Lauralee Bell Talks Y&R and New Primetime Soap in The Works

Lauralee Bell talks The Young and the Restless and a new primetime soap with Martha Byrne in the works. Get the details.

iamkpsmith

July 29, 2025

2–3 minutes

Greg Rikaart, Jon Hensley, Lauralee Bell, Martha Byrne, Rebecca Budig, Sheila Ducksworth, Thom Bierdz, Tricia Cast

The Soapy podcast has come out firing on all cylinders. Since its debut on July 8, hosts Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart have welcomed daytime royalty actors Eric Braeden and Deidre Hall as well as the EP of the new hit soap opera Beyond the Gates, Shelia Ducksworth, who is carving out her own place in the daytime history books. And this week Soapy circled back to daytime royalty with their guest, Lauralee Bell, who is of course the daughter of the late William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell.

And who is a soap opera legend in her own right with her portrayal of fan favorite, Christine Blair, on The Young and the Restless (for over 40 years) and The Bold and the Beautiful.

We listed a few teaser standouts from the lively and engaging exchange.

Bell’s 45 second trip to the real Genoa City.

Bell, being a bit “jealous” of her good friend and fellow daytime actor, Martha Byrne’s alter ego Lily (As the World Turns back), when she spent her summers (back in the day) frolicking in the hay with Holden (Jon Hensley).

The “Bug Squad.”

Bell’s picks on “daytime royalty.”

Is Bell open to being on a soap other than Y&R and Bold?

A New Primetime Soap? Lauralee Bell Spills

For seasoned Y&R viewers, like us, your highlight might be when Bell gave a history lesson of how those infamous and entertaining Y&R “summer storylines” (from yesteryear) came to be. Bell recalls how the show would receive fan mail from mothers and grandmothers alike who wrote the show chronicling how their kids and grandkids would be running around playing, but when they saw a younger character (like Bell’s “Cricket”) on television, it got their attention. Their children and grandchildren would stop playing, sit down and watch the show with them.

The letters led to the show casting Tricia Cast (Nina) and Thom Bierdz (Phillip), which ultimately led to the summer storylines. Loved them!

Our final high point from the episode was when we learned that besties, Bell and Byrne, have had a primetime soap in the works for years. COVID and other circumstances beyond their control have halted the show’s fruition but Bell mentioned they are really “close” again. Good luck!

Listen to the episode yourself and let us know if your highlights match ours! (Photo: CBS.)