It looks like The Young and the Restless' Dr. Simon Neville is hanging up his stethoscope and checking out of Genoa City. Portrayer Michael E. Knight has reportedly been let go from the CBS soap.
The three-time Emmy winning actor is rumored to be leaving the canvas after just a few more episodes, reports TV Guide's Michael Logan. Apparently, the decision to let Knight go was made before the drama series fired executive producer Jill Farren Phelps and promoted former EastEnders EP Mal Young to the position.
soapcentral.com interviewed Knight back in November, and while he shared he was originally only supposed to be on for eight episodes and was happy the role was extended, he didn't see long-term story for the character. "I see it lasting into the New Year, but I'm not sure if it has legs for [permanency]," he said at the time. "They have a very full roster at Y&R. They've been doing this a long, long time. And they've done a really good job of keeping it the Abbotts and the Newmans, that ongoing story that they have. So when it comes to the niche, you never really know how it's going to move forward."
Prior to arriving in Genoa City last year, Knight won the hearts of daytime fans as All My Children's Tad Martin, a role he played for almost 30 years.
When asked for confirmation of Knight's status with the show, a rep for Y&R politely reminded us it is show policy not to comment on casting.
UPDATE (July 8, 2016):
Knight will last air on July 27.
How do you feel about Y&R reportedly letting Knight go? Did you want to see more story for Dr. Neville? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
