Today marks Y&R icon Melody Thomas Scott’s 40th anniversary with the top-rated daytime drama series.  While CBS plans to air a special standalone episode (Nikki is in the slammer for confessing to J.T.’s murder, and she will reflect on her life in an emotional look-back), Michael Fairman sat down with the popular and beloved star for a deep dive into four decades in the life of stripper-turned-socialite, Nikki Newman for The Michael Fairman Channel.

During the interview, Melody first addresses her sadness at the loss of her longtime friend and co-star Kristoff St. John (Neil Winters): “I adored him.  I love him to bits.  I loved working with him; such a wonderful actor.  I don’t even know if he knew how good he was.”

When discussing Nikki’s colorful past, and when Y&R planned to have Nikki strip again decades later, Melody revealed she did refuse to play it: “That’s right, and I very rarely put the kibosh on anything on this show,  I was 48-years-old.  The head writer called me and I was up in hair and make-up.  They heard me say, ‘I’m 48-years-old .. that’s just not happening.”‘

Photo: TheMichaelFairmanChannel

Over the years, Nikki has faced many battles, perils ,and demons including her addiction to alcohol which has provided many a juicy story for Thomas Scott.  As to the fans always loving to see a ‘boozy’ Nikki, Melody remarked;  “Yes!  They love it!  I have great fun with it and I think it’s wonderful.”

During a segment of the conversation, Michael shows Melody some photos of Nikki’s past loves, and gets her thoughts on why Nikki fell for those men, and what it was like working with her co-stars through the years: John Enos (Bobby), Doug Davidson (Paul), Heath Kizzier (Joshua), Wings Hauser (Greg), Don Diamont (Brad), Vincent Irizarry (David), Peter Bergman (Jack), Sean Kanan (Deacon, and of course, her longtime on-screen partner Eric Braeden (Victor).

Later, Melody reminisces about her time working with the late great Jeanne Cooper (Katherine) and when asked by Fairman what she thinks Jeanne would say about her 40th anniversary milestone, Melody replied: “She would say, ‘I’m (bleeping) proud of you Mel!”‘

Photo: CBS

Check out the entire interview with Melody below (make sure to also subscribe to the Michael Fairman Channel on You Tube for more feature interviews), and following that the special CBS promo honoring Melody’s 40th anniversary with Y&R.  Then let us know, what has been your favorite Nikki Newman moment over the last 40 years? Share your thoughts via the comment section below,

On today’s broadcast of the CBS afternoon series, The Talk, the ladies welcome Y&R icon, Melody Thomas Scott, who this week celebrates her incredible 40th anniversary with the show as Nikki Newman.

During her segment, Melody chats on Wednesday’s upcoming standalone episode where Nikki is in jail reflecting on her life.  Wednesday is also the exact date of Thomas Scott’s 40th anniversary with the CBS Daytime drama series.

During the segment Melody fills the ladies in on the “All About Nikki” episode, as she relates:  “I was so thrilled that they did this. It’s truly, really the life of Nikki in the entirety of the episode. It’s all about Nikki. And she’s in jail. She’s writing a letter to her grandchildren so that she can explain who she really is, how she got to where she is.  I have to narrate it, I’ve got a voice-over, a long voice-over. And then, as I’m thinking about all these different times in my life, I can’t believe I’m referring to me as her, her life, then we see the flashbacks. And for the longtime viewers, even current viewers, it is such a trip down memory lane. I mean, you are on that train and you’re not getting off…all of the clips have not been seen since they were first aired.”

Photo: CBS

In addition, Melody addresses the passing of her longtime co-star and friend, Kristoff St. John relating:  “I adored him. We all adored him. There was something very unique and magical about him. He would just draw you into his wonderful world. And all of his bear hugs, I can’t believe I’ll never get a bear hug. Going to any kind of event, any party, the first thing I said when I got there was ‘Where’s Kristoff?’ I want to find Kristoff, I want to be with him, I want to be in his air space. Because that’s the kind of guy he was, and I think that came through on camera. I think everybody sensed that, I mean everybody adored him.”

So, will you be checking out Melody on today’s episode of The Talk (2PMEST and 1PM PST) today? Comment below.

Since the Sundance Film Festival premiered, the Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland, set to air March 3 and 4th on HBO, left attendees disturbed by the sexual abuse allegations detailed in the film by two men, who worked with, and knew Jackson when they were just children, Wayne Robson and James Safechuck.  In this expose, they claim that the iconic musician sexually abused them when they were young.

However, a new article from Forbes, details incidents that took place that could have led to Robson and Safechuck to change their tune and say they were abused, when back on the stand in 2005 during one of Jackson’s triasl, Robson adamantly, confidently, and credibly asserted that nothing sexual happened between them,

Then in 2013, Robson filed a $1.5 billion dollar civil lawsuit/creditor’s claim, along with James Safechuck, who also spent time with Jackson in the late ‘80s. Safechuck claimed he only realized he may have been abused when Robson filed his lawsuit. That lawsuit was dismissed by a probate court in 2017.

However, several adults who knew Jackson when they were children have spoken up and let it be known that there was no sexual abuse when they were young perpatrated on them by the oop icon including: Macaulay Culkin, Sean Lennon, Emmanuel Lewis, Alfonso Ribeiro, and Corey Feldman, to name a few.

Photo: BJamesTwitter

You can add The Young and the Restless Bryton James (Devon Hamlilton) to that list,  James, who appeared at a young age in a commercial with Jackson, and who became a close friend of Michael’s, took to Twitter over the weekend to share his sentiments, and to let people know he never witnessed, or heard of anything inappropriate going on with a minor.

James tweeted:  “Over our 15 year friendship, neither I or my family ever witnessed @michaeljackson conduct himself inappropriately with a minor, or anyone for that matter. & during the time I worked with Mr. Robson as a child, he never once mentioned any wrong doing.”

So, what do you think of Bryton’s message in tandem with the Forbes article on the accusers in Leaving Neverland, and the never-ending-saga of Michael Jackson’s alleged sexual abuse of young boys?  Jackson had been previously acquitted in court cases in 1990’s and the mid-2000’s. Comment below.

Over our 15 year friendship, neither I or my family ever witnessed @michaeljackson conduct himself inappropriately with a minor, or anyone for that matter. & during the time I worked with Mr. Robson as a child, he never once mentioned any wrong doing… https://t.co/8LvYkLxD28

— Bryton James (@BrytonEjames) February 16, 2019