Jennifer Holliday recently popped into the Fairmont Crest Country Club for Easter brunch on Beyond the Gates. And now the show is serving up another celebrity guest appearance just before Mother’s Day. Food Network Personality Sunny Anderson joins the show for an episode next week. Here are the Comings & Goings for the week of May 4-8, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Sunny Anderson guest stars, crossing paths with Nicole and Carlton.
- Lia’s return brings Cecelia Specht and escalating threats in the plasma ring story.
- Ernestine Johnson’s Shanice pops in on Friday when the nurse’s conflict with Ted intensifies.
Special Guest Star Hits the DMV
Earlier this year, Sunny Anderson gave the entertainment world a heads-up that she had taped a walk-on role with Beyond the Gates. In addition to her work as a Food Network host, she is a member of the “Drew Crew” on The Drew Barrymore Show and is the show’s culinary expert.
In January, Anderson told Barrymore, Ross Matthews, and the talk show’s audience all about touring the BTG set. While she was in Atlanta, she filmed her cameo, and it’s finally about to air on Friday, May 8, just before Mother’s Day.
Her guest-star spot is featured in BTG’s weekly video preview. Look for the accomplished cook to cross paths with Dr. Nicole Dupree (Daphnée Duplaix) and her plastic surgeon date, Dr. Carlton Fitzgerald, played by Robert Christopher Riley.
Comings & Goings: The Week of May 4-8, 2026
On Monday, May 4, Kat talks to Lia, Garland Memorial’s chief of staff. This means Cecelia Specht will make an appearance in what could be totally unrelated to her character’s plasma ring drama. Specht will return on Thursday, when Lia’s criminal side takes center stage as she makes chilling threats against Jordi Vilasuso’s Grayson.
As for Vilasuso, look for the soap vet to take part in the action on May 7 and Friday, May 8 (possibly on Monday, too). The lab tech is part of the plasma ring story, which is really heating up next week. Maurice P. Kerry also joins the fun on Thursday when Joey (Jon Lindstrom) assigns Randy an urgent task.
In addition to Riley, Anderson, and Vilasuso’s Friday appearances, Ernestine Johnson is part of the mix when Shanice continues to clash with Ted (Keith D. Robinson) over his connection to Leslie Dana Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant).
