Sir David Attenborough, 99, breaks record as oldest Daytime Emmy winner

Sir David Attenborough, 99, has become the oldest-ever Daytime Emmy winner, surpassing Dick Van Dyke’s previous record.

The veteran broadcaster won the award for Daytime Personality, Non-Daily, as host of Netflix’s Secret Lives of Orangutans.

Attenborough, whose career as a writer, host, and narrator spans eight decades, was not present at the ceremony in Pasadena.

Van Dyke, 98, had earlier set the record in 2024 when he won as Guest Performer in a Daytime Drama Series for Days of Our Lives.

Other winners included Jonathan Jackson of General Hospital and first-time nominee Susan Walters of The Young and the Restless in the supporting acting categories.

Jackson accepted the award for his role as Lucky Spencer, which he first played in 1993. General Hospital also won trophies for Alley Mills as Guest Performer and for its writing team. Mills, 74, earned her second career win for portraying Heather Webber and is widely known for her role as the mother on The Wonder Years.

“We’re living in really dark times right now. Everything’s crazy,” Mills said at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. “We just got to keep our spirits high.”

Walters, who plays Diane Jenkins on CBS’s The Young and the Restless, expressed gratitude to her husband of 40 years, actor Linden Ashby, who also appears on the show.

The Young and the Restless led the nominations at the 52nd annual ceremony with 19 nods, competing alongside General Hospital and Days of Our Lives for Best Daytime Drama.