Monaco Places Third!

Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani may have won DANCING WITH THE STARS: ALL-STARS, but Kelly Monaco (Sam, GENERAL HOSPITAL) didn’t let her third place finish get her down. “We were shocked every week that we still made it,” she told Soaps In Depth after the show. “We made it to the finale and we are winners [for making it this far]. I feel excellent. I can’t wait to pop open a bottle of Dom Perignon in my trailer and get on an airplane. I’m really excited.”

After flying to New York City and doing more press for the reality series, Monaco will return to LA and her role on GH after having a couple of weeks off. “I’m back to work on Monday,” she said of returning to the soap after this experience. “That’s when I think it’ll hit me. I think I’m going to go through a little bit of a depression. It’ll be weird. Thank God I have a whole group of amazing people over at GH that are going to make me feel like I’m not totally crazy!”

Speaking of her castmates, the amateur hoofer had the usual cheering section in the audience, including on-screen mom and sis Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) and Haley Alexis Pullos (Molly). “She was absolutely amazing,” Pullos gushed to us after Monaco took third. “I have never been more proud in my whole life.”

“She blew my mind this whole season with her focus and commitment and courage,” Grahn added. “She has my deepest respect. I see her in a much deeper, better way. This was really fun to watch. It was also insanely impressive to watch.”