The Young and the Restless fan favorite, Christel Khalil (Lily Winters) is the special guest on this week’s edition of Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart which dropped today on Tuesday, June 23rd.

During the interview with Rebecca and Greg, Khalil who had played Lily Winters on-screen since August of 2002, nearly 24 years with the CBS soap, shared how early on her teenage acting career, she was ready to call it quits in show business, after a heartbreaking audition for the lead of a new Disney Channel sitcom, which later turned out to be the hit seres, That’s So Raven, starring Raven-Symoné which ran for four seasons from 2003-2007.

Christel recalled what happened. “I was 14 and I had always auditioned for all these Disney projects. So I auditioned for That’s So Raven, it was between me and Raven-Symoné and it was called at the time Absolutely Psychic,” explained Khalil. “The character was this girl who had psychic ability, but then when Raven got the role, they named the title of the show after her.”

Photo: CBS

HOW A BROTHERLY TALK CHANGED THE COURSE OF CHRISTEL’S CAREER

Reliving the disappointment to Greg and Rebecca, Christel explained, “I lost that part and I was just so devastated, because for the network call there were 20 people in the room watching me, and I just have always had such performance anxiety. I just completely bombed the audition and it was terrible. So, I was just devastated. I was actually going to quit acting and then I got the final call for The Young and The Restless and I wasn’t going to go.”

It was Khalil’s brother, who actually got her to reconsider, and if he hadn’t, we would not have our Lily Winters in Genoa City! Christel recounted, “I was like, ‘You know what? I’m done. I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m just going to hang out with my friends.’ I was just devastated. My brother, who is seven years older than me, and he had quit acting at the same age that I was at that time. He said to me, ‘I promise you, I actually really regret quitting. Just go on this audition and if you don’t get it, you can quit.'”

Christel’s screen-test for the role of Lily was actually with the late, great, Kristoff St. John who would play her father Neil (Later it was revealed to Lily, that Neil’s brother, Malcolm Winters was her bio-dad).

Photo: CBS

ACTING WAS EASY WITH THE LATE KRISTOFF ST. JOHN

“So, I went (to test for Lily) and I remember the screen-test was with Kristoff St. John. It was just so easy to act with him because he’s just so there. I remember just being on set, and that was my first time there for a screen-test where you were actually on set. I had never experienced that before. It was my first time being with an actor and  having makeup done, which just helps you really be able to do your best work.”

Recalling the screen-test with the St. John, Khalil, “It was where I had to be emotional ( in the scene) and I always had issues being emotional at auditions. But I was there with him, it just came, and it happened. It was natural and I felt so good and it was amazing. It stands out in my mind a lot.”

You can check out the full Soapy conversation with Christel Khalil where she also discusses juggling motherhood, marital life, and the demands of soap operas.

Fan can listen to weekly episodes of Soapy on Audacy or wherever podcasts are available, and can watch full video episodes weekly on the CBS =Brand YouTube Channel. Whether a lifelong fan or discovering the genre for the first time, SOAPY offers a fresh, fun behind-the-scenes look at the stories – and storytellers – that define daytime drama.

Now let us know, over the years what had been your favorite Lily Winters story on Y&R as played by Christel Khalil? What did you think of of Christell’s recollection where she was up for the lead of “That’s So Raven” as a teenager, before it was even titled that? Let us know via the comment section.

The Young and the Restless seems to be toying with a potential romance between amnesiac Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) and Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford).  Now, on all-new episodes of the top-rated soap opera, the official Y&R Preview for the week of June 22-26, shows a moment where Matt attempts to ask Phyllis out on a date!

The two are sitting at the GCAC having drinks. Suddenly, Matt says. “Once upon a time, there was a man who had no memory. And he met a woman. And then he asks her out on a date.” Phyllis looks at first confused, but then inquisitive? Would Phyllis even dare go out with Matt given what he has done to the former love of her life and father to her daughter, Summer, the one and only Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow)?

If Y&R head writer, Josh Griffith does plan to go there, does Phyllis somehow fall in love with this guy, because she did see him come to the rescue of Nick when he OD’d? But, would Phyllis date Sharon’s (Sharon Case) rapist?

Photo: ABC

GENERAL HOSPITAL’S FRANCO AND NINA

This isn’t the first time that Daytime Emmy winners, Roger Howarth and Michelle Stafford have appeared on a soap as a romantic pairing? Look no further than then January of 2016  when both appeared on ABC’s General Hospital, when after months of dancing around their sexual tension, Franco Baldwin and Nina Reeves had sex.  The two characters had quite the unstable past which drew them together.

