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What Happened to Bo Brady on DAYS OF OUR LIVES

Bo Brady on DAYS OF OUR LIVES is still very much missed by both the characters on the soap as well as the viewers. Introduced back in 1983, the character was first played by Peter Reckell. In 1992, the role was recast with Robert Kelker-Kelly, but Reckell reclaimed his role in 1995 and continued to play Bo until 2015, when the character met a tragic end. Reckell has reprised his role for spectral visits from beyond the grave both on DAYS and more recently on DAYS: BEYOND SALEM.

When Bo first arrived in Salem, he was a bad boy in a leather jacket and immediately fell for upper-class beauty Hope Williams. However, her father, Doug, didn’t approve, and Hope agreed to marry Larry Welch. But Bo kidnapped her from the wedding ceremony on his motorcycle and professed his love. She was actually forced to marry Larry against her will, but once the villain was dispatched, Bo and Hope were finally married in a beautiful ceremony.

Days of Our Lives Bo Hope wedding
Bo and Hope were always destined to be together until the end.NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

Having grown up believing his parents were Caroline Brady and Shawn Brady, Bo was stunned to learn that his real father was Victor Kiriakis. In the hopes of bringing down the villain, Bo claimed he wanted to be part of the Kiriakis family and moved into the mansion. Victor tried to bring his son into the fold, but Bo resisted. After Hope gave birth to their son, Shawn Douglas, Bo took his entire family out of Salem to sail around the world.

After a few years, they returned, and Bo was crushed when Hope was believed dead. He later developed feelings for Carly Manning, but it was Victor who actually married the doctor after she helped him recuperate from a stroke! Learning that Victor had manipulated her into tying the knot, Carly went to Bo, but he pushed her away because he was dying of a deadly virus. Carly managed to create a cure and save his life. Angry, Victor tried to kill Bo, but Carly was injured instead. Victor then faked his death and Carly was accused of his murder. After tracking Victor down in Mexico, Bo and Carly planned a wedding but Bo was kidnapped the night before the ceremony!

Bo and Carly were soon reunited, but she was drawn back to her ex, Lawrence Alamain and they left Salem together. Bo moved on with Billie Reed and they were even married, but it didn’t last long once Hope returned and she simply couldn’t compete with his feelings for her. Unfortunately, as Hope and Bo were about to be married, a misunderstanding caused her to dump him, and while on an undercover mission, Bo was forced to marry Billie! But they actually continued their relationship and Billie gave birth to their daughter, Georgia.

DAYS Bo and Billie Wedding - NBC
Bo looked a little different at his wedding to Billie.NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

But Bo couldn’t stay away from Hope, and he found himself investigating her past. No one realized that Hope had been replaced by Princess Gina until “Hope” shot Shawn Douglas. When Bo brought the real Hope home, she was very pregnant with a child that couldn’t be his, and this led to a complicated paternity story where they found out their child was switched at birth with the one Lexie adopted. In the end, Bo and Hope got custody of Isaac and they shortened his name to Zack. 

During the Salem Stalker killings, Bo was devastated by the deaths of Roman and Caroline but grateful to find them and other “murdered” Salemites on a remote island. Then he reconnected with Billie and they learned their daughter was still alive and living in Salem under the name of Chelsea Benson. Tragically, the young woman killed Zack in a hit and run accident and this caused Bo and Hope to separate. When Hope later got pregnant, Patrick Lockhart was believed to be the father, but it turned out that Bo was the father of her daughter, Ciara Brady

Days of Our Lives Bo Hope Ciara
“She’s definitely got your eyes.”Paul Skipper/jpistudios.com

Returning from a trip to Ireland, Shawn died in a plane crash and Bo mourned his father. Bo was also suffering from pancreatic cancer, so Victor brought Daniel Jonas to Salem to help save his life. Although he remained with a newly-returned Carly, Bo supported Hope even as she went to prison for some violent attacks that were a side effect of a medication she was taking. Eventually, Carly left town for rehab, and Bo and Hope were finally reunited. But after he left town to take Caroline to a facility for Alzheimer’s treatment, she came back without him and Bo contacted Hope to reveal he was on a mission and wouldn’t be coming back.

Actually, Bo was being held prisoner and tortured for years, and was finally rescued by Steve Johnson. Brought home to Salem, Bo was hurt to find that Hope was engaged to marry Aiden Jennings. After finding Hope unconscious in her home, Bo fought and killed the assailant, who was revealed to be Aiden! Bo was thrilled to be reunited with his daughter, Ciara, but Kayla informed her brother that he had a brain tumor and his body was so ravaged by the torture that he couldn’t handle any kind of treatment. Bo reunited with Hope and celebrated at a welcome home party with his family. Later, he confided to Hope about his tumor and eventually passed away with her by his side.

Days of Our Lives Bo dies
Hope was devastated to lose her true love forever.Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

Bo has made some spectral appearances to Hope in the years since, but this is DAYS, so you never know — people have come back from the dead so many times on this soap! Stay tuned to see how his family continues to live on while remembering him and if he makes any more visits.

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