Once again, there has been another casting shake-up involving “Days of Our Lives” and “The Young and the Restless”. The two soaps have been swapping cast members for over a year, and the latest news was a major surprise to fans.
Lauren Koslow Takes Over as Jill Abbott
TV Insider has confirmed that beloved “Days of Our Lives” star Lauren Koslow (Kate) is headed to “The Young and the Restless” to play Jill (Jess Walton). Never fear, though, Jill fans, Walton isn’t being replaced permanently.
It turns out that Walton had a scheduling conflict, making her unavailable for an upcoming arc on the hit CBS soap. Koslow has been tapped to portray Jill in the arc that begins at the end of June. The casting swap starts on Thursday, June 25, and Koslow is slated to appear in five episodes of “The Young and the Restless” as Jill.
“The Young and the Restless” executive producer Sally McDonald and head writer Josh Griffith gushed over welcoming Koslow back to the show. Koslow played Lindsay Wells on the CBS soap from 1984-1986, a decade before landing the role of Kate Roberts on “Days of Our Lives”.
“We’re extremely grateful to Lauren Koslow for returning to her Y&R roots and temporarily stepping into the role of Jill,” they shared, while also thanking “Days of Our Lives” executive producer Ken Corday and co-executive producer Noel Maxa for lending them Koslow for a few episodes.
Walton has been playing Jill on the show since 1987. The actress has been on recurring status since 2011, when she moved to Oregon. Jill’s often seen via video chat but has also appeared in Genao City for major events.
Griffith and Maxa also confirmed that Walton isn’t leaving the show. In fact, the writers are gearing up to mark her 40th anniversary of playing Jill in 2027.
“Jess Walton is an enduring cornerstone of Y&R. We look forward to welcoming her back to Genoa City as her schedule permits and celebrating her extraordinary 40th anniversary as the iconic Jill Abbott,” they shared with TV Insider.
Cast Swapping on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘The Young and the Restless’
In March 2025, news broke that Billy Flynn was leaving the role of Chad and “Days of Our Lives” after a decade to join the hit CBS soap as a Cane recast. News broke a few weeks later that Conner Floyd was leaving the role of Chance on “The Young and the Restless” to replace Flynn as Chad on the hit Peacock soap.
Months later, it was revealed that “Days of Our Lives” stars Tamara Braun (Ava) and Lucas Adams (Tripp) joined “The Young and the Restless”. The former mother-and-son duo on “Days of Our Lives” now play love interests, Sienna and Noah, on the CBS soap.
Earlier this year, Stacy Haiduk returned to “The Young and the Restless” in the role of Patty Williams. Although she hasn’t technically left “Days of Our Lives”, the actress has confirmed the soap hasn’t been using her as Kristen, a role she played for eight years.
