‘Soap’ winner will tour Llanview

The survivor of a “soap opera boot camp” is getting ready to take the plunge into daytime television by joining the cast of ABC’s “One Life to Live” on Friday.

That episode of the enduring soap opera set in the fictional city Llanview, Penn., will introduce a new character played by the winner of a reality competition that has been airing this summer on ABC’s cable sibling SOAPnet. Highlights from the show are featured in “Soap Star: Guess Who’s Coming to Llanview?,” a one-hour special hosted by “All My Children” star Cameron Mathison and airing during the ABC daytime lineup on Thursday.

The winning performer will be announced Thursday night on the season finale of “I Wanna Be a Soap Star,” the series in which 10 hopefuls were put through their paces by casting directors, talent managers and veteran daytime actors who dropped by to offer tips and suggestions to the soap opera rookies.

“This is not just a walk-on role,” executive producer Eric Schotz says. “This is an actual role that is created and written for the winner, and the character is actually incorporated into the show. It’s a 13-week contract role versus what is often called a day part.”

The writing staff of “One Life to Live” is prepared to write for either a male or female winner, having watched the players closely as the competition gets into its final rounds and the players have been winnowed down.