Days of Our Lives Vet Alison Sweeney Shares a Nightmarish Memory That’ll Leave You Squirming
Thursday, January 19th, 2023
“I remember… like it was yesterday.”
Longtime fans of Days of Our Lives’ Alison Sweeney (Sami) may recall when she appeared on the now defunct game show Celebrity Fear Factor 2 back in March 2002. Those who watched the series know that contestants were challenged to some very scary stunts and were dared to take part in some equally — if not scarier — situations. For Sweeney, that experience was one she won’t soon forget.
Related Story
A Twitter user, Kyle Tann, shared a screenshot of the actress being covered in cockroaches while lying inside a glass enclosure, to which Sweeney replied, “OMG. I remember those cockroaches like it was yesterday.” She also recalled how host Joe Rogan “ate one!”
Omg. I remember those cockroaches like it was yesterday. And @joerogan ate one!!! https://t.co/2hUamrjvvs
— Alison Sweeney (@Ali_Sweeney) January 18, 2023
So, what led to Rogan eating that big, nasty cockroach? As shown in the video below, during the same episode, Sweeney had been dared to eat an earthworm. Rogan gave the soap star a little pep talk and agreed to eat a cockroach if she ate a couple of worms and reminded her that it was all for the charity she had been playing for.
More: Departing soap actress reveals her future plans
“I can’t believe I am doing this,” Sweeney said. “This is so wrong.” Nonetheless, she plugged her nose and chopped down that worm like it a champ. The second one was a little harder to get down but in the end, she did it and Rogan had to eat a live cockroach.
Relive how it all went down…
After watching that video, we can see why Sweeney remembers her time on the NBC series “like it was yesterday.”
Days of Our Lives is now airing exclusively on Peacock. To make sure you never miss an episode, click here. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.
And on a more pleasant note, get a look at the actress in two more real-life moments in our gallery below filled with soap stars and their kids.
Video: Fear Factor/Facebook
Most Popular
Advertisement
Image: John Paschal/JPI
1/89
<p>At the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> star’s side in 2005, when he married wife Pat, was Peter, his son with his late first wife. Sadly, Mascolo himself passed away in December 2016.</p>
Image: JPI (3)
2/89
<p>Once Thorne on <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>, the actor has one son with ex-wife Candice Harmon: Dewey, whose first name is also his pop’s middle one. (As you can see, he looks more like Dad all the time!)</p>
Image: WireImage/Getty Images
3/89
<p>In 2010, the Emmy winner — now Nina on <em>General Hospital</em> — walked the red carpet with daughters Emma and Sadie, her twins with former husband Curt Gilliland.</p>
Image: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
4/89
<p>In 2010, the <em>Young & Restless</em> leading man who plays Nick attended a benefit with wife Tobe and their boys, Cooper (oldest), Crew (the middle child) and Cash (the baby of the family).</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
5/89
<p>The<em> Days of Our Lives</em> have gone by like minutes for Lucas’ portrayer. Photographed here in 2005, son Gabe, from his first marriage (to Jessica Denay), now has a son of his own.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
6/89
<p>In 2014, lil’ Delila, with the actor’s second wife Elizabeth Cameron, was added to the family portrait.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
7/89
<p>In this shot from 2011, Gavin — aka the son of the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> knockout who plays Donna — shows us just how enviably easily he can touch his toes. Kid, we haven’t even <em>seen</em> ours in years!</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
8/89
<p>In 2003, the <em>General Hospital</em> Emmy winner had her hands full — literally — with son Dylan. Mind you, it was nothing that Anna’s portrayer couldn’t handle with aplomb. Is there <em>anything</em> that the on- and off-screen badass can’t handle with aplomb?</p>
Image: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
9/89
<p>After being snapped at the Hollywood Christmas Parade Supporting Marine Toys for Tots in 2022, the actress <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CljbUG4Jgck/" target="_blank">joked via Instagram</a> that the instance was the rarest of rarities. “We threw a parade,” she joked, “in order for me to get a photo with my daughter,” Sadie.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
10/89
<p>The actress, Kate to <em>Days of Our Lives</em> fans, turned the 2011 Daytime Emmys into a girls night out with Milli Kate, one of her three children with makeup-artist husband Nicky Schillace. A decade after this, the soap MVP was reunited with her firstborn son. They’d been “lost to each other for nearly a lifetime,” she said. (<a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/613844/days-of-our-lives-lauren-koslow-reunites-long-lost-son/" target="_blank">Read their story here.</a>)</p>