After the sex scene aired on GH, and the series moved the relationship between the duo (known on social media as #nico) forward, Michelle Stafford spoke to Michael Fairman TV where she shared on working with Howarth.

At that time, Stafford expressed, “What woman doesn’t want to see Roger Howarth on-screen?  He’s super sexy, and that is just that! (Laughs) With Roger, I am going to get a really great actor to work with, who likes to play, and really can act. I appreciate that about him. I am just really interested to see what the writers are ultimately going to do with these two characters.”

When addressing, why it took so long for Franco and Nina to hit the sheets, Stafford acknowledged, “You have to address it, because the audience is going to go, ‘Why are these two hot characters not ‘doing’ it’ These are two adults. It doesn’t make sense.  They are so in love, and they are not consummating anything.  So, when they made Nina so insecure about it, and being able to communicate to Franco how she felt, I thought, ‘OK, this works.’  She was scared, and that’s true. We are all scared when we sleep with someone we love for the first time.  There is not one person who does not feel that way.  I loved that about her.  The woman in the audience really responded to that. They loved that there was a character who was afraid to hop in bed.  It was refreshing to them, and that was the consensus.”

Y&R’s MATT AND PHYLLIS STAND A GHOST OF A CHANCE AT ROMANCE?

Take a look at the Y&R video preview for next week below.

Then weigh-in; do you want Matt and Phyllis to date and begin some semblance of a romantic relationship? Did you enjoy Roger Howarth and Michelle Stafford when they were paired as Franco and Nina on General Hospital? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

On the Thursday, June 18 episode of General Hospital, Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota) makes his shocking return right in Port Charles, after fleeing (thanks to Cassius) to supposedly parts unknown to escape capture for trying to kill Dr. Lucas Jones (Van Hansis).

How does he show up in town? First, Ezra (Daniel Cosgrove) gets a text from Jacinda (Paige Herschell) to meet in his hotel room. Ezra thinks the two are going to have a sexcapade so he puts champagne on ice for his favorite escort.

Suddenly, there is a knock at the door. Ezra’s excitement turns towards fear as instead of Jacinda, Sidwell is standing in front of him. Next, Sidwell blackmails Boyle telling him he has plenty of leverage he can use against him. Sidwell wants to use Ezra to help him takedown, Sonny (Maurice Benard), Lucas, Laura (Genie Francis) and Cullum.

Courtesy/ABC

ARE SIDWELL’S DAYS NUMBERED?

Meanwhile, Sonny confides in his brother, Ric (Rick Hearst). He says he knows who killed Marco an he is going to use that intel to lure Sidwell out of hiding.  Sonny also shares he is going to kill Sidwell, and handle this by himself. He gave the PCPD a chance, but they failed to nab Sidwell for good and lock him up.

Sonny also has been tracking the whereabouts of Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) and Rocco (Finn Carr) through Brick, and learned they took a flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and then boarded a fairy to take them somewhere off the island.

Courtesy/ABC

BRITT’S ‘SYMPTOMS’ RETURN

Turns out, Britt and Rocco are hiding out in the British Virgin Islands. Britt set up Rocco with a burner phone and a VPN on her tablet, that is not traceable. Rocco reads on the tablet about Lucas’ shooting. Britt starts to have the shakes and passes out. When she comes to, Britt won’t let Rocco call a doctor, but he uses his phone to step on the balcony and call Charlotte (Bluesy Burke) and ask for help. Charlotte looks shocked to hear from her brother as Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) looks on!

Courtesy/ABC

However, Joe (Jonathan Bennett) could be the one to put two and two together! While at General Hospital and after questioning Lucas about a syringe he found that was in someone’s possession. the toxicology report showed traces of saline solution, not actual medication. He asks Dr. Jones, why someone would inject themselves with saline? Lucas responds saline is harmless and would have no effect on someone.

So, does this mean that this entire time, Britt has been led to believe that the medication she was taking to treat her Huntington’s disease was placebo? Has Britt been lied to into believing she is dying? Is something else wrong with her instead?

Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below, and if you are ready for Sidwell to finally get his comeuppance from Sonny! But first, watch the scenes where Sidwell comes out of hiding and blackmails Ezra Boyle.