After a series of thrilling episodes, Days of Our Lives concludes 2025 with news that has fans cheering: Paul Telfer, the actor who plays Xander Kiriakis, has officially been honored as Performer of the Year 2025.

Not only for his outstanding performance, but also because Xander’s transformation this year truly touched the hearts of viewers.

From a hot-tempered, notorious villain in Salem, Xander gradually became a kind man, willing to sacrifice himself to protect Sarah Horton – the woman he once hurt.

In the final episodes of the year, Xander risked his life to save Sarah from drug dealers at the dockside, suffering serious injuries but still smiling when he saw her safe.

The scene of him lying in the hospital, weakly uttering, “As long as you’re okay, I have no regrets,” flooded social media with the hashtag #XanderRedemption.

Critics praised Paul Telfer for freeing the character of Xander from the villainous image, creating “an imperfect hero”—a type of person who is both wrong and knows how to correct their mistakes, both strong and pitiable.

And when accepting the Performer of the Year award, Telfer said something that brought tears to fans’ eyes: “Thank you, Salem, for giving me the opportunity to be a good person—at least on screen.”