Soap Opera Couples With No Chemistry

Published on September 22, 2020. Updated October 27, 2022

Not every soap opera couple is created equally. While some have tremendous amounts of chemistry, there are others that have very little. Here are soap opera couples from Days of Our Lives (DOOL), Young and the Restless (Y&R), General Hospital (GH) and Bold and the Beautiful (B&B) who lacked in the chemistry department!

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42. Days of Our Lives: Sarah and Rex

No wonder all Sarah could think about was Eric! While Rex was desperate to hold on to Sarah at all costs, it was clear these two wouldn’t last too long. Not only did he cheat on her, but she was also in love with his brother. All’s well that ends well, and thankfully Rex left town and they went their separate ways.

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41. Young and the Restless: Chelsea and Billy

The Billy character has gone through a ton of recasts over the years, and one that didn’t quite fit the bill (pun intended) was when actor Burgess Jenkins was in the role. During his stint, he had a love affair with Chelsea Lawson that flopped. The two just didn’t seem right together.

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40. General Hospital: Michael and Sabrina

Michael has had a very hard go in the relationship department on GH, and hasn’t truly been able to click with many women over the years. Another failed attempt at chemistry was his romance with Sabrina Santiago, who seemed to have more of a spark with her criminal ex-husband Carlos Rivera than poor Michael.

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39. Bold and the Beautiful: Sally Spectra Sr. and Eric Forrester

Viewers were in on Eric’s big secret – he was dating Sally to catch her in the act of stealing Forrester designs. When Eric proposed to her, she had the stolen designs taken out of her fashion show. Stephanie called her out on it and smashed up her (glass) engagement ring. This was a fun storyline at the time but the two actors (John McCook and Darlene Conley) as a couple just didn’t have the right romantic chemistry and watching Eric kiss Sally was cringe-worthy.

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38. Days of Our Lives: Eve and Jack

There are many reasons why Jack and Eve were not a good fit after he strolled back into Salem. First off, Eve had been manipulating Deveraux; secondly, most fans wanted to see him reunite with Jennifer Horton; and thirdly, they had zero sparks between them. They were never a good fit, but their hook up did make an interesting storyline.

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37. Young and the Restless: Gloria and Jack

It was just a one-night stand that could’ve been so much more. The fact that Gloria and Jack had been at each other’s throats for so long made for a perfect love story after their drunken romp. Unfortunately, the two lacked chemistry and their storyline affair was swept under the rug rather swiftly.

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36. General Hospital: Michael and Nelle

Will Michael Corinthos ever catch a break at love? It seems that he may just have a type, and here’s hoping he can shake his “bad girl” syndrome. Sure, Michael and Nelle lacked true chemistry, but in all fairness, it was mainly due to the fact that she manipulated the heck out of him and his family.

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35. Bold and the Beautiful: Hope Logan and Wyatt Spencer

It was obvious from the get-go that Hope and Wyatt were never meant to be together, so when she married him the day after her true love Liam (Wyatt’s brother) was a few minutes late meeting her under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it was nothing but awkward. Their romantic scenes together were stilted at best and this coupling that lacked chemistry was over when Hope lost their baby and moved to Italy.

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34. Days of Our Lives: Hope and Rafe

Hope and Rafe are another case of two good-looking characters that seem like they should be great together, but weren’t. Could it be that Hope will never be able to be happy with anyone but Bo? Or was it that the coupling of Rope simply lacked chemistry? Probably a bit of both.

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33. Young and the Restless: Tessa and Noah

Perhaps these two were pulled together to set up the Mariah and Tessa love story. After all, you don’t see a sister stealing her brother’s girlfriend every day, and it was a storyline unique to the land of daytime drama. It wasn’t too hard for Mariah to snag Tessa away from Noah, as the two had little to zero passion between them.

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32. General Hospital: Julian and Kim

They look cute together, communicate well, and Kim really has gotten the best version of Julian Jerome GH fans have seen in years; however, they lack in the chemistry department. No incredible sparks fly when Kim is around Julian, and sometimes it feels like they were just thrown together because Kim is one of the rare characters that doesn’t have a history with Julian yet.

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31. Bold and the Beautiful: Ivy Forrester and Liam Spencer

Another discomfited romance, which began due to Liam’s tardiness in meeting Hope in Paris, was the relationship between Ivy and Liam. Liam had jumped into the Seine River to save Ivy after Quinn had pushed her off a bridge, causing him to miss his appointment with Hope. After his heroic deed, Ivy started to look at Liam with stars in her eyes. Although the actors tried to make the storyline work, they didn’t even come close to burning up the screen. Luckily, when Liam’s ex-wife Steffy came back to town, this painful couple’s relationship was done.

