Behind-the-scenes changes are officially happening at The Young and the Restless as longtime executive producer and head writer Josh Griffith is stepping down from one of his major roles on the CBS daytime drama.

According to multiple soap industry reports published on May 6, Griffith will no longer serve as executive producer of the series. However, he is remaining with the show as head writer, meaning he will continue overseeing storylines and scripts for Genoa City.

The production shakeup also confirms that Sally McDonald has now been promoted to sole executive producer of the long-running soap. McDonald previously worked alongside Griffith as co-executive producer and has been part of the Y&R production team for decades

Industry outlets report that the move was made so Griffith could focus more heavily on the creative writing side of the series rather than balancing both responsibilities simultaneously. Griffith has had a long and complicated history with Y&R over the years. He previously served in multiple creative roles on the soap before returning in 2018 as supervising producer. Following the departure of former executive producer/head writer Mal Young in 2019, Griffith took over as head writer and co-executive producer. He later became the show’s sole executive producer in 2023.

Beyond Y&R, Griffith’s daytime television career includes work on Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, One Life to Live, As the World Turns, and Santa Barbara. He also co-created Sunset Beach.

The announcement immediately sparked strong reactions across the soap community. Some fans expressed optimism that separating the executive producer and head writer duties could improve the show’s pacing and storytelling, while others argued they had hoped for a larger creative overhaul. Several entertainment outlets noted that online fan discussions became highly divided following the news.

Meanwhile, Sally McDonald’s promotion is being viewed as a significant moment behind the scenes. McDonald has worked with CBS daytime productions since the 1980s and earned multiple Daytime Emmy Awards as part of Y&R’s directing team.

For now, the biggest takeaway is that Josh Griffith is not fully exiting the soap. Instead, he is narrowing his focus exclusively to head writing duties while McDonald takes full control of the show’s production operations moving forward.