The wait is over. Steve Burton is back on General Hospital as Jason Morgan. As evidenced by what viewers have seen already, Jason is wasting no time in getting back into the thick of things. Fans of the actor tuned in to see him, and, according to Burton’s social media, a former leading lady from GH was among those who were curious to see his big return.

Steve Burton: Jason Westbourne

“My first [GH] show back!” Burton enthused in a video taken in the show’s parking lot that he posted on Instagram. “I’ll be doing a live [show] later this week or next week for Daily Drama to talk my first week back!”

In the comments section, Burton’s former leading lady, Kelly Thiebaud (ex-Dr. Britt Westbourne) posted, “I guess I need to tune in today and see where you’ve been hiding!” Responses to the Daytime Emmy-winner’s remark were swift and enthusiastic. Elainea63 replied: “hahha that is right he left you hanging…can you come back from the dead already!” Another poster, themitchellbunch4 chimed in: “too bad you couldn’t come back with him.” Added moon_child_0705: “you need to come back too! We miss you.”

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While Jason’s body was never found after that cave-in in late 2021, allowing for the character’s return to be more plausible, Britt, alas, died on-screen. She went out as a true heroine, saving Josslyn’s (Eden McCoy) life. Poor Britt died thinking that Jason was already dead. “I love him so much,” Thiebaud told Soap Hub about working with Burton. “What a genuine, funny, kind, and supportive person. I feel so lucky to work with him. I’m really excited that this chemistry came out of nowhere.”

Thiebaud had been around soaps long enough by the time the show put Jason and Dr. Westbourne together (hence, the couple’s handle — “Jason Westbourne,’ a nod to the Matt Damon superspy), there would be reactions from various fan bases. “I get the ‘JaSam’ fans are diehards,” she said at the time. “[But] people are loving us together. I know it’s hard for people to embrace change. [Some] may not like what’s going on but there may be a part of them that is also interested.”

The actress, who reunited with her GH pals last December at the 50th Annual Daytime Emmys as a nominee, said about a year ago that she wanted Britt to die so that she could have closure with the character. Asked about a return anyway, she thoughtfully responded, “We all know you can always come back on soaps,” she says. “[But], personally, I needed [Britt] to die so that I, Kelly, can move on from that character. [Coming back] would need to be done in a special way. I don’t know if I would want to do that…it was a tough, a very tough decision [to leave]. I feel bad about it, but also, I was happy about it.”