The Young and the Restless star Lauralee Bell pays tribute to her parents, Bill and Lee Bell, on their wedding anniversary

The Young and the Restless star Lauralee Bell may be thinking of one upcoming wedding -- the one that will reunite Cricket, her character, and Danny. However, on October 23, she was recalling a past one that is even more important, as it's the wedding anniversary of her late parents, Y&R's co-creators, William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell.

The Young and the Restless, ultimate supercouple

William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell were married on were wed on October 23, 1954, at the Riverside Presbyterian Church in Riverside, Illinois. While all kinds of larger-than-life dramas kept Bill and Lee's star-crossed lovers apart on their soap operas, it was a simple misunderstanding that nearly derailed the real-life romance.

On their first date, Bill enthused to Lee that "we just adopted a baby" (his sister, Mary). Lee didn't yet realize that Bill's enthusiasm was about his parents -- not Bill -- who had done the adopting! Once the misunderstanding was straightened out, the couple went on that second date and never looked back.

While Lee worked as a broadcaster, documentarian, and TV host on WBBM-TV in Chicago, Bill was working in advertising. His dream was to write soap operas, having listened to them on the radio when he was a child. Bill managed to get an interview with Irna Phillips, the woman who created radio dramas, including The Guiding Light, and ushered that show into television.

Bill and Lee welcome three children into their lives -- Bill, Brad, who works as executive producer/head writer of The Bold and the Beautiful, and Lauralee, who continues to play Cricket on Y&R.

From Chicago to Beverly Hills

In 1986, Lee gave up her career in Chicago broadcasting as the family moved to Los Angeles to start up B&B, which launched in March 1987. Bill took a permanent office in Y&R, where he could monitor scenes being taped and give input. In December 1988, Y&R took the No. 1 spot in the ratings. B&B first became the No. 2-rated show in the fall of 1992.

In 1998, Bill Bell announced his retirement as head writer of The Young and the Restless. He continued as senior executive producer and executive story consultant. Rather than focus on just his professional accomplishments in his speech at the Rainbow Room in New York City, Bill chose to focus mostly on his marriage to Lee, praising her immeasurable contributions to not only their family but also to his storylines.

"After all these years, we now need some time together, time to take a deep breath or two, and reaffirm a love that was never, ever in question," Bill said.

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Bill Bell passed away in 2005. Lee Phillip Bell died in 2020. October 23, 2025, is the couple's 71st wedding anniversary.

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