What is happening to The Young and the Restless Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott)? Recently, Nikki who previously had been diagnosed with MS, has been experiencing blinding headaches, but this week be on the lookout as her vision also begins to deteriorate.

Now trying to put the pieces together of what could be happening to Nikki begins a health crisis and mystery. Is she suffering vision issues which can be related to MS, which can be a symptom? A brain tumor? Something else?

While Stephanie Sloane spoke to Melody Thomas Scott in her Soap Steph’s Daytime Dish Newsletter, Michael Fairman TV caught up with Sean Dominic (Nate Hastings) at Monday night, June 8th’s A Toast to Black Excellence event in Los Angeles, featuring cast members of Beyond the Gates and The Young and the Restless as a precursor to their multi-arc crossover event that starts today. As it turns out, it looks like Dr. Nate Hastings will indeed cross paths with Nikki Newman in this storyline.

Photo: JPI

CAN DR. NATE HASTINGS HELP NIKKI NEWMAN?

Dominic shared, “I do have some scenes coming up with Melody that you will see soon. She reaches out to Nate.” Putting two and two together, Dr. Nate Hastings is a world-renowned surgeon, so will Nikki need surgery for her condition? Stay tuned.

Previously, Melody Thomas Scott explained, “I’ve never played a character with this new diagnosis that Nikki will receive, so I spent more time than usual doing research and prepping. I wanted to make sure my portrayal of Nikki’s experience was as authentic as possible.”

As to why Nikki is having horrendous headaches now, with being on the outs with her husband, Victor Newman, and trying to help her son, Nick battle his drug addiction, (and let’s not forget Nikki has a her own demons with booze), one would think it’s stress related. But think again!

Photo: JPI

VICTOR AND NIKKI: FROM STAR-CROSSED LOVERS TO EMBATTLED SPOUSES

The longtime star of the series expressed, “The timing of Nikki’s headaches lines up with recent stress from her problems with Victor along with Nicholas issues, so it’s easy for Nikki to attribute her headaches to these current events. Nikki a full plate, so she initially brushes them off, thinking they are tension headaches. Unfortunately, Nikki’s condition will soon get progressively worse to the point where she will be forced to get medical attention.”

With Victor and Nikki going through a very rough patch, in part, because Victor is so jealous and unhinged over the mere mention of Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), stemming from the incident almost two years ago where he overdosed while trying to stop Nikki’s bender, and he was her sponsor. Victor believes more happened between Jack and Nikki, but it didn’t.

Melody shared it’s fun to not always be happy on the soaps : “As much as Eric and I enjoy the romantic moments, we also savor the opportunity to play the not-so-happy times in the marriage. Our characters have so much rich history.”

So, what do you think is happening to Nikki? How will Dr. Nate be involved? Give us your thoughts on what will be Nikki’s ultimate diagnosis from her headaches and vion problems via the comment section below.

Each year in June, various cast members from CBS daytime’s The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful are appointed as the representatives of their shows to attend the biggest TV event in Europe, the Monte-Carlo TV Festival.

Now in its 65th year, and beginning this coming weekend June 12-15, the annual event brings television stars, producers and more from around the globe, for interactive fan events, and the annual Golden Nymph Awards which concludes the competition.

Attending from The Young and the Restless will be the on-screen mother/son duo of Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) and Michael Graziadei (Daniel). The two will have their own autograph signing and fan event on June 15, where according to the official TV festival website, they are capacity and no tickets are currently available.

Courtesy/MonteCarloFilmFestival

BIG BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL NAMES

Then, the most recognized soap opera in the world, The Bold and the Beautiful brings with it, series legacy star, Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke), along with Thorsten Kaye (Ridge), Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy) Tanner Novlan (Finn) and Kimberlin Brown (Sheila). The B&B fan event is also on June 15 and at capacity and no tickets are currently available. As B&B fans know, many times the soap will schedule a remote or scenes to be taped in Europe around the same time as the actors trip to Monaco. No word yet if that is true this year, or not.

OPENING CEREMONIES

The 65th Monte-Carlo Television Festival will open at the Grimaldi Forum on June 12, with the prestigious Opening Ceremony. An exceptional Red Carpet with international stars – actors, directors and producers – of the most popular series worldwide followed by the Ceremony with the Golden Nymph Awards Jury presentation.

Dame Kristin Scott Thomas will receive the prestigious Crystal Nymph Award recognizes a prominent figure in the television industry for their outstanding career and lasting impact on the industry.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN NYMPH AWARDS

At the heart of the Festival the Golden Nymph Awards Competition gives the opportunity to present to the public, the press and professionals, a selection of high level and unreleased programs.

The Competition is divided into four categories: Fiction, Feature Reports & News, Digital and Prince Rainier III Special Prize. It is complemented by two Special Prizes, awarded by partner organizations, the winners of which are selected among all the programs entered in the Golden Nymph Awards Competition. The Competition is open to all formats specially produced for television and new steaming platforms.

