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Jeff Branson OUT At The Young and the Restless … For Now?

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

Fan favorite and Daytime Emmy winner, Jeff Branson is once again leaving The Young and the Restless as Ronan Malloy!

According to the latest Soap Opera Digest on sale early this week and now newsstands now due to the Thanksgiving holiday, “The actor, who returned in June, has come to the end of his six-month run and will exit Genoa City once again.”

This comes as a disappointment to many soapers who were digging  Michelle Stafford’s Phyllis with Branson’s Ronan, and who have also been clamoring for more scenes between Branson and his on-screen mother, Nina played by Tricia Cast.  And let’s not forget that the teen that Ronan is mentoring is being cyperbullied by Summer Newman!

As for Branson, he had chosen awhile ago not to go under contract with Y&R to enable him to go off and do other projects.  However, could Branson’s popularity eventually land him in Genoa City full-time?  

Let us know your thoughts on Branson’s departure, and if you want him to return sooner than later?

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“This comes as a disappointment to many soapers …”

Not THIS soaper. I have had enough of Ronan Malloy and apparently so has Phyllis Newman. Their last interactions bordered on pathetic (Ronan’s part) and Phyllis seemed creeped out by the thought of actually dating this guy.

I was all aboard when we were supposed to finally have some story for Ronan and Nina, but that didn’t happen. Nina got kicked in the teeth by her best friend and the storyline (getting to know her son) that didn’t happen.

I can only hope we get to see Tricia Cast on Y&R again sometime, but Jeff Branson, I hope he is finally done. I have nothing against the man, but coming and going when HE feels like it is not good for the show. Best of luck to Jeff Branson.

I agree with all of this ….

I want the character gone. Good-bye, good riddance. I can’t stand Phyllis and why and when did he suddenly decide he was in love with her. LLB, Christine comes and goes and sometimes she just messes things up storyline wise. Kind of like today.

I love Ronan!
He is an awesome character and I like him with any woman, not having her to be necessarily Phyllis..
He is good actor and handsome..
I do not take fictitious characters as being real enough to upset me LOL It’s a soap and mostly BS and story telling and he and Phyllis are HOT together.. ..
I hope he will return and become full contract..
Ronan is very cool guy .. 🙂

Totally agree with you re: Ronan AND Christine, Lisa !

Agreed with you too. Ronan- the corrupt cop who covers for the people he likes but harasses those he dislikes, the son who is an a**hole to his own mother but who is a peach unlawful criminals, the romantic love interest who is neither romantic nor interesting- has no place on the show IMO. He’s a waste of airtime.

I like Jeff in both his former roles, as Jonathan on AMC and Shane on GL, and think he’s a very talented actor. But I have just hated his time on YR. Try other things, for your sake and for mine.

Here we go again! Y&R is letting all of their wonderful actors go.
What will we be left with? Boring storylines again! Jeff was a wonderful
actor and this is a great loss for the viewers.

He would make a great recast of Jason Morgan on GH!!! Just sayin!

When they had Ronan go completely against character in order to “save”Phyllis they ruined him. Such a shame because I really liked him and was interested in seeing him and Nina.

I wish him luck. Nice guy but glad he is moving on to fulfill his career. If he comes back hope he wrecks someone else’s life.

Definitely going to miss Jeff, he is a great actor and we enjoy watching him. We hope you will come back soon your character with Phyllis is really good.

Yeah, Ronan and Phyllis are a great couple – based on their chemistry. Don’t know what else they have in common to sustain them past the bedroom.

Love Jeff Branson and like Ronan alot. Hope he comes back. He is an amazing talent.

I really hope he comes back to the show. I love Ronan and think Ronan & Phyllis are awesome together!

Ronan was ruined and became a lovesick puppy. His promised story with Nina never happened and this time he was wasted. The Phyllis story already fizzled last year. Don’t bring him back until the Nina story can be told.

i totally agree – pairing him with phyllis was just gross!

Have to agree on this comment. Don’t know who decided that Ronan ‘s story didn’t deserve to be told, I really love Jeff Branson , thought he was great with in the role. The whole sl with Phylliss was as you said gross.Phonan had to be the most out of the blue pairing ever,loved him and Chloe,Jeff and Liz had great chemistry as did Jeff and Tricia . Sorry they had to have the Phylliss BS sl,she had no connection with him ,didn’t even know him,just because of the scene in the park MAB decided to pair them,it was totally stupid and a big waste of time. Doesn’t look as though Jeff well be asked back sadly.Hope he a gets a big Primetime gig,maybe he’ll get to at least show his talent.Sorry to see that JFP and JG couldn’t be bothered to at least let Jeff finish the bully sl ,that story should have been a better write than letting the victim have to leave town and the bullies get off scot free. JMO Miss ya Jeff . Was still hoping for a Chlonan hookup. They dropped the ball on this,just to have Ronan made into a dirty cop-fbi agent such a big waste all around. Jeff could have brought it.

