Merry delirium at Daytime Emmys

Minutes after winning a Daytime Emmy last weekend — as the oldest person ever to do so — Dick Van Dyke ambled towards me inside the Westin Bonaventure in L.A.

- SHINAN GOVANI

Thorsten Kaye of "The Bold and the Beautiful" earned his second straight lead actor win at the Daytime Emmy Awards last week for playing Ridge Forrester.

He was 98 years young, with a spring in his gait — plus a cane and Taylor Swift-sized entourage. A security guard asked me to make some room in the lobby. Gladly. Respect. But just as I was shuffling along, a woman I recognized to be the fabulous Finola Hughes — who has played ex-spy sophisticate Anna Devane on “General Hospital” since 1985 — came sprinting outta nowhere, panting. “We love you, Dick!” she shouted, as Mr. Mary Poppins vamoosed.

Ah, yes, life inside the annual ceremony honouring daytime drama, talk and game shows — a merry, down-to-earth delirium.

Think Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and a 100-plus soap stars. My kinda party. So why was Mr. Van Dyke here? Turns out that the legend goes to the same gym (yup, gym!) as Drake Hogestyn, a.k.a. the eyebrow-raising John Black — of John and Marlena fame — on “Days of Our Lives.” The soap vet suggested that Van Dyke appear on the long-running serial (it turns 60 soon!). One thing led to another, which led to Van Dyke’s guest turn as amnesiac Timothy Robicheaux, who was actually the long-lost father of John (a character with enough backstories to fill the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe).