Young and the Restless finds trouble in paradise for some pairs in Genoa City, and also some pairings aren’t really working out that well. So, we’ve got some couple swaps we’d like to see as we head into 2026 that could really, really shake things up on Y&R.

Will Summer Newman Return to Young and the Restless to Reunite with Kyle Abbott?

The first couple we want to talk about is a reunion. I’d like to see Summer Newman (Allison Lanier) get back with Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor). They’ve name-dropped Summer (Allison Lanier) many times recently, so that’s a hint that Kyle’s ex-wife may return to Genoa City.

And let’s be real, we need Summer back so she can slap some sense into her awful mother, Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford). We’ve seen Summer’s mom spiraling for quite a while now, and Phyllis just keeps making one bad choice after the other.

Phyllis Has Gone Too Far on Y&R

This latest stunt where she stole Cane Ashby’s (Billy Flynn) AI and gave it to Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) was just, let’s be real, pure stupidity. And now Phyllis is trying to get Marchetti signed over to Summer to try and redeem herself in her kids’ eyes. But Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) backed out because Phyllis is a selfish liar.

So I think Summer needs to come back to deal with Phyllis, but also they could reunite Harrison Locke (Redding Munsell)’s family. Now that Kyle has finally given up on Claire Grace Newman (Hayley Erin), that clears a path for Kyle to reunite with Summer (Allison Lanier). And if Allison Lanier doesn’t want to come back, they could recast the role again.

Young and the Restless: Summer Still Hung Up on Kyle

If you remember, she wanted Kyle before she went to Italy. She was still interested. So maybe if Summer comes back, Kyle will realize that he belongs with her. Kyle and Summer have been together for a long time, off and on. You know, there’s a soulmate vibe there. I won’t say there’s not. Also, Summer needs to rip Victor a new one for trying to destroy her son Harrison’s legacy because Jabot would fall to him. So maybe Summer can write her grandpa Victor a reality check as well.

Noah Newman and Audra Charles: A Y&R 2026 Reunion Prediction

The second couple we want to see happen is another reunion. That’s Noah Newman (Lucas Adams) and his ex Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver). I mean, let’s be real, Sienna Bacall (Tamara Braun) is not a great fit for Noah for a few reasons. Sienna is his mom, Sharon Newman’s (Sharon Case) age for starters. You know, if Noah wants to start a family, adoption’s the only way.

Nothing wrong with adoption, but the age gap is a little problematic. But that’s not the most problematic thing about Sienna. More importantly, she’s married to psycho Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) who’s fixated on destroying the Newmans and murdering Noah for cheating with Sienna. It’s clear that Noah has this twisted crush on Sienna, but it’s not something that’s going to last.

I feel like things started going badly with Allie Nguyen (Kelsey Wang) and Noah, and then he met Sienna, and maybe it was just some kind of rebound thing—a hot, experienced older woman, you know, something to try, something on Noah bucket list, something because he and Allie were having problems.

And we could see Matt try and kill Sienna, or she might die trying to stop Matt from killing Noah. And then there’s the fact that when he ran into Audra, there were sparks and chemistry between them. I definitely think a reunion could be in the cards for Noah and Audra.

Young and the Restless: Noah is Perfect for Audra

I think Noah might be just who Audra needs to break her string of bad choices. The last time Noah was around, back when Rory Gibson was in the role, Audra made a play for him. And when she ran into him at the GCAC, Audra was checking out Noah. They had a little moment.

There were some sparks there until Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) dragged his son away to deal with the Sienna and Matt mess. Now, I don’t think Noah’s new chick is going to stick around. She may live, she may die, but I do think he and Audra might spark in 2026. I’d be here for it.

Shipping Adam Newman and Sally Spectra for a New Year Romance on Y&R

Another reunion that fans have been asking for and are more than ready to see is Adam Newman (Mark Grossman) and Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope). That would be a really nice gift for the new year. You know, Adam and Sally had a great love story. They complimented each other. Their chemistry was off the charts. Adam adored Sally. They made little baby Ava.