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30. Days of Our Lives: Will and Paul

Will Horton returning from the dead in 2017 was an explosive storyline! While many DOOL fans were hoping for a WilSon reunion, Horton’s memory loss slowed that process down, and Will found himself fond of Paul, Sonny’s finance. The fact that Will turned to Paul and not Sonny was an interesting watch, but the Paul/Will couple lacked the passion that WilSon has.

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29. Young and the Restless: Mariah and Kevin

Maybe it’s not that surprising that Tessa caught Mariah’s eye. While Y&R fans had been shocked about the feelings she had for her BFF, as she was involved with men for the most part, her past relationships in Genoa City should have offered a hint. First off, Mariah’s couple status with Devon lacked chemistry, plus she and Kevin had very little sparks together and made better friends than lovers.

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28. General Hospital:  Kevin and Laura

Laura has had some incredible romances in the past, and it can be hard for anyone to stack up to the same chemistry she had in the past with Scott Baldwin, and of course, Luke Spencer. With that said, she and Kevin may not have sparks flying everywhere with their romance, but they do have a good and honest relationship, with very little drama (well, when Kevin’s brother Ryan isn’t around).

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27. Bold and the Beautiful: Katie Logan and Ridge Forrester

When Ridge came back to town after a one-year absence he was a new man, literally. Ron Moss had left the show, was replaced with Thorsten Kaye and the writers decided to pair him up with Katie (Heather Tom), which was a big mistake. Katie feigned a heart attack at Ridge’s wedding to her sister Brooke just before they were pronounced man and wife, and so began the incredibly boring relationship between Ridge and Katie. The first time this couple made love, they seemed so incompatible that it was difficult to watch. When Ridge pledged his heart to her, he presented her with a red ribbon to wear around her finger, instead of an engagement ring. It felt like a bad joke the writers were playing on viewers. Due to the lack of chemistry between the two, and Ridge’s growing attraction to Caroline, this relationship finally ended.

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26. Days of Our Lives: Kate and John

Back in the early 2000s, Kate Roberts and John Black hooked up after both of their spouses winded up dead thanks to the serial killer storyline that rocked Salem. When it was discovered that Roman and Marlena were in fact alive on Melaswen Island, they broke up and went back to their partners. Probably the best idea since they were never the best fit.

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25. Young and the Restless: Natalie and Kevin

Speaking of Kevin, remember his fling with Natalie Soderberg? Viewers may not for many reasons. First and foremost, Natalie wasn’t on the soap for a very long time, and also, the two lacked chemistry. She did bear a striking resemblance to Chloe Mitchell; however, as soon as Chloe did pop back into town, Kevin dropped Natalie like a bad habit.

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24. General Hospital: Finn and Anna

Two gorgeous and interesting characters should have sparks flying everywhere, right? Not always the case! Maybe it’s because GH viewers miss seeing Anna with Duke, or maybe it’s because many want to ultimately see Finn with Hayden, but at the end of the day, these two just don’t feel right together.

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23. Bold and the Beautiful: Taylor Hayes and Eric Forrester

When Taylor and Eric got together, shortly after his wife Stephanie died, the actors seemed stilted and uncomfortable and watching them together was about as exciting as watching paint dry. These two just didn’t click and when Taylor revealed at a birthday party for Brooke that Brooke had been expecting with Bill (Brooke’s sister Katie’s husband) but had lost the baby, Eric was angry enough with Taylor to break up with her for good.

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22. Days of Our Lives: Eve and Brady

It was cute to see Brady fall in love with Eve in 2017. After all, the entire thing was a sham, as he was looking to gain back control of Titan. While it was a beautiful thing to see Brady’s scheme flop, and it made for interesting daytime television, the couple lacked true chemistry.

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21. Young and the Restless: Sabrina and Victor

While there was a huge age gap, Victor and Sabrina did make a lovely couple. She truly brought out the best in The Moustache, and he did everything he could to make her happy. Her passing was devastating to Newman, and while it was clear he loved her very much, he didn’t have the same chemistry with Sabrina as he has shared with Nikki.

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20. General Hospital: Franco and Liz

This may be a controversial entry because many GH fans just love the Friz couple while others are completely annoyed by the two lovebirds. Regardless, Liz Webber has had some intense relationships in the past filled with chemistry, sparks, and the whole shebang. While exes should not be compared, what she had with Jason, Drew, not to mention her time with Lucky, just seemed far more passionate that what she has shared with Franco over the years.

