Notes From the Emmy Pressroom

Sexy Susan Lucci hosted the evening, but the other Susan ? Susan Flannery (Stephanie, The Bold and the Beautiful) ? walked away with the Outstanding Lead Actress statuette at the 27th annual Daytime Emmy Awards, handed out Friday night at Radio City Music Hall in New York. You only saw half the show if you just watched the telecast, so here's a look at what some of the winners said to the press backstage:

Flannery, who has played B&B's steel-willed matriarch for 13 years, was just as cool as her soap character when she realized she'd won Emmy gold ? but her pal wasn't so calm. "When they said my name, I hugged Ian Buchanan (ex-James, B&B) and he was shaking! And I thought, 'Wait a minute, who won?' "

Actually, Flannery maintains that all five nominees in her category are champs. "We had lunch today ? Hillary [B. Smith, Nora on One Life to Live] and Jess [Walton, The Young and the Restless's Jill] and Jeanne [Cooper, Katherine on Y&R] and Finola [Hughes, Alex on All My Children] all came. I thought it would be nice for us to have this time before the person who did win is announced, because until that time, we're all winners."

Sarah Brown (Carly, General Hospital), who picked up her third Emmy (but her first in the Supporting Actress category), cited one of her peers as the main reason she's staying with her soap. "There were a lot of things that went into my decision, not the least of which is the fact that I get to work with Maurice [Benard, who plays Sonny] this year. I learn from Maurice every day, and that's what's it's all about for me ? as long as I'm still learning, then I'm happy."

Shemar Moore thanked his co-stars during his acceptance speech, but the studly star started crying backstage when discussing what winning the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor means to him. "I don't know how it feels. I think I'm a little numb right now. You're witnessing a dream come true... not so much that I won the trophy, but what the trophy represents," he said, wiping away tears. "This is proof that I'm doing something right and the hard work pays off."

The actor joked that he won't be leaving home without his precious trophy. "I think I'm going to be like Susan [Lucci] and take it everywhere I go ? just to make sure it's real and that no one takes it from me," he quipped, referring to the hilarious short film of Lucci carting around her Emmy that opened the telecast.

That comedic clip was certainly cute, but it had nothing on li'l Camryn Grimes, who charmed the crowd when she won the Outstanding Younger Lead Actress Emmy. "I was freaked out," she told members of the press. "I didn't know what to do and I thought it was a dream!"

Another Y&R winner, head writer Kay Alden, was basking in the glow of winning her first Emmy as Y&R's head writer. "It's the most special thing that could ever happen," she said, adding, "There is nothing more intensely collaborative than writing daytime television, and I am very blessed to have the best team of collaborators."

Don't expect Alden to tamper with the tried-and-true Y&R style of carefully planned, deliberate storytelling that made the show famous. "We will stick to it. That's what I learned from Bill [Bell] and that's the tradition that I want to carry forward." Some other soaps can learn a lesson from this woman, me thinks!

Finally, dastardly Dick Clark cut short Wendy Riche's acceptance speech when GH was named Outstanding Drama series, but the exec was able to thank her ABC superiors and co-workers at GH in the pressroom. Riche also stated, in no uncertain terms, that there are no plans for Vanessa Marcil (Brenda) to return to the soap. "Stories go on, and the characters either live or don't live. Actors are individuals who make life choices, and we respect that. And we don't like to tease the audience. I wish the press wouldn't tease the audience."

Memo to Brenda fans: Made you look!