed Bo, he was not heading back to Salem.

Kristian Alfonso began playing Hope Williams Brady in 1983 and, outside of two brief breaks in the late 80s and early 90s, remained with the NBC soap opera until October 2020, when she chose to exit. Alfonso revealed at the time that her decision to walk away from DAYS was prompted by executive producer Ken Corday telling her earlier in the year that Hope would be off camera for four to five months.

In addition to Alfonso and Reckell, Victoria Konefal (Ciara Brady) will also be popping back up in Salem. Earlier this week, Soap Central first reported on a video that surfaced of Konefal at the DAYs studio. Fans immediately wondered if the Emmy-winning actress would be returning to the show or if she was just visiting some of her friends on the show.

The blockbuster casting news comes hot on the heels of another bombshell announcement this week. Steve Burton will be reprising his role as Harris Michaels in the new year.

Meanwhile, Alfonso, Konefal, and Reckell are all already back filming scenes, and they will first air sometime in 2023. If that seems like an eternity away, here's some good news. As of the date this article was posted, there are just 50 days until the calendar flips over to 2023. And to help pass the time, check out the special extended DAYS preview below and let us know what you think in the Comments section below this article.

As a reminder for those who might have stopped watching Days of our Lives for some reason and those who might want to start watching, the soap no longer airs on NBC. To watch DAYS, you'll need a subscription to the Peacock streaming service. You can learn more about that here.

What is your reaction to the return of Kristian Alfonso and Peter Reckell?? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.

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