Soap Dirt published articles on November 27, 2025, ranking the five worst romances from the inaugural season of Beyond the Gates and the 2025 storylines of Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and General Hospital. These retrospectives highlight toxic pairings, betrayals, and fan-disliked couples across the CBS, Peacock, and ABC soaps. The lists draw from ongoing narratives involving infidelity, schemes, and family conflicts.
Overview of 2025 Soap Romances
The articles from Soap Dirt provide year-end summaries as 2025 concludes for these daytime dramas. Each list counts down five problematic couples, focusing on elements like toxicity, lack of chemistry, and dramatic fallout. For instance, Beyond the Gates, CBS's new soap, features tangled affairs and criminal entanglements in its debut season.
Beyond the Gates Highlights
Ranked pairings include Tomas Navarro's affairs with sisters Kat Richardson and Eva Thomas, marked by dishonesty and family feuds; Hayley and Bill Hamilton's betrayal-filled marriage; the unfulfilled Ashley Morgan and Andre Richardson connection; Vanessa McBride and Joey Armstrong's crime-tinged romance; and the top-worst, Leslie Thomas and Ted Richardson's obsessive history. As noted, 'What she and Ted have is never going to be anything but a very, very bad romance.'
Other Soaps' Worst Pairings
Days of Our Lives lists Jada Hunter and Rafe Hernandez's infidelity-riddled end, Brady Black and Ava Vitale's family interference, EJ DiMera and Belle Black's public fallout, Chad DiMera and Cat Green's family opposition, and Sophia Choi and Tate Black's deceptive obsession. The Young and the Restless covers Daniel Romalotti and Tessa Porter's controversial shift, Chelsea Lawson and Adam Newman's dull dynamic, Nate Hastings and Audra Charles's betrayals, Jordan Howard and Ian Ward's villainous alliance, and Claire Newman and Kyle Abbott's controlling toxicity.
The Bold and the Beautiful critiques Brooke Logan and Nick Marone's fizzled return, Ridge Forrester and Taylor Hayes' repetitive cycle, Remy Pryce's obsession with Electra Forrester, Luna Nozawa and Will Spencer's manipulation, and the top, Carter Walton and Hope Logan's illogical pairing. General Hospital includes Cody Bell and Ava Jerome's schemed flirtation, Sonny Corinthos and DA Justine Turner's teased mismatch, Jason Morgan and Anna Devane's near-miss, Carly Spencer and Jack Brennan's betrayal turn, and the worst, Drew Cain and Willow Tait's scandalous affair.
These summaries reflect fan sentiments and storyline impacts without spoilers beyond the rankings.