Soaps have always been about romance and The Young and the Restless has provided and continues to deliver some of Daytime TV’s most memorable romantic duos. On this Valentine’s Day, Soap Hub celebrates fan-favorite couples who have inhabited Genoa City over the decades!
The Young and the Restless Love Couples
When YR first began in 1973, fans followed the love story of ingenue Chris Brooks (Trish Stewart) and medical student Snapper Foster (William Gray Espy). The pair battled several challenges before making it to the altar. In the early 1980s, YR viewers were introduced to the show’s most popular love story, one that endures to this day, the tale of Victor (Eric Braeden) and Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott).
Like many romantic duos, Victor and Nikki have split. The first time they divorced was in the late 1980s. Over the next decade, each turned to other romantic interests — Nikki wed Jack (Peter Bergman), became engaged to Brad (Don Diamont), and married her doctor, Josh Landers (Heath Kizzier); Victor had a short marriage to Ashley (then, Brenda Epperson; now, Eileen Davidson) and then, he fell in love with Hope (Signy Coleman) and they had a son, Adam (Mark Grossman).
However, after Nikki was shot and was hovering between life and death, Victor asked wife Diane (Alex Donnelly) for a divorce so that he could fulfill Nikki’s dying wish to exit this realm as Mrs. Victor Newman. She survived and their love story continues to this day.
Other famous YR duos over the years include Christine (Lauralee Bell) and Paul (Doug Davidson), who were wed 25 years ago, the late Neil (Kristoff St. John) and presumed dead Dru (Victoria Rowell), Nina (Tricia Cast) and the late Ryan (Scott Reeves), Jack (Peter Bergman) and Phyllis (Michelle Stafford), as well as Sharon (Sharon Case) and Nick (Joshua Morrow).
Couples today include Kyle (Michael Mealor) and Summer (Hunter King), Sharon and Rey (Jordi Vilasuso), Michael (Christian Jules Le Blanc) and Lauren (Tracey Bregman), and there’s a quadrangle with Amanda (Mishael Morgan), Devon (Bryton James), Elena (Brytni Sarpy), and Nate (Sean Dominic).
The course of true love never runs smoothly and sometimes couples who appear destined to be together end up going down different roads. (Remember when Paul and Lauren were a twosome? Nick and Sharon?) Stay tuned to see which couples will endure and which will be paired with other loves — and/or circle back to previous partners! The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS. Check local listings for airtimes.
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