July 27, 2011 – If the iconic TV soap The Bold and The Beautiful were to be shot in Kenya, Ridge would be a lion and Brooke a cheetah or a leopard.

“Ron Moss (Ridge) is actually like a lion, and Brooke could be a cheetah,” said the Executive Producer of the show Brad Bell, laughing, towards the end of a media interview in Nairobi on Tuesday evening.

Bradley Phillip Bell is in the country for a two-day visit with his wife and four children, visiting a friend and finishing off a two week holiday that also took him to the Kruger National Park in South Africa and the Serengeti in Tanzania.

His vacation is well deserved, now that the show he created with his late father William Bell has had a successful 24 year run and is still going strong.

“When we started out, we had hoped for at least a 10 year run, but the success has been overwhelming. When it comes to TV soaps, everything ends. But we have already renegotiated with our partners and are working on the next season.”

Bell is also the Head Writer of the series, working with two associate writers and 5-6 dialogue writers who bring his plots to life.

“I draw from characters around my life and things that I observe. So sometimes people I work with ask me, how do you know that that’s what they’ll do and I’m like, I just know. It’s a constant struggle coming up with the plots. I wake up at night several times to write down changes in the story,” he said, without any regrets.

Brad grew up watching soaps. His father William was Head Writer on an even older series, Days of Our Lives, before he came up with The Young and the Restless and then eventually The Bold and The Beautiful.

The reason behind the success of show? Brad attributed that to a ‘strong business model’ and the use of the same actors to play the various characters, which he says instils loyalty among viewers.

The characters have exclusive contracts, which keep them tied to that specific show. This also explains why it’s hard to spot people like Ron Moss in other movies.

Brad defended accusations of indecency in the incestuous relationships portrayed in the drama, for instance Brooke sleeping with two brothers, their father, and her daughter’s man.

“Sometimes, we have to intertwine the plots because we have a small cast that we work with. So that’s what happens and we have to somehow look for a way to accommodate it. The show however tells stories about families and morality.”

He did however tell fans to keep it glued for the veteran actress Betty White, who will be joining the show.

The soap that is most viewed in Italy and France is ranked #2 in the US after The Young and the Restless. It won the 2010 Guinness World record for the Most Popular Daytime Soap Currently on TV, as well as several Emmys this year.

The 24-year-old show is seen by more than 35 million people in 100 countries everyday.