'Days Of Our Lives' stars speak about axings

Days Of Our Lives stars Stephen Nichols and Mary Beth Evans have spoken for the first time about being sacked from the iconic soap.

In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, the pair admitted that they weren't surprised to be given their marching orders.

"The support and story had not been there since Ed Scott was let go, which, by the way, was a huge mistake," Nichols said. "Ed's departure sent morale on the set on a downward spiral."

"They had a bottom line that they had to do and I think that the people who are running it now have an idea of how they want it to be, so that's what they did," added Evans. "I don't think it mattered who was popular or who wasn't, so I wasn't surprised."

Speaking of her disappointment at being let go, Evans said: "I thought that Stephen and I brought value to the show and I certainly know there was a fan base. I thought we brought things to the canvas that other people didn't but it just didn't seem to matter."

In February, it was announced that both Nichols and Evans were being axed from the soap. News of their departures came just weeks after it was confirmed that series stalwarts Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn were also being let go from the series due to cost cutting.