Is Eli back on Days of Our Lives? Everything you need to know

Lamon Archey and Sal Stowers, the beloved actors portraying Eli and Lani on Days of Our Lives, made a triumphant return to the show on 29 February 2024. This reunion marks their first joint appearance as Eli and Lani since their departure in July 2022.

Eli Grant is a pivotal character in Days of Our Lives, portrayed by Lamon Archey since his arrival on 23 February 2017. Introduced as the son of Valerie Grant (Vanessa Williams) and the grandson of Julie Olson Williams (Susan Seaforth Hayes), Eli's arrival added diversity to the show's core family, the Hortons.

Lamon Archey, who has portrayed Eli since 2017, left the show temporarily in July 2022, along with actress Sal Stowers, who plays Lani. Despite brief returns, this marks their official comeback to the series.

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Who plays Eli on Days of Our Lives?

Lamon Archey has brought Detective Eli Grant to life on Days of Our Lives since 2017. Archey is an accomplished American actor who has also appeared in numerous popular series namely, All American, The Young and The Restless, 2 Broke Girls, and more.

In Days of Our Lives, Eli was introduced as the first African-American member of the Horton family. Initially, he faced challenges in his relationship with Gabi Hernandez (Camila Banus), strained by his newfound familial ties. However, a one-night encounter with his colleague Lani Price (Sal Stowers) leads to the birth of their stillborn child, strengthening their bond despite Lani's initial doubts.

Overcoming obstacles, they officially committed to each other with the support of Eli's friend Sheila (Tionne Watkins). Following a tumultuous period, including a thwarted wedding orchestrated by Gabi, Eli and Lani reunited in 2020 and eventually tied the knot.

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Why did Lani and Eli leave Days of Our Lives?

In July 2022, Lani Price (Sal Stowers) and Eli Grant (Lamon Archey) bid farewell to Salem due to Lani's legal troubles. Lani was sentenced to prison for the murder of her abusive father to protect her mother, Paulina. Consequently, Eli left town with their twins to be closer to Lani during her incarceration.

After leaving Days of Our Lives, actor Lamon Archey was prominently featured as Principal D’Angelo Carter on CW's All American, while Sal Stowers was seen in the latest season of BET's drama Sistas, created by Tyler Perry, where she portrayed the role of Penelope.

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Why are Eli and Lani back on Days of Our Lives?

In February 2024, Lani Price and Eli Grant returned to Days of Our Lives to support Lani's mother, Paulina (Jackée Harry), who is facing a health crisis. Paulina's battle with cancer prompted Eli and Lani to return to Salem and stand by their family during this challenging time.

While Eli and Lani's return initially seemed to be a one-off appearance, it has been revealed that they will feature in several episodes of the series. Although this return is not permanent, it offers hope to devoted fans of the beloved couple, affectionately known as ‘ELani’.

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Known colloquially as Days or DOOL, the American soap opera originally aired on NBC from 1965 to 2022 and since then it has held the distinction of being one of the longest-running scripted television series globally.

The show is set in the fictional city of Salem, located in Illinois and revolves around the Brady and Horton families. Other prominent families like the DiMera and Kiriakis also feature prominently in the narrative.

Viewers can watch the latest episodes of Days of Our Lives on Peacock.