Fans of Maurice Benard’s podcast State of Mind have been eagerly awaiting its next episode, and now, the General Hospital star has teased its return and revealed the Daytime Emmy-winning guest joining him.
On November 1, 2025, Benard shared on X (formerly Twitter) that State of Mind will return Sunday, November 16, with his General Hospital co-star Genie Francis as the featured guest.
Francis joined General Hospital in 1977 as Laura Vining. She’s widely credited by fans and industry experts as being one of the driving forces behind the soap’s late-70s resurgence, helping save it from cancellation thanks to the popularity of her pairings with Scotty Baldwin (Kin Shriner) and later Luke Spencer (Tony Geary).
Francis’s chemistry with Geary was legendary, propelling General Hospital to the top of the Nielsen ratings. Their characters 1981 wedding remains the most-watched soap opera episode in television history.
Francis has remained a staple of General Hospital ever since, returning to the series in 2018 for her current run.
Fans React
Fans were quick to celebrate the announcement.
One X user noted the timing of the Daytime Emmy-winner’s appearance remarking, “When I heard Genie was going to be on I said to myself “Wonder if it will air around the 44th anniversary of the most watched wedding in soap history? ” Tune in folks and let’s see if this will be the record breaking episode of @mbstateofmind #LnL #GH #soaproyalty”
While a second user shared on Instagram, “👏👏👏 Yay! Go @mauricebenard — your show has really helped me. Your shows have also been very insightful, sharing other people’s personal journeys. I love watching and listening and relating to them. Thank you. ❤️” and a third added on Instagram, “Thank you for your honesty, and for leading open discussions about mental health. I am sooo excited for your next episode with Genie!! ❤️❤️”
State of Mind with Maurice Benard is available on YouTube and all major podcasting platforms. New episodes return Sunday, November 16.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Nov 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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