By summer's end, Guiding Light will find its fate resting squarely on the shoulders on an eight-time Emmy winner.

Though a Procter & Gamble spokesperson had no comment, Soap Central has learned that Claire Labine will assume the role of head writer for Guiding Light later this summer.

Most recently, Labine and son, Matt, served as co-head writers of ABC's One Life to Live. During her tenure in Llanview, Labine was responsible for Patrick Thornhart's "death" and subsequent escape with Marty to Ireland and Blair losing her baby in an auto accident.

Prior to their work on One Life to Live, the Labines worked on General Hospital. In what has been deemed a "renaissance" of the show during their reign, The Labines were responsible for three Daytime Emmy wins --- one for Outstanding Writing and two for Outstanding Drama Series. A sampling of their award-winning work include two storylines which rank among the top storylines in General Hospital history: Stone's death from AIDS and the heart transplant of young Maxie.

Currently, Guiding Light is helmed by Barbara Esensten and James Harmon Brown. The pair assumed the top spot in 1997. Critics of their work fault the pair for strained, occasionally unbelievable storylines that have seen the soap's ratings slump to near-record lows. Among the storylines that have caught backlash from fans and critics was the clone storyline from the spring of 1998.