Days of our Lives Casting Shocker: Billy Flynn Out, Heads To Young and the Restless

After spending a decade on Days of our Lives, Billy Flynn is leaving Salem behind and heading to The Young and the Restless.

Goodbye, Salem

TV Insider was the first to report that Flynn will exit DAYS and join Y&R. In a statement to TV Insider, Flynn shared:

“I am grateful for my years at DAYS; it changed my life in the best ways. I’ve always said these stories we tell are like doing a play, and I’ve spent the last 10-plus years playing this amazing character and telling one of the all-time great love stories. And now I’m excited for this opportunity and to test myself in a new way.”

Flynn joined DAYS in 2014 as Chad DiMera, a role he took over from its originator, Casey Deidrick. It was only last September that Flynn celebrated his 10-year anniversary on DAYS.

As for Flynn joining Y&R, the soap’s executive producer/head writer Josh Griffith, who previously wrote for DAYS from 2015-2016, told TV Insider, “On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we look forward to welcoming Billy to the show. He will be a wonderful addition to Y&R’s stellar cast.”

While Flynn’s reportedly set to debut later this spring in his new role, because of DAYS’s unique production schedule, he’ll continue to air as Chad DiMera well into 2026.

And while we admit, there would be something tragically poetic about joining his beloved Abigail in heaven, we’d really rather have them both safe and sound on earth, even if they don’t stick around Salem.

We guess all things must come to an end, but this one, at least, will also be a new beginning — though not an immediate one as Days of Our Lives shoots so far in advance, Chad will still be in Salem into 2026! TV Insider shares that Flynn’s set to join Young & Restless in the spring as an entirely new character.

Executive producer Ken Corday shared with the publication that, “We support Billy as an actor and friend, and wish him nothing but continued success and happiness, personally and professionally.”

As Flynn shared with us back during his anniversary, “Being a DiMera is hard. But yeah, it’s been the opportunity of a lifetime to play Chad DiMera. I’m really grateful for it.”