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19. Bold and the Beautiful: Brooke Logan and Whip Jones

Whip Jones was clearly in love with Brooke Logan (what man on B&B isn’t?) and her money, so he jumped at the chance to marry and blackmail her at the same time. Brooke had zero feelings for Whip and the two actors (Katherine Kelly Lang and Rick Hearst) did not even pretend they had any chemistry together. The only reason Brooke wanted to marry Whip was to pass him off as the father of the child she was carrying when the father of that child was actually none other than Deacon Sharpe, her daughter Bridget’s husband. Whip knew this and blackmailed Brooke. The scenes between Brooke and Whip didn’t have a flicker of excitement and once Brooke’s secret was out, their marriage was quickly annulled.

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18. Days of Our Lives: Adrienne and Lucas

The pairing of Lucas and Adrienne never felt right. It could be because fans just loved seeing Adrienne with Justin, or perhaps it was simply because this couple didn’t have any sparks between them in the least. Even when Bonnie was impersonating Adrienne to seduce Lucas, there was no chemistry onscreen that was felt by the audience.

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17. Young and the Restless: Nikki and Jack

Speaking of lovely couples, Jack always brought out the best in Nikki. The two have had an on-again/off-again relationship, and it always seems like whenever Nikki has had enough of Victor’s shenanigans she runs to Abbott. Having said that, she continues to run back to Victor in the end, as she and Jack simply don’t share that romantic intensity she gets from The Moustache.

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16. General Hospital: Morgan and Ava

Could it be been the huge age gap between these two, or the fact that Ava Jerome seemed more suited for Morgan Corinthos’ dad (Sonny) and Morgan seemed to fair better with Ava’s daughter (Kiki Jerome)? Regardless, the two just never seemed to have any real chemistry between them, despite their rollercoaster storyline. Perhaps the real root behind this was the simple fact that while Morgan was clearly in love with Ava, self-involved Ava has only ever really been in love with herself. It could also have been the tremendous amount of lies that circled the relationship from the get-go thanks to the conniving Jerome.

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15. Bold and the Beautiful: Maya Avant and Carter Walton

Pushed together by Caroline in order to break up Maya and Rick, Carter and Maya never really clicked or connected as a couple. Caroline had arranged for the pair to film Room 8, a web series, together and there was very little chemistry between the two characters, even on this show within a show. Caroline succeeded in breaking up Rick and Maya and Maya treated Carter like he was her consolation prize, even when he proposed to her. So it came as no surprise that Maya spurned his advances when Carter recently told her he still loved her, as the two had never had any chemistry together.

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14. Days of Our Lives: Chloe and Lucas

Poor Lucas has hit the list twice, but don’t feel too bad for him. He has had some incredible relationships with Carrie and Sami Brady, not to mention Nicole Walker. Having said that, Lucas and Chloe hooked up a few times over the years; however, they lacked a certain passion and intensity to ever stay together for the long haul.

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13. Young and the Restless: Sharon and Jack

When Phyllis and Nick had an affair on their spouses, Jack and Sharon fell into each other’s arms. What’s that old saying about misery loving company? Unfortunately, there was zero chemistry between the two, but the good news is that Jack and Sharon remain really good friends to this day despite being exes.

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12. General Hospital: Kiki and Michael

Speaking of Kiki, this spitfire flew into Port Charles in 2012 and rocked daytime screens everywhere with her hot and steamy love scenes with then-boyfriend, Morgan. Instantly finding herself embroiled in a love triangle between two brothers (Morgan, and his half-brother Michael Quartermaine), she ultimately found love with Michael. Alas, the chemistry was not there, and the couple fizzled just as quickly as they sparked. There’s nothing that daytime soap fans love more than a woman coming between two brothers; however, the Kiki and Michael love story became bland. Perhaps the two were just way too different to provide viewers with anything substantial.

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11. Bold and the Beautiful: Taylor Hayes and Rick Forrester

It looked like B&B writers had run out of men to hook-up with Taylor when she suddenly became involved with Brooke’s son Rick. You’d think a liaison as scandalous as theirs would be sizzling hot but it didn’t even hit lukewarm status. The actors’ lack of chemistry together seemed fitting, as the only real thing Rick and Taylor had in common was Phoebe – Rick’s ex and Taylor’s daughter. When Phoebe found out about the affair it had heartbreaking consequences – a car crash with Rick driving and Phoebe dying. Her death abruptly ended the relationship between Rick and Taylor.