I really like Ronan and I think Y&R has not done a very good job in building up this character,put Ronan and Chloe back together!! very hot,I love those two together ..Chloe and Kevin are very boring and don’t even get me started on Ronan and Phyllis. I would love to see him sta but we need some changes.

see him stay

Would like him and Phyllis to hook up. I think it’s useless to have him come back for short stints. He can’t get really involved in story and fans can’t get invested in him. Is the GC police dept so inept they have to have outsiders come in? That is so unrealistic. It’s not that small a town is it? And they’d have the state police anyway. If he comes back again, it should be for longer and have him and Phyllis get together.

I like the idea of Ronan, but personally I thought the actor playing him was way too old for the role. I get Nina had him as a teenager, but the guy looked like he was in his forties, as old as his mother. Again I thought if Phyllis is a peer of Nina and Christine then her pairing with Ronan made no sense. She could have chemistry with Fen, because she oozes sexuality, but no one wants to watch it. I like her with Jack, but I have sneaky weird vibe that they are going to pair Phyllis with Adam- call it a hunch, but if they do, remember you heard it here first.

I agree, Mary SF. I think eventually Adam and Phyllis will get paired. I thought they kind of chemistry tested them back when she went to help him find the memory card. They played well together. 🙂

I think Jack will be temporary. The writers seem to like Nick and Avery. I could see Adam and Phyllis working well as a couple.

I imagine he will eventually be back.

Love Jeff Branson. Do not like Ronan. Maybe be remviong him from the canvas, Jill and Josh can find a way to strengthen the character and bring him back. I like the idea of a cop with a dark side. Something a little different for us than the nebulous corporate silliness that is Newman, Abbott, and Beauty. YAWN! I like the potential of Ronan and Nina discovering a family bond. As for Phyllis, there is chemistry but I am over her for a while. There are abd girls we love to hate but we find the love because there are moments of redemption. There ae one to date for Phyllis. There is always another man, another job opportunity. And always jealousy and resentment. YAWN!!

I liked Ronan,too bad that Maria Bell saw fit to ruin him for her own enjoyment. I sometimes watch when he first came on and was a tough nut to crack,but then he came back and was turned into a prop for Phyliss,I hated the pairing from the beginning and was hoping at least after he sent Nina the lovely note before he left that we would get a good sl with the two,even JB wanted something more then the cop stuff this go around,but Maria thought she would just ruin the character for her own porn loving sl. He was totally different and not even close to being the old Ronan. Good luck Jeff,maybe you should get it in writng if you come back again,then if it doesn’t go your way you could sue for breaking a contract. I guess you didn’t get it in writing when you were dealing with Maria Bell.Too Bad.

Very sad. I wish the show could keep him on solid ground. He deserves a decent storyline, and not be thrown around like a nobody. His attraction and relationship with Phyllis is insane, though in recent weeks, I’m dying for a Jack/Phyllis reunion which I see happening!

Best wishes to Mr. Branson in his next en devour!

I am in total agreement with you Scott. Phylliss and Ronan were a big miss from the get go. I would have loved to see him with Chloe or almost anyone else. And why did they bother saying that he was Nina’s long lost son and not even explore the relationship,even Jeff wanted this and saw great potential the sl. This could have been epic,now Jeff is gone and so is Tricia and no end to the sl,or even why he left the first time. Wish they would stop with all the newbies and bring these two back. JG hope you and your cohorts are reading this.Jeff maybe you could coem back longer or even sign for a year,that would be great.Miss you and Ronan.

Ronan and Phyllis is a great pairing. They had the most potential, which was was cut short and very abruptly. Should Jeff return, then yes, he should be paired with Phyllis to see where that goes.

Ronan’s character definitely needed more fleshing out. It seems that with Phyllis’ trial, the whole town was focusing on that, and the character got lost in there for a long time. Again, should Jeff come back, the character needs more stand alone development. But he needs to stick with Phyllis, for sure.

I don’t know, Vikki. When Phyllis and Ronan were together during the Diane Jenkins murder investigation, they had potential. This time it was kind of sickening to watch him lust after her and potentially ruin his career in the process – definitely not helping his relationship with his mother (that we are long overdue for!).

