Michelle Stafford opens up about a long-standing Daytime Emmy tradition.
The Young and the Restless star Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) is shedding light on a two-decade-old Daytime Emmy tradition.
Stafford and three of her Y&R co-stars are nominated in the same category for the upcoming Daytime Emmy Awards. However, before the ceremony, the ladies will participate in a tradition they all adore.
The Young and the Restless Star Michelle Stafford Recalls How Lead Actress Lunch Started
For years, the women nominated in the Lead Actress category have had lunch before the Daytime Emmy ceremony. In an interview with TV Insider, Stafford explained how the beloved annual event came to be since she was there when it all began.
“I was there when it started. And the way it started was eight of us were nominated one year, and Nancy Grahn was in that group, and we were [at lunch] for, like, four hours. And it was really fun, and this was in New York,” Stafford admitted.
When the lunch was over, a new tradition began thanks to The Bold and the Beautiful alum, Susan Flannery (Stephanie).
Stafford went on to explain that “Susan Flannery [Stephanie Forrester, ˆ] went and paid the bill without us knowing it. She said, ‘It’s taken care of. I did it. It’s taken care of.’ And we’re like, ‘No, no. Susan, no, no, there was so much alcohol, there’s so much,’ and she said, ‘You know what? Whoever wins tomorrow, you’re paying next year.’ And that’s how it started.”
The Young and the Restless star revealed that the following year General Hospital’s Erika Slezak won for her role as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live. During her speech, Slezak said, “Alright, I guess I’m paying next year.”
After that, it became a yearly tradition that the ladies love. This year, Stafford will pay the bill since she took home the award last year.
The category is stacked with an amazing array of talent this year. Stafford is up against her The Young and the Restless co-stars Eileen Davidson (Ashley), Sharon Case (Sharon), and Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea).
General Hospital stars Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) and Laura Wright (Carly) round out the mix. Fans will find out on Friday, October 17, who will be paying for next year’s lunch.
Other The Young and the Restless Daytime Emmy Nominations
It’s going to be a big night for The Young and the Restless, which earned 19 nominations in total.
Other stars from the CBS soap nominated for a Daytime Emmy include Peter Bergman (Jack) in the Lead Actor category and Michael Graziadei (Daniel) in the Supporting Actor category.
Courtney Hope (Sally) and Susan Walters (Diane) are up for Supporting Actress, while Linden Ashby (Cameron) and Valerie Pettiford (Amy) are nominated in the Guest Performer category.
The CBS soap is also nominated for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, Outstanding Directing Team, Outstanding Writing Team, Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design, Casting, Outstanding Live Sound Mixing And Sound Editing, and Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork.
