On Monday’s December 4th recap of The Young and the Restless, the Newmans are reeling from the trauma they each endured after being kidnapped drugged, slashed, poisoned and in Nikki’s (Melody Thomas Scott) case, given an IV bag filled with booze and then finding herself giving in to her addiction and downing the rest of the bottle left behind.

It appears the Newman family are not catching the signals that Nikki is tempted to drink again, in fact, Cole (J. Eddie Peck) was talking about needing a bourbon, right in front of her!

As they try to gather themselves, and as Nikki stares at bottles of liquor, Victor (Eric Braeden) reveals he had Aunt Jordan (Colleen Zenk) investigated which, according to his research, Jordan is the half-sister of Eve Howard (the late Margaret Mason).  He goes on to inform the family that Jordan was a traveling nurse and somehow was at the hospital when Cole and Victoria’s (Amelia Heinle) daughter, Eve was born pre-mature and eventually ‘died.”

Courtesy/CBS

Adding this all up, it casts doubt that makes Victoria and Cole think, could Claire (Hayley Erin) really be their daughter Eve? After Victoria becomes overwhelmed, she walks out on the family conversation.

Cole goes after her and they sit outside Crimson Lights and have a heart-to-heart, where they come to the realization that Claire could really be the baby they grieved for all those years ago.

Back at the Newmans, Nikki is clearly struggling with: the ordeal she has been through, the guilt she feels for not being strong enough to fend off Claire and Aunt Jordan, and for hiring Claire in the first place! She is one step away from taking a drink.

At the end of the episode, Cole and Victoria decide they need to head to the prison where Claire is being held to get some answers from her.

So, what did you think of the fallout from Aunt Jordan’s heinous plot against the Newmans? Waiting for Nikki to fall further off the wagon? Are you convinced that Claire will indeed turn out to be “Eve”, or do you hope there is yet another twist to this story? Comment below.

And make sure to check out the Michael Fairman Channel’s recent livestream conversation with The Young and the Restless’ Hayley Erin below with insight into what’s to come as Claire/Eve’s story moves further along and more, below

On Sunday, it was Mishael Morgan’s (Amanda Sinclair, The Young and the Restless) turn to host the annual Lead Actress nominee luncheon, for this year’s talented woman who are going for gold at the upcoming 50th annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday night, December 15th on CBS.

Morgan took home the Daytime Emmy in this category in 2022 becoming the first Black actress in the now 50-year history to ever win it. In a tradition that was started by four-time Daytime Emmy winner Susan Flannery (Ex-Stephanie, The Bold and the Beautiful), the winning actress from the previous year has to pick up the tab, choose a restaurant and host a fun afternoon gathering for this year’s crop of nominees.

Attending the festivities were 2023 Lead Actress nominees: Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea, The Young and the Restless), Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, The Young and the Restless), Sharon Case (Sharon, The Young and the Restless) Finola Hughes (Anna, General Hospital), and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy, The Bold and the Beautiful).

Photo: SCaseIG

Taking to her Instagram, Melissa Claire Egan shared: “To be nominated alongside this incredibly talented group of women is a TRUE HONOR!!! Thank you to last years winner, the fabulous Mishael Morgan for hosting an epic Lead Actress Nominee Luncheon today. It’s so nice that they all offered to give me their Emmy if they win!!”

Michelle Stafford took to her Instagram and expressed: “Lead Actress Brunch. This is a real honor. I’m truly honored to be in a group with all of these incredible women. I’ve loved them all for a very long time. We are all so grateful to be working on our shows… to be working in general, as actors. What a spectacular group of women. Mishael (Last years winner) put together a brunch that was BEYOND spectacular with gift bags even!! I mean Mishael, you are an absolute class act. Thank you for the beautiful day 🧡”

Finola Hughes posted her sentiments as well, “Yesterday was the leading ladies lunch for the Emmy’s. It’s a tradition started by the inimitable Susan Flannery. (The previous years winner throws a luncheon for the nominees). Yesterday was a very special lunch. Mishael Morgan raised the bar! The conversation was at once light hearted and deep. This was an amazing group of women, supportive, funny and caring. Thank you all for a brilliant few hours 💕 🌸 ✨”

Posting on their Instagram Stories were Michelle Stafford who gave us a little more behind the scenes of the luncheon, where Mishael also handed out a gift bag to each of the ladies, and Sharon Case who accompanied her photos with the tune “This One’s For the Girls” by Martina McBride.

So, looking forward to seeing which of these talented actresses takes home the Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy on December 15th? What do you think about how the tradition has been handed down for many years that the luncheon carries on? Comment below.

