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Will 'General Hospital' star Kelly Monaco return to the show? Turns out, there is a possibility

Monaco said, “Something I worked for decades to build… Slowly dismantling her, into a character that I did not recognize...Call it what you will...."

The realm of 'General Hospital' has always been full of surprises, but few events have caused as much uproar as Kelly Monaco’s departure from the iconic daytime soap opera. After playing the beloved character Sam McCall for 21 years, Monaco’s exit left fans outraged, igniting petitions and calls for executive producer Frank Valentini to be fired. Now the fans have only one question in mind—Is Monaco really returning to General Hospital in the new year? Sam McCall’s journey came to an abrupt end in the October 30 episodes of the show. After a successful surgery and a romantic engagement with Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna), Sam unexpectedly started crashing, leaving doctors unable to save her.

Heartbreaking for the viewers, this marked the end of an era for Monaco, who had prompted fans to fall in love with her character arch and impeccable storyline. Monaco played the role remarkably in over 2,000 episodes since 2003. However, Monaco’s departure wasn’t without controversy. In a since-deleted Instagram comment, she ḥinted at creative differences, writing; “‘No primary role’.. do your homework. When Billy Miller was fired, Sam’s storyline stopped. Stripping Sam of every characteristic she had…Something I worked for decades to build…” as reported by People magazine.

She further added, “Slowly dismantling her, into a character that I did not recognize, let alone the audience. Call it what you will… retaliation at it [sic] finest. I will give a proper statement. The truth will set you free.” It was a hard pill for her fans to swallow. Furious fans rallied around the actress, demanding her reinstatement and echoing agitation at the show’s shocking decision. Adding to the controversy, Monaco’s mother, Carmina, also came into the spotlight and shared her gratitude to fans for their unwavering support.

In an emotional Instagram post, Carmina shared, “I want to take this moment to reach out to Kelly’s incredible fans and express my deepest gratitude for the unwavering love, loyalty, and support you’ve shown her throughout her time on 'General Hospital'…This moment is a difficult one, but knowing that she has had such an incredible, devoted fan base has given her strength…We will always be grateful for you standing with her through it all.” In the unpredictable world of soap operas, no character can be gone for good, there’s always a chance for a comeback. Rumor has it that McCall could return through creative storytelling. One potential  angle involves the revelation of a secret twin sister raised by the Cassadine family ( a classic soap opera twist one can see coming.) This rumor has given fans hope of Monaco returning to the series.

As per Mirror, Dominic Zamprogna, who played Dante, reflected on his time working with Monaco, saying; "You become fast friends with people that you work with like that. You’re in the trenches of 14, 15-hour days and shooting nights, and everyone in the crew becomes like family, your castmates become like family — you argue and love each other like family do, and the three-and-a-half years that we were together on the show were a big, important time of my life and in my character’s life.” Despite her exit, reports have confirmed that Monaco’s journey is still not over yet and she is all set to make one final appearance soon.