Y&R Celebrates Lauralee Bell 40 Years as Christine ‘Cricket’ Blair

Lauralee Bell is celebrating 40 years as Christine “Cricket” Blair Romalotti Williams on Young and the Restless, the series co-created by Bell’s late parents, William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell. The actress will be feted with a special anniversary episode next month but Bell promises her episode will have a twist to it.

Lauralee Bell: From Cricket to Christine

Bell made her debut as Cricket on Y&R back in 1983. The cousin of photographer Joe Blair (John Denos), Cricket was selected to become a young model for Jabot. Soon, she was thrown into a love triangle with Phillip Chancellor III (Thom Bierdz) and Nina Webster (Tricia Cast). “I thought I was just going to be on for two days!” Bell tells TV Guide Magazine, which is on sale now.

Later, Cricket fell for rock star Danny Romalotti (Michael Damian). The two were married, only their union was torn apart by lies told by Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford). Cricket, who started using her birth name of Christine around the time she became a lawyer, fell in love with Paul Williams (Doug Davidson). Earlier this year, Christine revealed she and Paul were having problems.

Special Y&R Episode

We’ve seen Y&R devote special episodes to Tracey Bregman (Lauren) and Christian Le Blanc (Michael) for their respective 40th and 30th anniversaries with the CBS soap opera in recent years. Now, Bell is getting one, too. Watch for Y&R to devote its Thursday, November 2 episode that will show classic clips of Christine’s romantic entanglements and her epic rivalry with Phyllis. “Y&R has done anniversary shows before, but I’m excited for mine,” Bell previews. “It will be a bit different.”

Lauralee Bell: Highs and Lows

A precursor to her career as a lawyer, teen Cricket attempted to point out to baby broker Rose DeVille (the late, great Darlene Conley) that Nina wasn’t old enough to sign away rights to her firstborn (Ronan; Jeff Branson). Later, Cricket was reunited with her long-lost mother Jessica (Rebecca Street) only to find out that she was dying of AIDS. Another tragedy occurred after Cricket was date raped by Jabot employee Derek Stuart (Ken Olandt).

Christine and Paul were nearly killed after Phyllis ran them over with a rental car. She faced another lethal threat from Paul’s deranged wife Isabella (Eva Longoria), who tried to frame Christine for her “murder.” In addition to Phillip, Danny, and Paul, Chris was also romantically linked to Michael, but they split after she learned that Michael had been in cahoots with Isabella. Don’t miss Bell’s special episode next month.