Another soap vet will reportedly leave The Young and the Restless.  According to Soap Opera Digest, longtime cast member Don Diamont will be departing from the daytime drama in early 2009.  Nothing official has been announced at this point but an insider reports that it's a done deal and details of his character's exit are being kept under the dark.

Following his first major acting role as Carlo Forenza on Days of our Lives, Diamont joined The Young and the Restless as the opportunistic businessman Bradley Carlton in 1985.  He was temporarily replaced by Russell Todd in 1993 and left the show in 1996 but returned again two years later.  He became the first daytime drama actor to receive the honor of being chosen as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People Magazine in 1990 and in 2006, he was voted as number 1 on the Sexiest Soap Hunks of All Time list at the Shrine to the Soap Hunks.

Brad was first introduced on The Young and the Restless as the Abbotts' pool boy who caught the attention of the youngest Abbott daughter, Traci (Beth Maitland). The two married, but while the marriage produced a daughter, Colleen (Tammin Sursok), it did not last long.  After he divorced Traci, Brad went on to marry Cassandra Rawlins (Nina Arvesen), who eventually died in a hit and run, and then Ashley (Eileen Davidson), before marrying Victoria Newman in November 2006.

Described as a “playboy,” Brad has had flings with Lauren Fenmore (Tracey E. Bregman), Jill Abbott (Jess Walton), Diane Jenkins (Alex Donnelley), and Olivia Winters (Tonya Lee Williams), and was briefly engaged to Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott).

Furthermore, Brad is also perceived as a consummate opportunist, who rose to prominence in Genoa City's business world somewhat quickly, with his relationship with the Abbott family definitely giving him a foot in the door.  He stepped on a lot of toes over the years, particularly Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) and his ex-brother-in-law Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman).


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Soap Opera Digest
(Image courtesy of CBS)