Alice Halsey to return as Rachel Black in four 2027 episodes

By Tom Whitfield

Alice Halsey will reprise Rachel Black in four Days of our Lives episodes that will reach Peacock viewers only in late 2027, according to TV Insider. She will step in for Lorelei Olivia Mote, who has played Rachel since March 2026.

TV Insider identifies Rachel as the daughter of Kristen DiMera, played by Stacy Haiduk, and Brady Black, played by Eric Martsolf. Halsey was asked to make the short-term return because of a scheduling conflict with Mote.

The four-episode switch

TV Insider does not explain the conflict or say whether it will affect Mote beyond the four assigned episodes. It gives no episode titles, dates within late 2027, or plot details. The confirmed arrangement is limited: Halsey replaces Mote in four episodes.

TV Insider reports that Peacock tapes Days of our Lives far in advance. That schedule explains why a casting announcement yields episodes that will not reach viewers until late 2027. The long lead time makes the return concrete but leaves its narrative purpose open.

Halsey originally played Rachel from April 25, 2025, until March 5, 2026. TV Insider also reported her nomination for Outstanding Emerging Talent at the 53rd Daytime Emmy Awards. The report identifies the nomination but gives no result, so it does not support calling her a winner.

To TV Insider, Halsey called the opportunity “very exciting.” When her parents told her about returning to Salem, she said: “I was so happy. I was freaking out. I was like, ‘I get to go back to DAYS. I get to see everybody again.’ And I’m just really glad that I get to be here.”

A star between two series

Halsey left Days of our Lives when she took the starring role of Laura Ingalls in the Netflix series Little House on the Prairie. The series premiered on Netflix in June, and she wrapped filming on its second season in October.

“I love Little House so much,” Halsey told TV Insider. “I’ve made a lot of lifelong friends there, just like DAYS, actually.”

The character Halsey is returning to

Halsey said Rachel was a little older but felt the character remained the same. “She has her evil moments, but inside, I think she’s just a confused little girl,” she said.

She added: “I think sometimes she counts on the wrong people for advice, like Kristen, her mother. But I really love playing Rachel and playing all of the weird sides to her. She’s a very complex character.”

What does the swap change for viewers?

For viewers, the swap restores Rachel Black and puts Halsey back opposite Stacy Haiduk and Eric Martsolf for four episodes. A Soap Opera Digest caption described Halsey as excited to work with her screen parents again and quoted her calling them “the best.”

TV Insider does not explain what happens to Mote beyond the swap, establish a permanent role for Halsey, or set out a specific Rachel storyline. Those details remain unstated.

Halsey also left the door open for more. “If I could, yes, for sure,” she said. “I love DAYS.” That is a preference, not a confirmed booking; TV Insider reported only the four-episode return.

A familiar casting pattern

Soap Opera Digest noted that Halsey was not the first Days of our Lives performer to reclaim a role from a successor. Its examples included:

• Christie Clark, who returned as Carrie Brady after Tracey Middendorf’s brief run.
• Peter Reckell, who returned as Bo Brady after Robert Kelker-Kelly portrayed the role.
• Melissa Reeves, who resumed the role of Jennifer Deveraux after Stephanie Cameron and Cady McClain played the part.
• Lisa Rinna, who returned as Billie Reed after stints by Krista Allen and Julie Pinson.
• Chandler Massey, who reclaimed the role of Will Horton after Guy Wilson’s run.

The comparison establishes a precedent within the soap, not a production promise. Halsey’s four-episode assignment is confirmed; a larger return remains conditional. The firm forward date is late 2027; any reunion beyond those four episodes remains uncommitted.