Dick Van Dyke becomes the oldest Daytime Emmy winner at age 98 for guest role on ‘Days of Our Lives’

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dick Van Dyke has won a historic Daytime Emmy at age 98.

The actor was honored Friday night as guest performer in a daytime drama series for his part as amnesiac Timothy Robicheaux on Peacock’s “Days of Our Lives,” making him the oldest Daytime Emmy winner.

“I don’t believe this. I feel like a spy from nighttime television,” he said. “I’m 98 years old. Can you believe it? This really tops off a lifetime of 80 years in the business. If I had known I would have lived this long I would’ve taken better care of myself.”

“General Hospital” won four trophies, including its fourth consecutive honor as best daytime drama. It’s the second time in the ABC show’s 61-year history that it won four daytime drama trophies in a row.

Robert Gossett of “General Hospital” won supporting actor honors. The first cousin to the late Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. was honored for the second straight year for his role as Marshall Ashford.

“General Hospital” also won the directing and writing categories.

Thorsten Kaye of “The Bold and the Beautiful” earned his second straight lead actor win for playing Ridge Forrester.

“I got to be very honest. I don’t like award shows. I didn’t like award shows until tonight,” he said. “The other thing that doesn’t make sense is that anyone can do this alone. You need a great boss who sees you and hears you. You need a cast that tolerates you. You need a whole village of people that have agreed that they’re not going to let you drown. I’ve have all of that.”

A clearly stunned Michelle Stafford of “The Young and the Restless” won best actress as Phyllis Summers, a trophy she first earned in 2004.

“I am honored to be an actor. It is the greatest gig. It is a privilege,” she said. “I’m honored to entertain people.”

Van Dyke received a standing ovation as he used a cane to make his way to the stage, accompanied by his wife, Arlene, who held the trophy.

“I brought this lady up because she was also on the show,” he said. “She played the cop who arrested me.”

Producer Norman Lear was 100 when he received his final Primetime Emmy nomination in 2022 and died the next year.

Van Dyke has won four Primetime Emmys, including three in the 1960s for his classic comedy series “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”

Van Dyke beat out last year’s winner Alley Mills of “General Hospital,” Australian actor Guy Pearce of Amazon Freevee’s “Neighbours,” Linden Ashby of “The Young and the Restless,” and Ashley Jones of “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

“The Kelly Clarkson Show” continued its domination of the daytime show category with a fourth consecutive victory. The singer, who moved her show from Los Angeles to New York last year, was on hand to collect the trophy.

“The move has been so great, not just for me and my family but for our whole show,” she said, singling out NBC. “Thank you for thinking of mental health and not just a product.”

Courtney Hope, who plays Sally Spectra on “The Young and the Restless,” earned supporting actress honors. She originated the role on “The Bold and the Beautiful” in 2017 before moving to “Y&R” in 2020.

Melody Thomas Scott, who has played Nikki Newman on “The Young and the Restless” for 45 years, and her producer-husband, Edward Scott, were honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Scott worked on “Y&R” for years before moving to his current job on “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

“I can’t tell you how encouraging a thing like this is,” joked Thomas Scott, who made her acting debut at age 8 in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Marnie.”

Her husband told the crowd, “I promise to do my very best to try to continue to amaze you.”

The wife-and-husband team of Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos won daytime talk series host for their “Live with Kelly and Mark.” Ina Garten won best culinary series for “Be My Guest” on Food Network.

The ceremony honoring soap operas, talk and game shows aired live on CBS from The Westin Bonaventure hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

The 51st annual Daytime Emmys returned to their usual place on the calendar, just six months after the show’s 50th edition aired in December after being pushed back because of last year’s Hollywood writers and actors strikes.

Beth Harris, The Associated Press