Richard Burgi Announces That He’s Leaving The Young and the Restless

After joining The Young and the Restless less than a year ago, back in March, Richard Burgi has announced that he is leaving the role of Ashland Locke — also known as the Locke-Ness Monster, a man to be feared but who instead romanced Victoria Newman as he was dying.

Richard Burgi Leaving Y&R

The handsome actor took to his Instagram stories, which was captured by Twitter user Tara (@girl_gonerad) and shared, in which he revealed the news that will come as a shock to most fans of the CBS soap opera.

“I want to say thank you to all of you wonderful folks who have been so kind and generous and supportive with your words,” he began the post. “I have such gratitude for the support. I’m moving on from the show. I’ve had a great year on Y&R and I’ve just thoroughly enjoyed the great cast and crew. Such wonderful people.” But he wasn’t done just yet. He had a message for all of those who were watching.

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“And I wish you all a good start to 2022 — luck, health, love, joy. God bless,” he said, wrapping up the message. While Burgi revealed that he would be leaving the show, he didn’t reveal the fate of his character. After all, Ashland Locke was just told that his experimental treatment was working — which was welcomed news to his bride, Victoria (Amelia Heinle), as well as her supportive parents, Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) and Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott).

So does this mean that when Richard Burgi leaves, the character’s fate will take a turn for the worse? Or could it be that the character will be recast? Either way, it spells a huge change for the show as the character — and especially Burgi — are incredibly popular. Stay tuned to find out how the show handles his departure.

The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Genoa City, check out all the latest that’s been posted on Y&R spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.