The Bold and the Beautiful had previously won the Golden Nymph Award at the festival 13 times in the International TV Audience Award category for “Telenovela/Soap Opera.” The American daytime drama historically dominated the category, picking up its 13th Golden Nymph at the 58th annual festival back in 2018.

So, what do you think about the line-up of stars who are heading to Monaco from The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful? Let us know via the comment section below.

Get ready for an action-packed story arc when several of Genoa City’s most prominent residents descend on Fairmont Crest for a fundraiser for congressman Martin Richardson’s (Brandon Claybon) campaign which kickstarts the four episode CBS daytime crossover event between Beyond the Gates and The Young and the Restless.

Beginning Tuesday, June 9 and airing though Friday, June 12 on CBS and streaming on Paramount+, in true soap opera fashion, a tornado is heading straight towards the D.C./Maryland area and strikes during the soiree, putting everyone’s life in peril.

Participating in the crossover from The Young and the Restless are: Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters), Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor), Devon Winters (Bryton James) and Abby Newman (Melissa Ordway). 

Photo: CBS

Now, as is soap opera tradition, when a tornado strikes your soap town, expect the story to be anchored on who is stuck with who? Is it an ex-husband, a former flame, a hot stranger, feuding sisters, anything and everything is on the table for this one, folks!

As a prelude to what fans will see, Peter Bergman and Daphnée Duplaix (Nicole Dupree Richardson, Beyond the Gates) visited the Michael Fairman Channel to give us the ultimate tease. Below are just a few nuggets we learned from the conversation.

JACK AND DIANE CAN’T SEEM TO FIND COMMON GROUND

Already on the outs with his wife, Diane, how does coming to Fairmont Crest impact a reconciliation between the two? Peter Bergman shared, “One would think you could build on that and that it would bring them closer together. A fellah can dream! Jack was hopeful that this little exit to Maryland might rekindle some things, might help things heal. However, Jack goes back to Genoa City fighting for his marriage.”

Courtesy/CBS

WILL NICOLE CHOOSE A MAN WHILE IN THE RUBBLE?

As for Nicole, she has been playing the field dating two men: Dr. Carlton Fitzgerald (Robert Christopher Riley) and Dr. Kial Rollins (Greg Vaughan), and she still has her ex-husband Dr.Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) wanting her back, might the epic tornado bring her some clarify?

Duplaix explained, “Nicole is still very much in, ‘I am having fun. I’m discovering myself. Do not give me any pressure. Don’t stress me out,’ mode. She does want to give her heart to somebody, but is still scared. So she’s like, ‘let’s just sit back and have some fun.’ As for Ted, I’m still friendly. I’m still kind (towards him).”

Both Daphnée and Peter reported they were most impressed by how Beyond the Gates was able to pull off a natural disaster ripping through Fairmont Crest, so the enormity of it could be played out on-screen in soapy fashion, but leveled up the Beyond the Gates way.

THE MAKING OF A SOAP OPERA TORNADO

“This was movie level quality on a daytime soap,” exclaimed Duplaix. “We used a completely different stage to be able to have the amount of people that we had in these scenes. It was pretty incredible and intense. I think everybody held their own from the front of the camera to the behind the camera, and I think the fans audience are going be not just surprised, but definitely satisfied.”

Twenty-five time Daytime Emmy nominee and a three time winner, Peter Bergman, certainly knows a thing or two about soap operas. Through the year, he has made no bones in previous interviews that he is a student of the genre and does watch other soaps and actors from those respective soaps. Peter was well aware that Beyond the Gates in its year and a half existence has delivered every time they have a major reveal planned.

Courtesy/CBS

ANOTHER SHOCKER IS ON THE WAY

Bergman agreed and added, “So, you are a brand new show. What do you know about what really works in daytime television? Let’s work the things that really work and those shows that have been on 50 years, are not looking for those moments. They’re just kind of keeping the whole thing going. These people are artistically and scientifically looking at what works. Beyond the Gates is a really clever show in that way. There are Cliffhangers left and right. Great idea.”

In the end, Duplaix and Bergman summed up what viewers are about to see best, with Peter giving us a major spoiler alert to be on the lookout for. “It’s all exciting. There’s twists, there’s turns. Things you’re definitely not going expect to happen,” stated Duplaix. “The thing that we are used to as far as natural disasters in the soap opera world are there, but the storylines around what you expect are going be really fun to watch.” Peter concluded with (and wait or it!), “Just when you think they just got through all this crazy wind, something happens that is just nuts!”

You can check out the full conversation with Peter Bergman and Daphnée Duplaix below from You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, followed by the official Beyond the Gates promo for the crossover event. We say, look closely at who’s with whom, and what is going down and compare notes from our interview with that, and let us know if you think you have some things figured out!

Now, are you looking forward to the crossover between Beyond the Gates and Y&R? what do you think will be the surprise twist at the end of the tornado episodes? Weigh-in via the comment section.