Colleen Zenk’s time on The Young and the Restless is over — for now, at least. The soap veteran has left the CBS daytime drama, with her character, Jordan Howard, dying in the episode airing Friday, January 24.
“We appreciate all of the incredible work that the amazing Colleen Zenk brought to The Young and the Restless and the role of Aunt Jordan,” executive producer and head writer Josh Griffith told Deadline.
Zenk joined Y&R in November 2023, playing Jordan, the woman who blamed the Newmans for their treatment of her late sister, Eve (Margaret Mason), and who kidnapped Claire (Hayley Erin) at birth, as Soap Opera Digest reports.
Sonja Flemming/CBS
Ultimately, it was a cup of tea from Claire — one tainted with crushed sleeping pills — that was Jordan’s undoing. Jordan sleuthed out that the tea was poisoned but drank it anyway after her the Newmans thwarted her latest kidnapping attempt. She told the family she’d rather be dead than be held prisoner by Victor (Eric Braeden) again.
On X, fans are already missing Zenk’s presence.
“Colleen Zenk, a legend in daytime,” @JustJeanne444 wrote. “As a lifelong fan, I was thrilled to see her debut on #YR as #AuntJordan. She remains one of the most talented [and] most beautiful women in daytime.”
@JaneGreenwich posted, “Colleen Zenk needs to come back as a new character. I need the phenomenal actress back on my screen!”
@Deedle419 wrote, “What a gift to watch Colleen Zenk’s brilliant performance! I have been a huge fan of hers since her As the World Turns days!”
@devoted2uLord said, “Colleen Zenk, I’ll miss you! I can’t tell you how good it was to see you again. I am a longtime ATWT fan.”
And @MarkHToo wrote, “The story got silly, but Colleen Zenk brought me back to more regular #YR viewing. I realize the character would have been difficult to sustain, but I’m very sorry she’s gone!”
As X users noted, Zenk is best known for playing Barbara Ryan on As the World Turns, a role she had from 1978 until that soap’s end in 2010. For that performance, she earned three Daytime Emmy Award nominations.
