Is Is Joshua Morrow Really Leaving The Young And The Restless?

This past summer, actor Joshua Morrow made some waves when he listed his house for sale (per the Los Angeles Times) around the same time that his character on CBS hit "The Young and the Restless" was going through some major upheaval. This prompted fans to wonder if he plans to leave the soap opera where he's spent the better part of two decades. Morrow joined the show in 1988 as Nick, the teenaged second child of Victor (Eric Braeden) and Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott), a role he did not originate.

The rumors gained traction with an episode titled "Nick Says Goodbye" and the fact that SoapHub published spoilers that read, "Nikolas Newman (Joshua Morrow) bids Genoa City adieu." About a month later, in August, Nick's daughter Summer (Hunter King) left Genoa City with Kyle (Michael Mealor), and the two actors have disappeared from the show as well (via The Focus). However, they reappeared in October to get married, according to Soap Opera Network.

Since then, Nick's character hasn't shied away from the drama. Recently, he uncovered Ashland's (Richard Burgi) true identity and has experienced some doubts about his relationship with Phyllis (Michelle Stafford). At the moment, there's nothing that might point to an exit for Nick unless things go south pretty quickly — which, you know, is par for the course in soaps. If there are any lingering questions about whether or not Morrow is leaving imminently, let's put them to rest now.

Over the past few years, a few occasions have cropped up in which it seemed Joshua Morrow might leave his long-standing role in "The Young and the Restless." In 2018, after 25 years of playing Nick, the actor told Michael Fairman TV that he almost walked away. "Six months ago, I was thinking, 'I am done at 25 years. I just don't think I can do it anymore. It's been a great run. I've said everything I can say,'" Morrow said. But at that point, Nick was drawn into a vengeance storyline involving his character and his on-screen dad, Victor, which renewed his interest in the character.

He also stepped away from the role involuntarily when the COVID-19 pandemic caused shutdowns across the industry and closed down the "Y&R" set in May 2020 (via TVLine). Upon his return later that year, though he said the set now had a "sterile, different vibe," he expressed gratitude for being back, according to Soap Opera Digest.

You'll be happy to know, though, that as of February of this year, Morrow expressed plenty of job satisfaction and didn't seem like he was interested in moving on. "I love my job. I skip to work," he told Soaps in Depth. "Never for a second do I wish I would be doing something other than 'Y&R.' As an actor, there are other roles that I'd love to try to do, but I have a family to take care of, and I have never second-guessed my decision to stay on Y&R. I have never gone to work and thought, 'I don't want to be here right now.'" He noted that he's been able to take on some roles in movies over the years, which is enough to add variety to his schedule.