The way that Phyllis looked so physically uncomfortable with him after Nick filed with divorce was like when Phyllis had sex with Deacon up against the dumpster. You could just see that Ronan’s presence and persistence at having a “relationship” with Phyllis just unnerved her.

I agree for the most part. They were great the first time around, and the chemistry was still there this time too. But the story just lacked even more than before. I definitely wouldn’t compare it to Deacon. She actually talked to Ronan and didn’t only sleep with him when they were together. That came much later.

I think the new writers actually forgot that even when Nick was around, Phyllis actually confided in Ronan more than she did Nick. He was the first one she confessed Tim’s death to. IMO, she likes Ronan. Unfortunately, she just didn’t feel as strongly as he did this time around. It’s too bad, because this was Phyllis best chance at falling for someone that was 100% in love with her. Unlike with Nick who changes his loyalties every other day, and Jack, who’s main love is really going after Victor/Jabot.

Want Ronan Back on YR Phonan bring so much passion they have the most chemistry on YR he’s my favorite they have such a great talent and these two together we feel the connection the best in longtime and FOREVER wish the New writer let them to be in deep love story give them a chance he’s not a bad men he doing all this for Love Ronan never love a woman like he love Phyllis
Hope and still holding for Phonan seeing jack and Phyllis kissing today no chemistry there let me realise go much i want Phonan they make me dreams and they are Phenominal what they offer its what I’m looking for in soap I’m not the only one with all the fan i see

Not one of my favorite characters. Plus, I always felt JB was somewhat stiff in the role….especially after the reveal of being Nina’s son. They needed to spend more time on THAT relationship instead of the various go nowhere romantic ones the character has been plopped into since the beginning. Recast and flesh out the character.

I would be very happy to never see this actor on my screen ever again. His charm, his talent, have been lost on me since his intermable run on AMC as one of the insufferable Lavery brothers. Then he appeared on Y&R and he was just as bad. He has no discernible acting range and seems to think that deepening his voice is “dramatic”. He lumbers, he glowers, he talks in a monotone. He’s even dull in scenes with Michelle Stafford – not easy to pull off since her acting choices seem dictated on how much itching powder has been put down her thong that day.

I hope all the best for Jeff Branson – as long as it doesn’t involve acting, ever again.

I’ve thought the writing for Ronan was pretty bad. He is Nina’s long-lost, first-born son and, inanely, the mother and son have had about 10 minutes of screen time together since he arrived. The character has been poorly used.

That being said, maybe it is not completely the writers’ fault. Based on the article, Branson decided NOT to become a contractual actor with the show. Branson’s coming and going from the part due to this may be the reason that Ronan has been an ill fit into the show.

Personally, I think the show should put actors under contract when the character is key to the show. (If the budget can’t afford that, then the writers shouldn’t use the character at all!). I’m tired of, in particular, Ronan and Billy suddenly leaving for months on end to allow the actor to pursue another role. The show really suffers because of it. If these actors want to pursue other roles, that is fine. I completely understand that they would want to do other things given the current state of these show. However, there are numerous actors who could be hired to replace these people and could be a more constant presence on the show.

If Branson and Ronan are leaving, I’m all for getting RID of the character for good or hiring another actor to play the part of Nina’s son — an actor that is going to be available to play the role.

I am sad that he is gone. Phonan was the first couple in a long time that I actually let myself like on the show. It has been hard to root for the characters and especially the couples, but the chemistry that MS and JB have, well it was impossible not to fall in love.

I love Jeff Branson. We need more of him. And a good woman to save and a realationship with Nina. Bring him back after his projects!

I’m so bummed that Jeff Branson is leaving!!! I love him with Phyliss

Although I really liked Ronan at first,since he was put with Phyliss he was ruined . I wish Jeff good luck .I heard that he said he would come back agian if asked,which to me means that this time he was let go.Read in an interview awhile ago that he said he could have been there anywhere between 3,6 months to even a year,but that was when Maria Bell was there I think. I just hope if they bring Jeff back that they actually let Ronan and Nina have a lot more of a connection with each other. I hope he finds what he wants,(Jeff) out there. Miss you Ronan,but sorry couldn’t get into Phonan crap. I would call it Phony,too forced,with no background sl to connect these two. Really Ronan and Chloe were so much more connected and had more in common. Hope Chlonan fans finally get what we want,enough is enough for Phony.

I so hope Jeff comes back. What about Jeff and Victoria together. It looks like things aren’t going to work out for Victoria and Billy.

