'THE YOUNG & RESTLESS' SOAP STAR, CHRISTEL KHALIL a.k.a. 'LILY WINTERS' MARRIES BOYFRIEND IN SMALL CEREMONY.

Congratulations to The Young & The Restless star Christel Khalil, who plays 'Lily Winters' on the CBS soap. The 20-year old actress married her boyfriend Stephen Hensley in a small, intimate ceremony last month on September 21st. Guests included Khalil's family, friends and fellow Y&R cast mates. Let's hope her real life marriage plays out ten times better than her onscreen marriage to 'Daniel'! As for 'Lily' and 'Cane'....well....

Anywho, to give you all a little bit of background info on Christel, the actress began portraying 'Lily Winters' back in 2002 until she 'temporarily' left the soap in 2005 to pursue other movie and television projects. She was eventually replaced by actress Davetta Sherwood, who most Y&R fans, like myself, quickly took a liking to. Seven short months later, before we could organize a non-official 'Team Davetta!' cheering squad, Christel decided those her other projects weren't working out thus her return to the soap to reprise the 'Lily Winters' role. Lynn Marie Latham, Y&R executive producer at the time (she has since been let go), played favorites by giving the role back to Christel and firing Davetta. During her time away from Y&R, Christel, whose father is Pakistani, and mother is of African American, Native American and White American ancestry, had a small tv role in the French animated series W.I.T.C.H. which is based on an Italian comic book of the same name. Yes, she left Y&R to play the voice of a character on a cartoon series.
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NEW PICS: EVA MARCILLE AND LANCE GROSS AT DAYTIME EMMY NOMINEES RECEPTION.

Beautiful celeb-couple Eva Marcille and actor Lance Gross are still going strong. The couple have been dating for about a year or so. Gross was last seen in Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns film and don't forget you Young & the Restless fans can catch Eva when she makes her debut on the number one daytime soap starting on Wednesday, June 25, 2008. In the meantime, check out pics of Lance and Eva attending the Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences reception for the 2008 Daytime Emmy Nominees at the Savannah Restaurant in Burbank, California last Monday night (6.9.2008).

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EVA MARCILLE (A.K.A. EVA PIGFORD, EVA THE DIVA) & JAMIA NASH TO JOIN CAST OF THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS.

America's Next Top Model winner Eva Marcille and singer/actress Jamia Simone Nash (August Rush) join the cast of The Young & the Restless on Wednesday, June 25. Marcille plays Tyra Hamilton, Devon's aunt who is a single mother to daughter Ana, played by Nash. Devon is reunited with them at Lily's 21st birthday party. It's about time Y&R added more color to their cast. I'm so tired of seeing pale-ass Lily, I don't know what to do. Anyhoo, Marcille has guest-starred on several television series such as Kevin Hill, one episode of Smallville, one episode of Everybody Hates Chris, and one episode of The Game as herself. Most recently, Marcille has also appeared on TBS' House Of Payne, a series created by playwright Tyler Perry.

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At age 11, Nash has already shared the stage with major artists, including Alicia Keys and Diana Ross. She has acted in episodes of 7th Heaven, Romeo!, My Wife and Kids, and appeared as herself on Half & Half and Big Time. She also played a ten-year-old Fantasia Barrino in the 2006 Lifetime Original Movie Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story, a biopic about the 2004 American Idol winner. And she provides the singing voice for the character Uniqua on The Backyardigans.

Nash made her feature debut in August Rush and became the youngest African American to ever sing on an Oscar telecast when she performed that film's nominated song this year.

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WORD AROUND THE WEB: ACTOR BRYTON McCLURE TO EXIT 'Y&R' IN APRIL 2008.

Bryton McClure who plays 'Devon Hamilton', the adopted son of 'Neil (played by Kristoff St. John) & Drucilla Winters' (played by Victoria Rowell), will leave The Young & the Restless when his contract expires in April (2008). McClure, who some of you may remember as 'Lil Richie' from one of the longest running Black sitcoms in television history, Family Matters, says one of the reasons why he will not renew his contract is because he wants to go to college. Can't knock the dude for wanting to elevate his academic goals, bless his heart. Although the 21-year-old won an Daytime Emmy for Younger Actor in a Drama Series earlier this year, as far as his character is concerned, he hasn't had any strong and/or interesting storylines since his character lost his hearing while being named as a suspect, along with 'Drucilla', in 'Carmen's' murder.

I truly dig this dude's talent. And I ain't gon lie, I literally cried after when 'Devon' adoption was finalized. But I was fire-engine-red-hot when the writers possessed the absolute gall to incorporate a storyline that involved 'Devon' developing romantic feelings for his adopted sister, 'Lily.' Now, that shit put the lid on the jar for me!

I felt a lil better once they finally gave 'Devon' a 'romantic interest' (played by Fresh Prince of Bel Air star Tatyana Ali). But still, they should've given him more. All it takes is a stroke of a pen. I mean really! He was only in 2 episodes in October. Kay's maid, 'Esther' has gotten more screen time than him.

What sort of impact McClure's departure will cause for the only Black family in daytime soaps is anyone's guess. Victoria Rowell is gone...for now...and there's no telling if and or when she will ever return to Y&R. And there's no word on if McClure's character will be recast.

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