Image: Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
11/89
<p>In 1994, just five years into his epic run as Jack on <em>The Young and the Restless</em>, the Emmy winner was snapped with wife Mariellen and their children, Connor and Clare.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
12/89
<p>Talent clearly runs in the family. This shot of the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> leading man, who plays John (duh!), was taken in 2006, just a year after son Ben made his own daytime debut as Lucas on <em>General Hospital.</em></p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (3)
13/89
<p>Tomfoolery was obviously the order of the day when the future <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> leading lady and son Jake hit the town in 2004 — gee, 17 years before she’d start her run as Taylor.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
14/89
<p>They had a point. Two, it appears. But since this photo of the <em>Passions</em> alum who plays <em>Young & Restless</em> baddie Jeremy and son James was taken all the way back in 2007, we may never know what either of those points were.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
15/89
<p>We suspect some popcorn and soda was plundered when the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> MVP — Sami when she’s in Salem — took in <em>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales</em> — with son Ben Sanov in 2017. But what about his sister?</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
16/89
<p>Ah, <em>there’s</em> Megan, the actress’ little girl with hubby Dave Sanov, hitting a screening of <em>Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2</em> with Mom in 2013.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
17/89
<p>Hunter, seen here with his late dad in 2007, hasn’t gone into showbiz like the much-missed soap vet who played <em>Young & Restless</em>’ Abbott family patriarch, John; instead, the now-grown youngster has become a real-estate investor.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
18/89
<p>The actor behind <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> pot-stirrer Deacon put his honey where his mouth was, planting a kiss on the cheek of his baby girl Simone during a 2009 father/daughter outing.</p>
Image: Ron Galella/Getty Images, Robin Platzer/FilmMagic/Getty Images
19/89
<p>The daytime MVP, who won Emmy after Emmy for her work as Reva on <em>Guiding Light</em>, hit the 1999 award show with husband A.C. Weary and their brood, sons Max and Jake, and daughter Rachel. Jake (right) went on to briefly play Will on <em>As the World Turns</em> and star in TNT’s <em>Animal Kingdom.</em></p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
20/89
<p>Yup, guessing from this 2012 image of Cane’s former <em>Young & Restless</em> portrayer and his boys, Ford and Sebastian, they’re what you’d call a close family.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
21/89
<p>There must be soap in their DNA: Two years after this 2002 photo was taken of Brook Kerr (then Whitney on <em>Passions</em>), he’d join <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> as Jimmy. Now, of course, Mom is back in daytime, playing Portia on <em>General Hospital.</em></p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
22/89
<p><em>Bold & Beautiful</em> is the perfect description for the family of Finn and Caitlin’s portrayers, shot here in 2021 with their firstborn, daughter Poppy. On second thought, maybe “shot” was a poor choice of words, considering the way Steffy’s husband was “killed.”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
23/89
<p>Had the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> Emmy winner (who plays Eric) and firstborn Jathan not already been awarded ribbons back in 2011, we’d have had to have given them to the father/son duo for their sheer cuteness.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
24/89
<p>The word “squee” was all but <em>invented</em> to try to encapsulate the relative adorableness of little Ford, the son of <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> leading man who plays Liam. The tyke’s not even smiling in this picture from 2019, and he <em>still</em> looks like he’s seconds away from out-cute-ing Bambi.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
25/89
<p>“They tell you it will go by fast… well, 18 years went by in a flash,” marveled Cameron Mathison on son Lucas’ birthday in 2021. Also seen here in this 2010 portrait is the <em>General Hospital</em> star and wife Vanessa’s adorable daughter, Leila (who’d turn 17 in 2023).</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
26/89