And then Nick just had to get in the middle because that’s how he is. He’s a “Petty Betty.” I mean, yeah, Adam caused issues when he split up with Sally trying to save her job. But if not for Nick’s interference, I think Adam and Sally might have cleared that up pretty easily. And lots of fans still want to see them together. They still ship Adam and Sally.

Plus, I fully expect Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) to let Sally down. It feels inevitable. I have no doubt Billy’s going to backslide into his vengeful old self-destructive behavior and try and go after Victor again and completely blow it with Sally. Even Jack keeps saying he’s worried that Billy wants the AI not to destroy it, but to use it. And of course, we know he’d use it on Victor.

So, this could be foreshadowing about Billy going dark again. And if he lets Sally down, I’m pretty sure she’ll leave Billy. And that would open the door for Sally to reconcile with Adam, which would make a lot of fans happy. Rumor has it the only reason Adam is with Chelsea Lawson Newman now is because Melissa Claire Egan has some sway with head writer Josh Griffith. But that’s behind-the-scenes gossip. That’s not written in stone.

Will Billy Abbott and Chelsea Lawson Newman Find Their Way Back Together on Young and the Restless?

All right, but that does lead us to reconciliation number four: Billy getting back with Chelsea Lawson Newman (Melissa Claire Egan). Right now, she’s ready to walk away from Adam if he doesn’t leave Newman Media and if he doesn’t stop being Victor’s puppet and attack dog. But that’s easier said than done for Adam because his daddy issues are serious and he is desperate for Victor’s approval.

So, bottom line, Chelsea may have to walk away even though it would be hard on Connor Newman (Judah Mackey). Then again, the kid likes Sally and Billy, so I think he’d be okay with his parents rearranging their relationships again. If Chelsea left Adam, just as Billy is letting Sally down and she has to dump Billy, that would pave the way for Chelsea to get back with Billy.

A lot of fans liked them together; I liked them together. Plus, Billy saved Chelsea’s life. He literally pulled her off a ledge. So, if Billy spiraled out, I could see Chelsea being there to bail him out and pull him back off a metaphorical ledge where Billy’s ready to jump back into revenge against Victor. And Chelsea and Adam, let’s face it, they’re dull together and Billy’s not good for Sally.

The Slow Burn of Holden Novak and Claire Grace Newman in 2026 on Young and the Restless

All right, the fifth and final couple to talk about is not a reunion, but a new pairing that’s been on a slow burn and kind of a “will they, won’t they.” That’s Holden Novak (Nathan Owens) and Claire Grace Newman (Hayley Erin). Now, obviously, they’ve hit the sheets, but he wants a romance, and she isn’t right there. So, I really like them together more than I liked Kyle and Claire together.

And it looks like Holden has decided to tell Claire the truth about the guy he accidentally killed after Audra robbed that guy. I do think Claire will agree to keep what Holden did a secret. Claire might see she needs to back off this feud with Audra because if she doesn’t, Holdens going to be collateral damage. Audra isn’t going to go down without taking Holden down with her.

Claire Has No Room to Judge

And let’s be real, Claire deliberately tried to kill her parents, her grandparents, and her uncle. Absolutely on purpose, hands-on. Meanwhile, Holden only accidentally killed the guy in the bar. So, that’s the main reason I don’t think Claire’s going to judge Holden or hold it against him. And in fact, this could actually be a turning point for Claire and Holden where they get much closer because he’s shown her how much he trusts her.

Especially now that Kyle has given up pursuing Claire and they seem to be done, really done. That’s why Holden asked Claire for a New Year’s Eve date. Holden really likes her. He wants to take things further. He wants, you know, to be her man. And I think Claire’s going to want that also very soon. Let me know in the comments what couples you want to see get together in 2026 on Young and the Restless.