By Beth Harris in Los Angeles

Dick Van Dyke has won an historic Daytime Emmy at age 98.

The actor was honoured as guest performer in a daytime drama series for his part as amnesiac Timothy Robicheaux on Days of Our Lives, pipping Australian actor Guy Pearce of Neighbours for the award, making him the oldest Daytime Emmy winner.

“I don’t believe this. I feel like a spy from nighttime television,” he said.

“I’m 98 years old. Can you believe it? This really tops off a lifetime of 80 years in the business. If I had known I would have lived this long I would’ve taken better care of myself.”

General Hospital won four trophies, including its fourth consecutive honour as best daytime drama. It’s the second time in the ABC show’s 61-year history that it won four daytime drama trophies in a row.

Robert Gossett of General Hospital won supporting actor honours. The first cousin to the late Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr was honoured for the second straight year for his role as Marshall Ashford.

General Hospital also won the directing and writing categories.

Thorsten Kaye of The Bold and the Beautiful earned his second straight lead actor win for playing Ridge Forrester.

“I got to be very honest. I don’t like award shows. I didn’t like award shows until tonight,” he said.

A clearly stunned Michelle Stafford of The Young and the Restless won best actress as Phyllis Summers, a trophy she first earned in 2004.

“I am honoured to be an actor. It is the greatest gig. It is a privilege,” she said. “I’m honoured to entertain people.”

Van Dyke received a standing ovation as he used a cane to make his way to the stage, accompanied by his wife, Arlene, who held the trophy.

“I brought this lady up because she was also on the show,” he said.

“She played the cop who arrested me.”

Producer Norman Lear was 100 when he received his final Primetime Emmy nomination in 2022 and died the next year.

Van Dyke has won four Primetime Emmys, including three in the 1960s for his classic comedy series The Dick Van Dyke Show.

As well as Pearce, Van Dyke beat out last year’s winner Alley Mills of General Hospital, Linden Ashby of The Young and the Restless, and Ashley Jones of The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Kelly Clarkson Show continued its domination of the daytime show category with a fourth consecutive victory. The singer, who moved her show from Los Angeles to New York last year, was on hand to collect the trophy.

“The move has been so great, not just for me and my family but for our whole show,” she said, singling out NBC.

“Thank you for thinking of mental health and not just a product.”

Courtney Hope, who plays Sally Spectra on The Young and the Restless, earned supporting actress honors. She originated the role on The Bold and the Beautiful in 2017 before moving to Y&R in 2020.

Melody Thomas Scott, who has played Nikki Newman on The Young and the Restless for 45 years, and her producer-husband, Edward Scott, were honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The wife-and-husband team of Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos won daytime talk series host for their Live with Kelly and Mark. Ina Garten won best culinary series for Be My Guest on Food Network.

The ceremony honouring soap operas, talk and game shows aired live on CBS from The Westin Bonaventure hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

The 51st annual Daytime Emmys returned to their usual place on the calendar, six months after the show’s 50th edition aired in December after being pushed back because of last year’s Hollywood writers and actors strikes.