Moments from the Daytime Emmys...

BEST SPEECH: Tyra Banks, hands down. Here is the best part: "They said "The Tyra Banks Show" would last two weeks, and we are entering our fourth season this September. And I just have a message for everybody out there. When you have a dream, there are going to be many people that tell you that you cannot do it, that you are not good enough. And I want you to tell them to kiss your dimply, flat, juicy, bootilicious, skinny, jiggly, saggy, fat ass."

MOST WINS: Anthony Geary, who has played Luke Spencer on "General Hospital" for about 30 years, showed, once again, that his performance and his character remain the best in daytime televisioin - with or without Laura! After picking up his record sixth Emmy Award for outstanding actor, Geary reflected backstage on why he was so emotional about it: "It gets more exciting. Soap operas are becoming the young persons game so at my age, I become more excited every time I'm nominated."

LONGTIME COMING: Jeanne Cooper, at last, won the Emmy for outstanding lead actress for her longtime role on "The Young and the Restless." The 79-year-old actress had a hilarious opening line to her speech: "I bet you thought I died." Then the xx-year-old reflected on how unforgiving technology can be on one's features: "Oh dear...high definition, it;s a bitch, isn't it?"
Backstage, Miss Cooper said she only made up her kind to come to the kudofest on Monday after some pressure from various higher ups on the show and the network. Her win, she said, "is totally shocking to me. So many good, performances turned in. It's always shocking (pause) When you lose...There are about three times I thought I should have (won)" "I received lifetime achievement award and that, of course, is a thrill, a big thrill. Winning was a different kind of thrill:"

HOSTS WITH THE MOST: Big kudos to Cameron Mathison and Sherri Shepard who brought so much energy and fun to their jobs and, in the process, re-invigorated the entire Daytime Emmys franchise. Producers wisely had nominees sitting at tables like the Golden Globe Awards and this allowed our completely charming hosts to mingle with the high profile guests like Barbara Walters and other nominees. ABC would be very wise to ask these two back in the future. Sherri looked sensationally slim in all three of her outfits and Cameron is so good looking that you want to slap him but don't because he also seems like a genuinely nice guy. He told us backstage that while the hosting part of his career has taken off, "All My Children" remains his top gig because it's like family and, frankly, "it pays the best." Meanwhile, Sherri thinks the two of them should headline some kind of sitcom together.

In closing, I have some thoughts about this whole Daytime Emmy Awards experience. The funny thing about daytime stars is that when you see one like Susan Lucci or one that is on a show you watch like Van Hansis, you get excited and want to talk to them. But if you don 't watch their show, you could have no idea who the heck they are. You totally blow them off on the red carpet and an hour later, they are on national television accepting an Emmy! But whoever they are, I've never seen a group more accessible to their fans and to the press. It was such a fun event because of all the good vibes in the air. I had a great time!