The Young and the Restless star Michelle Stafford has a lot of prepping to do for the 2025 Daytime Emmys. She’s once again nominated for Lead Actress and has a shot at scoring back-to-back wins. But before the big night, she and the other nominees will participate in a special tradition.
Key Takeaways
- Michelle Stafford won the 2024 Daytime Emmy for Lead Actress.
- The actress is nominated again this year for a Lead Actress Daytime Emmy.
- Every year, the Lead Actress nominees and the previous year’s winner gather for a luncheon.
Ladies’ Luncheon
The Lead Actress luncheon has become a time-honored tradition. Days before the Daytime Emmys, the nominees and last year’s winner gather for lunch and girl chat.
This year’s nominees include Stafford, her Y&R co-stars Eileen Davidson, Sharon Case, Melissa Claire Egan, and General Hospital actresses Nancy Lee Grahn and Laura Wright. Since Stafford was last year’s winner, she has the honor of hosting and paying for this year’s meal.
The Lead Actress luncheon has become a special ritual for the nominees, and Stafford was there when it all started. In an interview with TV Insider, the actress recalled how The Bold and the Beautiful star Susan Flannery began the tradition in 2005.
That year, there were eight nominees, including Stafford, Flannery, and Grahn. The ladies met at a New York restaurant for lunch, where Flannery footed the bill.
”We were [at lunch] for like, four hours. And it was really fun and this was in New York, and Susan Flannery went and paid the bill without us knowing it. She said, ‘It’s taken care of. I did it.”
Stafford and the rest of the ladies were touched by Flannery’s kind gesture. When the women insisted on chipping in, Flannery came up with a solution. “She said, ‘You know what? Whoever wins tomorrow, you’re paying next year,’” Stafford recalled.
That year, former One Life to Live actress Erika Slezak would take home the award. “Erika won, and she got up on stage and says, ‘All right, I guess I’m paying next year.’ And it just continued on, which is really cool.”
The 2025 Luncheon
For this year’s luncheon, Stafford decided to include the Supporting Actress nominees. Her Y&R co-stars Courtney Hope and Susan Walters were in attendance for the get-together. Unfortunately, the other nominees Linsey Godfrey, Emily O’Brien, and Kate Mansi couldn’t make it.
Despite the absence of many guests, it was a fun time for the ladies. And the October 17 awards show will be another memorable night for all the nominees. One lucky lady will walk out with the Lead Actress trophy and have the honor of paying for next year’s luncheon.