<p>In 2016, the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> legend and son Jack Daggenhurst (from her second marriage) pitched in at the L.A. Mission. Missing from this shot: Alfonso’s firstborn, son Gino Macauley. He’s in the next photo, though, from 2006…</p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI
27/89
<p>Aww. Look at Hope’s portrayer giving Gino that adoring look that we’ve all gotten at one time or another from our moms in those blissful instances when they’ve totally forgotten how many times they’ve had to send us to our rooms or ground us!</p>
Image: Bruce Glikas/WireImage/Getty Images
28/89
<p>The soap stars — who met playing sweethearts Tom and Margo on <em>As the World Turns</em> — stopped for a family portrait with son Joe following a 2020 performance of the play <em>The Perplexed</em>, in which Colin appeared. Justin is perhaps best known for his long run as Buzz on <em>Guiding Light.</em></p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI (2)
29/89
<p>In 2016, the same year the veteran of <em>Young & Restless</em> (as Rey), <em>Days of Our Lives</em> (as Dario), <em>All My Children</em> (as Griffin) and <em>Guiding Light</em> (as Tony) welcomed his second daughter with wife Kaitlin, the Emmy winner and their firstborn, Riley, had a ball — literally — hanging outdoors.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
30/89
<p>The force of nature who gave <em>All My Children</em> — and the world — Erica Kane watched daughter Liza Huber enter the soap world for a few years as <em>Passions</em>’ Gwen. Since this 2011 pic was taken, Liza has retired from acting and become an entrepreneur.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
31/89
<p>Good angle, bad angle… who cares? We love the absolute joy on the Emmy winner’s face in this 2002 snap in which she’s sweetly sandwiched by husband Helmut Huber (who, sadly, passed away in 2022) and their son, Andreas.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
32/89
<p>The <em>Young & Restless</em> scene stealer, who plays Lauren, may have been horsing around with son Austin Recht (with former husband Ron Recht) at this 2014 photo shoot, but they still managed to take a gorgeous portrait. Missing from this shot: Austin’s brother, Landon.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
33/89
<p>Here’s Landon, with Mom at the 2008 Emmys. C’mon, we weren’t gonna let the horse get more facetime than Landon!</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
34/89
<p>The <em>Days of Our Lives</em> vet — who comes and goes as Jack like the seasons, it seems — has four kids, two with first wife Christina Saffran, two with his second, Lana Buss. Pictured with Dad in 2006 is his firstborn, daughter Grace.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
35/89
<p>In 2007, not too long before the launch of her reality show, the future <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> actress (who plays Shauna, as if you didn’t know) posed for paparazzi with Sam, one of her two daughters with ex-husband Charlie Sheen. Not for nothin’, Sam, but we feel ya, kid; sometimes we hate having our picture taken, too.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
36/89
<p>In 2007, the year that her superlative work as Laura on <em>General Hospital</em> finally won her a Daytime Emmy, the soap icon was able to share the experience with daughter Elizabeth, her second child with husband Jonathan Frakes of <em>Star Trek: The Next Generation</em> fame.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
37/89
<p>No need to be camera-shy with a face that cute, kiddo! On the left in this image from 2013 is, of course, the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> heartthrob who plays Eli; nestling into his shoulder is his firstborn, son Caden. Maybe daughter Gaia, born in 2012, is even better at hiding.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
38/89
<p>His hair’s gotten darker as he’s gotten older but Jesse, the son of <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Ashley and husband Vincent Van Patten sure had Mom’s sun-kissed blond locks back in 2009. On an unrelated note, does anyone know where we can get a head of hair that gorgeous?</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
39/89
<p><em>Bold & Beautiful</em> perfectly describes the young women who are near and dear to Quinn’s former portrayer: Pictured here during a 2017 visit to the set are daughter Avalon, with second husband Stanford Bookstaver; Meghann, the daughter of first husband Wally Kurth (Ned to her Lois on <em>General Hospital</em> back in the day); and daughter Rosabel, with Kurth.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
40/89
<p>The <em>General Hospital</em> Emmy winner who plays Alexis has said of her singer/songwriter daughter, Kate, “I birthed her and <a href="https://www.nancyleegrahn.com/family/" target="_blank">take no credit for her</a> talent and, more importantly, her beautiful soul. She came in that way.”</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
