DAYS' Nichols and Evans Fired!

Soap Opera Digest is reporting that Mary Beth Evans (Kayla) and Stephen Nichols (Steve), who returned to DAYS OF OUR LIVES in 2006, have been let go. "It's like they're getting rid of everyone over 40," sighs a setside source.

Deidre Hall (Marlena) and Drake Hogestyn (John) were fired in November, and Thaao Penghlis (Tony) was fired last week.

In an inteview with Digest back in November, Executive Producer Ken Corday explained that NBC renewed the show, but at a "greatly reduced" fee that necessitates major cuts. He said at the time: "The state of NBC and DAYS is not the same as it was six months ago. We're lucky that we're still on the air for 20 months, with possibly another year after that."

Penghlis wrote in his website earlier this week: "At least I'm in good company and I did live through the best of DAYS."