Okay, buckle up, soap fans! As the legendary sands keep pouring through the hourglass, Days of Our Lives is speeding towards a milestone that most shows only dream of: its 60th anniversary in November 2025. Can you believe it? Six decades of Salem drama, romance, and jaw-dropping twists! The producers are cooking up something massive, reportedly centered around a glamorous hospital gala set to reunite some of the show’s most beloved faces.

But amidst the confirmed returns and nostalgic buzz, there’s one name echoing louder in its absence than almost any other: Nicole Walker. Is the queen of complicated comebacks, played iconically by Arianne Zucker, about to make her triumphant return? The clues are piling up, and honestly, Salem just doesn’t feel quite right without her.

The Anniversary Guest List: Packed with Legends, But One Glaring Omission?
Get ready for a blast from the past! The 60th-anniversary bash promises to be epic. We already know that Salem icons like Jack (Matthew Ashford) and Jennifer Horton (Cady McClain, potentially?), the delightfully devious Tony (Thaao Penghlis) and Anna DiMera (Leann Hunley), fan-favorite Will Horton (Chandler Massey), and the supercouple to end all supercouples, Bo (Peter Reckell) and Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso)

, are expected to grace our screens again. (Source: Multiple reports including Soap Opera Digest previews). Even Eric Brady (Greg Vaughan) is confirmed to be back, stirring the pot as only he can.
It’s a lineup designed to hit every nostalgic note, a true celebration of the families and feuds that have kept us glued to our screens for generations.

Yet, with all these titans returning, the silence surrounding Nicole Walker is deafening. She’s not just any character; she’s woven into the very DNA of modern Days. Her absence from the confirmed list feels… intentional. Is it a red herring, or is something bigger brewing behind the scenes?

Whispers in the Script: Did Holly Just Drop a Bombshell Hint?
The writers at Days are masters of planting seeds, and they might have just dropped a big one. Remember EJ DiMera’s (Dan Feuerriegel) recent brush with death during that shooting storyline? In a moment of panic and desperation, his stepdaughter (and Nicole’s biological daughter), Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis), tried desperately to call her mom.

She couldn’t get through, but the mention itself was significant. Why name-drop Nicole, especially in such a high-stakes emotional moment, if there were zero plans for her return?
Think about it: Holly reaching out, needing her mother during a crisis involving the man Nicole was last involved with (EJ) – it’s classic soap setup.

It keeps Nicole relevant in the narrative, a presence felt even when she’s off-screen. Fans immediately latched onto this. Was it just a throwaway line, or was it the first breadcrumb on the trail leading back to Salem? Given the timing, with anniversary preparations likely well underway behind the scenes, it feels like more than a coincidence.

Whispers in the Script: Did Holly Just Drop a Bombshell Hint?
The writers at Days are masters of planting seeds, and they might have just dropped a big one. Remember EJ DiMera’s (Dan Feuerriegel) recent brush with death during that shooting storyline? In a moment of panic and desperation, his stepdaughter (and Nicole’s biological daughter), Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis), tried desperately to call her mom.

She couldn’t get through, but the mention itself was significant. Why name-drop Nicole, especially in such a high-stakes emotional moment, if there were zero plans for her return?
Think about it: Holly reaching out, needing her mother during a crisis involving the man Nicole was last involved with (EJ) – it’s classic soap setup.

It keeps Nicole relevant in the narrative, a presence felt even when she’s off-screen. Fans immediately latched onto this. Was it just a throwaway line, or was it the first breadcrumb on the trail leading back to Salem? Given the timing, with anniversary preparations likely well underway behind the scenes, it feels like more than a coincidence.

The Eric Brady Factor: A Love Story That Demands a Reckoning
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, or rather, the returning silver fox: Eric Brady. His return isn’t just another familiar face popping back into Salem; it’s the potential reignition of one of the show’s most iconic and volatile relationships.

Eric and Nicole – “Ericole” – are the definition of epic. Their love story spans decades, marked by scorching passion, devastating heartbreak, betrayal, forgiveness, and an undeniable magnetic pull that always seems to draw them back together, no matter the chaos they create.
With Eric back in town, potentially single and navigating his future, Nicole’s absence feels like a gaping hole in the story.

Their connection is unresolved, a tangled web of history and intense emotion. Can you imagine the scene? Picture the glittering 60th-anniversary gala. Eric is there, perhaps sharing a moment, maybe even a tentative smile with someone new. Suddenly, the doors swing open. Nicole Walker strides in, looking fabulous and fierce

, her eyes immediately finding Eric’s across the crowded room. The music swells, conversations halt, and you know EJ’s jaw would hit the floor. The tension, the history, the potential – it’s the kind of high-octane drama Days thrives on, and the perfect explosive ingredient for an anniversary celebration.

Nicole’s Tangled Web: Why Salem Still Needs Her Spark
Nicole Walker isn’t just defined by her relationship with Eric. Played with captivating nuance by Arianne Zucker for years, Nicole is a force of nature. She’s been a scheming vixen, a vulnerable victim, a fierce mother, a loyal friend, and a woman constantly battling her own impulses.She has deep, complicated ties to almost every major family in Salem – the Bradys, the Hortons, the Kiriakises (RIP Victor), and especially the DiMeras. Her history with Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney) alone is legendary!
Her departure earlier this year, clouded by real-life controversy involving Arianne Zucker’s lawsuit against the show’s production company and executive producer