Daytime Divas Draw As Lucci Loses Again
Talk show divas Oprah and Rosie fought to a draw Wednesday night in the 24th annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony. And Susan Lucci lost again.
Tears streamed down Rosie O’Donnell’s face as she accepted the award for best talk show host. She remembered sitting in Radio City Music Hall watching “The Nutcracker Suite” with her mother and sister as a child.
“I feel as though they have guided me in my life,” she said on the show, telecast live on ABC.
“The Oprah Winfrey Show” was named outstanding talk show for the fourth consecutive year. It was the 26th Emmy for the show since it began more than a decade ago. Victory is becoming such old hat Winfrey didn’t even bother coming on stage.
Perennial loser Lucci was nominated for the 17th time as best actress in a soap opera for her role as Erica Kane on “All My Children.” For the 17th time, she lost, to first-time nominee Jess Walton of “The Young and the Restless.”
Lucci, who has parlayed her long losing streak into a second career, joked about it with fellow co-host Regis Philbin. Philbin and “Live With Regis & Kathie Lee have received 27 nominations with no victories.
“I’ve never won a Daytime Emmy,” Philbin said, “and I’m getting pretty steamed about it.”
Lucci replied: “We all sympathize with you, Regis.”
Pat Sajak won his second award as best game show host for his role spinning the “Wheel of Fortune.” Veteran Bob Barker’s show, “The Price is Right,” won for best game show.
Sajak beat out veterans Bob Barker, Alex Trebek and Al Roker. Barker’s “The Price is Right” had earlier won the award for best game show.
Actor Tim Robbins paid tribute to “the best neighbor any of us ever had,” children’s show host Fred Rogers, looking out of place in a tuxedo instead of a the sweater he wears on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
“It’s a beautiful night in this neighborhood,” Rogers said. He called for 10 seconds of silence for audience members to privately thank the people who made them what they are.
Michelle Stafford, who played the “dangerously neurotic” hyllis on “The Young and the Restless” until leaving the show recently, fought back tears as she accepted the award for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series. It was her first Daytime Emmy.
“There is no best tonight,” she said. “I just got lucky.”
On his fourth try, Ian Buchanan won his first Daytime Emmy for best supporting actor for his role as James on “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
Comedian Louie Anderson won his first Daytime Emmy for his animated series, “Life With Louie.”