JB needs to make up his mind what he wants,I really like him ,but am getting sick of him coming and going,now that JFP has hired her buddy Steve Burton,Jeff won’t be asked back period. Too bad that they didn’t go into the Nina and Ronan sl more, that would be great,we never got closure on that,no questions about why he left the first time,no character developement at all. It really would shock me if he got asked back the fourth time. I do understand that he wants to broaden his herizons more,but it is hard when he comes back and foruth into the Ronan character,maybe he should just stay away from daytime ,and he can concentrate on his primetime and movie career. Love him ,but sorry Jeff either stay or go and stay away for good. With the JFP fires regulars and hires her friends aka Steve Burton ,your chances aren’t very good for being asked back.

I did not know it was Jeff choosing to come and go. I thought it was the producers. Just like Chance who I enjoyed too. On then off then on then off.

Heard that John Driscoll has joined the army in real life,so I don’t think he well retrun. But hopefully Jeff well,if JFP comes to her senses that is.

I just finished watching “Off Their Rockers” and In one stint in Costco I am 100% sure I just saw Jeff Branson playing a shopper. Same voice too. He was wearing a beanie cap I think to help disguise him but it did not work. I thought these were everyday people and not actors. Now I think this show is all staged. Does not matter, I loved seeing Jeff. He is such eye candy.

I agree. I’m 100% sure it is him. I’m glad somebody else noticed.

I love Ronan Maloy. I am so sorry he isn’t on. I loved watching him. He and Phyllis were so intriguing together. I hope he comes back!

Young and the Restless is not the same without Ronan Malloy. Please, please bring Jeff Branson back! I’ve been watching the show for more than a decade and Michelle and Jeff are fabulous together!!!

I miss Jeff Branson. I miss his character. He was also the most handsome.

Laurie
Winnipeg,
Manitoba,
Canada

I was disappointed JFP chose not to keep JB for longer,guess they weren’t interested in doing the bully sl that Jeff started,I think poor Jamie could use his mentor,bring Jeff back. Saw him on the Off their rockers on my computer,he looked great,I also thought that they used non actors,but I think they would have to have the permission to show them ,they couldn’t just do it without them knowing it.JMO though. Also saw Jeff on CSI New York a couple weeks ago ,although it was way too short a scene,he well I think be on CSI Vegas February 6th,hope it well be a longer scene for the fans,it’s also suppose to be continuing on Friday on CSI New York,maybe he’ll be on both,hope so. Just hope if they do ask him to Y&R it’s for longer and a closure for the Nina and Ronan characters. Miss ya Jeff.

Yes Ronan needs to be on the young and the restless with Phyllis. Bring him back

I hope Jeff comes back,just not too be stuck with Phylliss.Have nothing aginst Michelle ,just hate that Jeff has to be paired with the same person as when he left. We the viewers should get our closure for the Nina and Ronan storyline,they were great in scenes they did. Also he either needs to work with Liz Hendrickson again,loved it that they were starting to have a sl when Delia was sick,then what did the writers do but throw Ronan back in Phylliss’s orbit. If Jeff comes back writers give us Chlonan or give Ronan a new love interest. Note to Jeff: Try to give your fans a lot more time so Roans’s character can get back on track. Sign on for a year at least. Love ya Jeff,so if you read this Please stay. We miss you and Ronan. To the new regime get jeff back here now please!

JEFF- PLEASE,PLEASE COME BACK TO Y&R .YOU ARE MISSED VERY MUCH. SHOW HASN’T BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT YOU. MAYBE YOU COULD COME BACK WITH JAMIE-REALLY LIKE HIS CHARACTER A LOT TOO…

Itruly hope Ronan comes back and for good this time. Michael has left the D.A.’s job,and gave it to Chris [a poor choice in my opinion, nobody wants her. Paul is chief of police now ,maybe Ronan could be mayot. Has anyone told you that you are ‘easy on the eyes? gailloper,a young and restless fan

I sure wish they would bring Jeff Branson aka Ronan Malloy back the Y & R is getting so uneasy to watch anymore same ole same ole he was a great actor on Y & R & very easy on the eyes to watch also they need to get rid of a few of them other 1’s like Neil,Hillary,Ashley,Sharon they are all dead weight characters also Devon but they bring back all the other actors to pick up where they left off & they arent any better than they was when they left the 1st time & when they re-cast Billy Abbott what a big screw up that was but losing Justin Hartley too was another mistake bring Adam Newman back aka Michael Muhney even though I think justin Hartley ended up playing the role better but Michael would do as a matter of fact I use to watch the Y & R everyday weekday & if away I taped them now I watch it like twice a month to catch up on things cause it just isnt interesting anymore so I went from totally faithful viewer to a casual viewer

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