The Young and the Restless had a drama-filled 2025, and has the new year unfolds, Genoa City will see big storyline twists, romantic shake-

ups and a juicy new mystery. The show’s executive producer and head writer, Josh Griffith, promised that fans can expect an “exciting, suspenseful, and romantic winter and spring” when he offered a preview of 2026 to TV Insider.

 

 

The villainy of Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) will make it difficult for Nick (Joshua Morrow), Sharon (Sharon Case), Noah (Lucas Adams) and Sienna (Tamara Braun) to great the new year with a sense of hope. Griffith revealed that Matt will add yet more Genoa City residents to his list of enemies in addition to stirring up a new wave of trouble for his existing targets and the rest of the Newmans. The exec noted that just when the Newmans think they’re in the clear, Matt will prove to have more tricks up his sleeve and that the entire storyline is “heading towards a huge showdown that will incorporate a lot of aspects of the past in a very dramatic way.”

The epic rivalry between Victor (Eric Braeden) and Jack (Peter Bergman) has been a focal point on Y&R for decades, but a common enemy is going to bring the two men together. According to Griffith, the maneuvers of Cane (Billy Flynn) will see Jack and Victor “have to work together for the greater good” — but, he pointed out, whether they can pull it off remains to be seen. And that won’t be the only thing keeping Jack busy. On the home front, the scribe warned that there will be “massive fallout” for Jack and his wife, Diane (Susan Walters), stemming from what Victor and his wife, Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) do to “slap Jack down.”

Meanwhile, Victor’s efforts to ensure that the Newman family’s legacy stays intact will loop in Adam (Mark Grossman) and his lady love, Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan). Griffith promised that “exciting stuff” is in store for “Chadam” and that the duo “will be forced to tap back into the darker aspects of their characters” in their quest to aid Victor. And they’re not the only couple who will be impacted when “things go really horribly wrong for the Newmans,” as Griffith put it. Michael (Christian J. LeBlanc) and Lauren (Tracey E. Bregman) will, too.

Griffith shared with the outlet that “a big mystery” is on the horizon involving one of the show’s most stable married couples, Devon (Bryton James) and Abby (Melissa Ordway) — one that intersects in a critical way with the saga of Mariah’s (Camryn Grimes) secret, which has thrown her union to Tessa (Cait Fairbanks) into disarray and led Tessa to spark a romantic connection with Daniel (Michael Graziadei). That tale will also showcase the lawyering skills of Daniel’s stepmother, Christine (Lauralee Bell), who will be called upon to assist a character who finds themselves in serious trouble.

Nate (Sean Dominic) and Victoria (Amelia Heinle) will explore making another go of their relationship, which went south with a little help from her meddling father, Victor. Will Nate’s cousin Lily (Christel Khalil) also open her heart to an ex and forgive Cane, granting him the green light to woo her? Griffith wouldn’t say definitively, but expect that question to be answered in 2026. Then there’s the scramble Audra (Zuleyka Silver) and Holden (Nathan Owens) have undertaken to make sure that the secret they’re hiding doesn’t come to light. Claire (Hayley Erin) refuses to let the matter ego, and it’s only a matter of time before that secret explodes. Griffith teased that “when it finally comes out, there’s going to be a lot of fallout.”

Two Genoa City residents who it often seems can’t catch a break — often because they’re their own worst enemies — are Billy (Jason Thompson) and Phyllis (Michelle Stafford). As the AI story continues to unfold, Griffith said that fans may see the former lovers “finally coming out on top, winning, getting something big, but at what price?” Not only that, but it won’t be smooth sailing in Billy and Sally’s (Courtney Hope) relationship, because something will happen that will force Ms. Spectra to wonder if “she really knows Billy as well as she thought she did.” And the conclusion she comes to will force her to make some big decisions about their future.

Griffith also has plans for Billy’s mother, the beloved Jill (Jess Walton), that ties into the fact that Walton’s 40th anniversary in the role falls in 2026. The exec promised that Y&R “will definitely recognize” that milestone.