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10. Days of Our Lives: Claire and Tripp

Perhaps Claire’s mental health issues could be to blame, but she and Tripp never truly had a spark. In fact, it just seemed as if they were thrown together because there simply were no other younger characters to place them with. At the end of the day, Claire’s antics did make for a good storyline.

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9. Young and the Restless: Vicky and Stitch

Hot doctor with a great personality? Stitch Rayburn seemed like the perfect boyfriend! How could anyone that good-looking not bring out the chemistry in any relationship? Sadly, this was the case when he hooked up with Victoria Newman some years back. The two wouldn’t last, and Stitch would end up moving on to Abby (and even that relationship wasn’t as epic as it should have been).

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8. General Hospital: Luke and Anna

Both characters have been halves of some pretty amazing GH couples in the past. Luke Spencer was crowned super couple status with Laura, and who can forget his quirky yet intense relationship with Tracy Quartermaine? Anna Devane, on the other hand, has had past success with Duke Lavery and Robert Scorpio. Still, Anna and Luke never really clicked in the chemistry department as a couple themselves. Off the cusp of Anna’s return to Port Charles in 2012, these old friends seemingly fell into each other’s arms, as Anna looked for comfort after she found out her daughter Robin was dead, and Luke was looking for love after his split with ex-wife Tracy. While they did have a rich GH history together as friends, with many adventures together along the way, their relationship in 2012 seemed like one of convenience, and really lacked when it came to the romance department.

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7. Bold and the Beautiful: Dayzee Leigh and Thomas Forrester

Chemistry in a relationship has been described as a romantic spark between two people, and it was obvious from the beginning of this coupling that Dayzee and Thomas had none. The pair met through Thomas’ grandmother Stephanie and her charity work in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles. The relationship between the formerly homeless African-American girl and the privileged, rich Caucasian boy had a lot of promise but it went nowhere fast, due to the lack of chemistry between the two characters.

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6. Days of Our Lives: Sami and Austin

In this relationship, there was a ton of chemistry on Sami’s side, as she was obsessed with Reed and determined to snag him in any way possible; however, nothing was truly ever reciprocated on Austin’s end. Sure, he was manipulated into a relationship with her, and marriage (twice), but Austin’s eyes would always wonder back to Sami’s sister Carrie.

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5. Young and the Restless: Chloe and Billy

This was a case of crazy obsessed schemes getting in the way of romance. Chloe was consumed with becoming a Chancellor at one point in time, and was able to seduce Billy into a one-night stand. The end result would be Delia; however, Billy and Chloe tried to make things work by getting married. The marriage wouldn’t last too long as Billy was in love Mackenzie (at the time), plus he and Chloe had zero chemistry.

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4. General Hospital: Franco and Carly

Roger Howarth has done incredible things with the Franco character since he stepped into the role made famous by Hollywood film actor James Franco. Still, when it came to his love affair with Carly, the duo simply lacked that spark. Infamous for her past relationships with mob boss Sonny Corinthos and Jasper ‘Jax’ Jacks, Carly’s involvement with Franco really should’ve been an explosion of epic chemistry proportions, but it wasn’t. Perhaps it is because Carly seems destined to go back to Sonny (and leave Sonny…and go back to Sonny…), or it might have been hard for the new Franco to ignite the chemistry needed based on the prior turmoil these two characters had experienced.

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3. Bold and the Beautiful: Bridget Forrester and Ridge Forrester

Watching Bridget and Ridge kiss was not only uncomfortable but also perverse. It’s likely this couple had zero chemistry together because Ridge was Bridget’s uncle, although not by blood. Ridge and Bridget’s mother Brooke had been married when she was a child, which made Ridge her on-again, off-again stepfather. Even worse, Ridge had also helped Brooke deliver Bridget at Big Bear Cabin. Is it any wonder the actors appeared reluctant and even embarrassed during their romantic scenes together?

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2. Days of Our Lives: Jennifer and Daniel

Jennifer has had some intense relationships in Salem with Jack coming to mind, Emilio, and Frankie too. The same could be said for Daniel Jonas. His love affair with Nicole was incredible, and his past affairs with Kate and Chloe were intense. Having said that, he and Jennifer simply did not share that same passion. They really should have, but they didn’t.

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1. Young and the Restless: Roxanne and Devon

Does anyone even know what Roxanne’s last name was? Does it even matter at this point? Perhaps it was because the couple got little-to-no airtime, but Roxanne just seemed like a trophy girlfriend on Devon’s arm. The two shared zero chemistry, which had many wondering why Roxanne was around to begin with. It’s hard to say, but Devon would move on to have some incredible romances with Hilary and Elena.