The Young and the Restless recently cast former General Hospital star and Daytime Emmy-winner, Hayley Erin in the role of Claire Grace, who may be proven to be the biological daughter of Victoria (Amelia Heinle) and Cole (J. Eddie Peck), who they thought died as an infant and who they named “Eve”. The baby was named after Cole’s diabolical mother, Eve Howard (the late Margaret Mason).

Now as the story has played out in riveting fashion, fans of Y&R have witnessed how the seemingly businessman-minded and trusted new assistant of Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott), is actually a terror with a vindictive streak that knows no bounds. Once Claire lures Nikki to her Aunt Jordan’s (Colleen Zenk) house in Oregon, things take a deadly turn as Jordan and Claire tried to take down the Newmans. However, in the process, Claire learned some shocking news, herself.

Hayley Erin chatted with Michael Fairman exclusively for You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where she discussed all the inner-working of Claire/Eve, the dramatic scenes, working with her new co-stars including ATWT’s beloved Colleen Zenk, and more.

Photo: JPI

Erin previously appeared on Y&R back in 2008-2010 as a young Abby Newman, so during the interview she shared how interesting it has been to come back to the show for a second go-round. Plus, she delves a bit about her time on GH working with the likes of Maura West, Chloe Lanier, Robert Palmer Watkins and more.  Here are just some of the topics and Hayley’s responses from the livestream conversation below.

On Y&R, viewers just saw this week how Claire’s motives were revealed, and that she believed she was thrown to the wolves as a baby and her parents, presumably Cole and Victoria, didn’t want her, only to find out Aunt Jordan stole her from the hospital and switched babies.

Hayley shared on the on-screen moment: “I can’t think of anything more shocking than to find out that basically your entire life has been a lie. So for Claire, that is moment that her entire life comes crumbling down. The moment that Jordan said, ‘I took you from the hospital.’ That is just world shifting. Claire was led to believe that she was put up for adoption, basically, and that they (Victoria and Cole) didn’t want her. And now the truth comes out.”

Photo: CBS

Josh Griffith, the head writer and executive producer of Y&R, is said to have had Hayley read a few scenes to showcase both sides of Claire to land her the role. Erin expounded on that, sharing, “There were two scenes that I read. I did a test with Melody Thomas Scott, who I just love working with. So, the first scene was very much beginning Claire, assistant, very good at my job business talk, like so many business words. And then the second scene was, ‘I hate the Newmans. I hate them. I hate you all. You’re just like disgusting and so full of yourselves and you think you’re so amazing.’ So, I had done the scenes and then I got note from Josh and he’s like, ‘Can you hate them a little more?’ I was like, ‘sure’.  So, we read the scene again and he was like, ‘That was great. Thanks.’ That was the whole process.”

There was such intense scenes when not only Claire stuck Nikki with a hypodermic needle but set her up with an IV drip of booze and left a bottle behind. It was a horrifying act. Hayley admitted those scenes with Melody Thomas Scott were some of her favorites, thus far.

Photo: CBS

“I loved every minute of that. I mean the dark, dark Claire, that was the most fun I’ve ever had,” Erin said. “Particularly the hallucination that Nikki had.  I think, my favorite scene I’ve ever had the pleasure of filming. It was so much fun.  There’s so much going on. Claire’s psyche is such a strange thing. It’s so fragile and manipulated and just playing with those different layers has been a really enjoyable experience for me.”

The pairing of Colleen Zenk as Aunt Jordan and Hayley as Claire/Eve has interjected some new life in Y&R. Erin shared her reaction to working with the ATWT favorite: “I mean, ‘Aunt Jordan, aunt Jordan, aunt Jordan,’ I feel like I said about 70,000 times, planting the seeds.  I knew Colleen, actually, I had met her few years ago at an event in Marco Island called Soap Fest. However, I wasn’t super familiar with her work, but I knew that she was a legend. So now, I’m very familiar with her work I just couldn’t be more grateful for such a powerhouse of a scene partner.  I’m so lucky. The women I’ve been surrounded with at Y&R, I think that’s such a cool thing, too. The storyline has really been female driven.”

Photo: CBS

Now the question becomes, if Claire is proven to be Eve, will she form any kind of meaningful relationship with her ‘mother’ Victoria. Erin weighed-in: “It’s hard to say because I look at Claire and I see that there’s so much resentment that has been drilled into her that, how do you undo that?  How do you start fresh? It’s a great idea, it’s a nice fantasy, but that means unlearning decades of  manipulation. So, that’s how her brain was formed. Her brain was formed believing these things.  I mean, I hope there’s a really good therapist maybe in town!”

Check out the replay of the entire livestream conversation below with Hayley. Then, let us know in the comment section, if you’ve enjoyed her performance as Claire/Eve thus far, and what you hope happens next the character in the story? Do you want her to scheme again with Aunt Jordan against the Newmans, or get a new lease on life?