41/89
<p>Say “Cheese!” <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Galen Gering (Rafe) and his sons, Dillon and Jensen, nailed it during a 2013 photo shoot. None of them even blinked!</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
42/89
<p>“I am so proud of the man that you’ve become,” the <em>Young & Restless</em> Emmy winner — Jill on screen — told son Cole on his 2021 birthday (or 17 years after this pic was snapped at a party for the CBS soap).</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
43/89
<p>The real-life daughter of <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Steve — photographed with Dad in 2008 here — is now a recording artist who puts out music under her own first name, but with a twist: She adds an extra L.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
44/89
<p>Aww. That’s the late, great <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> star — the original Sally Spectra, as if you didn’t know — with son Raymond on the set in 2014.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
45/89
<p>“Smile for the camera,” you can just imagine the photographer saying right before this shot was snapped in 2018. Dad Jason Thompson (Billy, <em>The Young and the Restless</em>) and mom Paloma Jonas obliged, of course. But kids Rome and Bowie? Being kids, not so much.</p>
Image: AFP/Getty Images
46/89
<p>On hand in 2011 when the <em>General Hospital</em> vet took home the fourth of his five Emmys for playing Lucky were his older kids with former castmate Lisa Vultaggio (ex-Hannah), Caleb and Adora. Missing here is son Titus, who was only 1 at the time.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
47/89
<p>The <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> patriarch, Eric to his on-screen friends and family, has three kids with wife Laurette Spang in real life: Jake, Rebecca and, seen here with Dad in 2012, Molly, a regular on the sitcom <em>Last Man Standing.</em></p>
Image: Jesse Grant/JPI
48/89
<p>In 2002, the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> patriarch celebrated an Italian remote with his missus and two of their three kids, son Jake and, once again, Molly.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
49/89
<p>The <em>General Hospital</em> MVP, Carly on screen, got into the swing of things, so to speak, during a 2010 photo shoot with Lauren and John, her kids with former husband John Wright.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
50/89
<p>Oh, these two were more than <em>Friends</em>, they were family. The <em>Days of Our Lives</em> icon, who played Victor, was the father of Hollywood superstar Jennifer Aniston, with whom he’s pictured here in 2012. He also had a son, Alexander, with his second wife, Sherry Rooney, whom he met when they were castmates on <em>Love of Life.</em></p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
51/89
<p>This is “Like father, like son” taken to a whole new level by the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> alum — much-missed as Rick — and sharp-dressed chip off the old block Luke at the 2016 Daytime Emmys. (MIA from this shot are Luke’s sisters, Grace and Molly.)</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
52/89
<p>In 2005, the <em>Young & Restless</em> Emmy winner, who plays Traci, was accompanied to a schmancy party in New York by daughter Emelia, who’s since become an accomplished bassoonist. Now <em>there’s</em> a word we don’t get to type every day!</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
53/89
<p>The real-life marriage of <em>General Hospital</em> exes Felicia and Frisco may not have stood the test of time, but it left them with a lasting friendship and two handsome sons, Peter and his kid brother, Harrison (who sadly <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/633203/general-hospital-kristina-jack-wagner-son-harrison-dead-at-27/" target="_blank">passed away in 2022</a>).</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
54/89
<p>Almost a decade after this picture was taken of<em> Days of Our Lives</em>’ Kristen (and Susan, for that matter), daughter Sophia, by then a grown woman and rising star, guested on the show as the masseuse whose appearance at Xander’s door made the audience gasp, “What’s going on here?”</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
55/89
<p>On hand when the <em>Young & Restless</em> legend celebrated her 35th anniversary as Nikki in 2014 were daughters Alexandra Yeaggy (from her previous marriage) and Elizabeth Scott (from her union with<em> Bold & Beautiful</em> producer Ed Scott), and stepdaughter Jennifer Scott.</p>
Image: FilmMagic/Getty Images
56/89
<p>The Emmy winner, much-missed on screen since her exit as Lily from <em>As the World Turns</em>, has two kids with husband Michael McMahon, Michael Jr. and Max (pictured here circa 2004).</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
57/89