10 The Young and The Restless characters you don’t want to be friends with

Certain characters in The Young And The Restless are difficult to respect due to their negative traits. Their behavior is mostly defined by selfishness, manipulation, and immaturity, and these people are regarded as unreliable as friends.

In fact, most such characters have the reputation of being unfriendly, too. However, their unfavorable traits, including dishonesty, arrogance, and reckless behavior, have contributed to the lasting impact they've left on the show.

We have created a list of 10 Y&R's unfriendliest characters.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.

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10) Summer Newman

In The Young and the Restless, Summer Ann Newman is a resident of Genoa City. Allison Lanier currently plays the character, while Hunter King played the character from 2012 to 2022. Summer is really an annoying character for soap opera fans.

A high point of Summer's character is the way she accidentally helps Victor uncover Sharon's secret, when she questions him about what he's doing with her hairbrush. Victor mistakenly believed the hairbrush belonged to Faith. Summer's immature attitude is very annoying and, therefore, many fans dislike her. On soaps.com, a fan describes Summer as:

"Whiny, shallow, materialistic, stereotypical rich girl, immature."

Another fan said:

"Summer condescending attitude is so off putting. Disrespectful. Hope Clair gets her! lol"

Summer's unfriendly behavior comes across in her attitude toward Claire who, she feels, shouldn't be around her child, Harrison. Although other family members are willing to trust Claire and give her another chance, Summer still feels uneasy about the latter.

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9) Neil Winters

Neil Winters is a fictional character on The Young and the Restless. Kristoff St. John played Neil. Some fans, especially females, might dislike him and hate the idea of being friends with him, due to the presence of several women in his life.

On soaps.com, a fan labelled him as:

"Boring, awkward, p*rv for marrying a woman his kids’ age."

When Neil discovered that Malcolm was Lily's biological father in 2006, his marital life with Dru deteriorated. After breaking up with Dru, he fell in love with Carmen Mesta. Neil and Karen Taylor started dating later that year, and moved in together.

On the show, several women have played important roles in Neil's story. Consequently, no women is interested in being friends with him.

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8) Ashland Locke

In The Young and the Restless, Robert Newman as Ashland Locke is a powerful and ruthless businessman. Theo Vanderway first spoke of him on February 8, 2021. Fans don't want to be friends with Ashland due to his ruthless ways. His business tactics involve the willingness to exploit others for personal gain.

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7) Billy Abbott

Billy Abbott is a resident of Genoa City, and Jason Thompson plays the character in The Young and the Restless.

A fan on soaps.com said:

"For me it’s Billy Abbott. I like him, but he is so annoying. He’s like a man child. Grow up Billy!!"

Billy Abbott displays impulsive behavior, which makes people avoid him as a friend. In 2009, Billy revealed the uncontrolled side of his personality by engaging in physical fights with Cane Ashby. During his time with Kelly Andrews, while being married to Victoria in 2013, he showed insufficient regard and loyalty to his partner.

The 2014 gunpoint coercion followed by 2015 physical assaults on Adam prove his dangerous nature and disrespect for rules. His volatile personality and inconsistent disposition indicate that Billy is a dangerous option as a friend.

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6) Phyllis Summers

In The Young and the Restless, Michelle Stafford plays Phyllis Summers. The fans wouldn't want to be friends with Phyllis for several reasons. According to the storyline, Phyllis unexpectedly returned to Genoa City after a year-long coma. Nick Newman was about to marry Sharon Case when Phyllis returned. Phyllis' inquiry uncovered Sharon's manipulation of the paternity test results, and it affected all members of the family.

One of the fans said:

"For me it changes with the storylines, but I’m sad to say that Phyllis is annoying me a lot lately, I wish she would move on from this whole Summer thing."

When she arrived late to the wedding, she exposed Sharon's lies and stopped the service. Consequently, the situation led to intense disputes and relationship changes. This unexpected admission fascinated the audience because it combined aspects of enormous risks with secret insights. In the end, however, the viewers disliked what Phyllis did to the Newman family.

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5) Chelsea Lawson

Chelsea Lawson was presented as a mysterious woman who had something to do with Billy Abbott's detention in Myanmar. Melissa Claire Egan plays Chelsea, and the fans wouldn't want to be friends with her for several reasons. We have witnessed how she poisoned Rey Rosales and framed Adam for attempted murder.

Content creator Terrell Smith said on What to Watch:

"Billy and Chelsea are getting under my skin lately."

In The Young and the Restless, Chelsea Lawson killed Rey Rosales using product switches from his field of business, and then made it appear as if Adam Newman had committed the crime to destroy his life. Chelsea pretended that Adam wanted Rey removed, to send Sharon false information from Adam's iPad, continuing her fraudulent activities.

Chelsea used extortion against Chloe, while pretending to suffer from mental illness to prevent legal risks. When Victor questioned Chelsea, she divulged the conspiracy.

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4) Abby Newman

Melissa Ordway plays Abby Newman in The Young and the Restless as well as in The Bold and the Beautiful. Abby Newman is unreliable to be a trustworthy friend because she chooses ambition over loyalty.

Her biggest betrayal was against her closest friend, Mariah Copeland. The medical procedure agreed upon between Mariah and Abby made Mariah responsible for carrying Abby's child because the latter faced issues with having children.

However, when a pregnant Mariah fell into the hands of an abductor, Abby did not grasp the severity of the ordeal. She was more concerned with her desire to become a mother than with Mariah's safety. Abby did not react strongly to Mariah's tragic ordeal after her rescue, and her lack of empathy irritated fans, reinforcing the perception that she prioritizes herself over everyone else including friends.

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3) Theo Vanderway

In The Young and the Restless, Theo Vanderway, played by Tyler Johnson, is a former resident of Genoa City. According to Looper, fans voted Theo Vanderway as their least favorite character. He accounted for only 37% of the total votes cast.

Since his first appearance, Theo has been self-centered, particularly with his buddies. Theo keeps trying to discredit Kyle Abbott regarding his relationship with Lola, even when Kyle extends an invitation to Genoa City for a possible employment opportunity.

Theo even schemes to sue the Abbott family for their enormous wealth. It is understandable why fans would rank him as their least favorite character.

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2) Kelly Andrews

The Young and the Restless fans stopped liking Kelly Andrews after she revealed herself as a demanding manipulator while pressuring Jack Abbott. Kelly drugged Jack in a bid to brainwash him. Kelly appeared to be an empathetic character when her baby died. However, she quickly got preoccupied as Jack continued to prefer Phyllis over her.

Since Jack chose Phyllis, Kelly started using deception, which made her a dangerous person to have as a friend. Her puzzling behavior and selfish deeds drove away other protagonists in the show as well as viewers.

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1) Austin Travers

The Young and the Restless fans perceived Matthew Atkinson's Austin Travers as an untrustworthy friend because of his unethical behavior and indecisive choices. Austin was Summer Newman's spouse before beginning work as a cameraman on a documentary on significant Genoa City figures. He faced tremendous fan outrage after becoming an important component of the Cabin Killer narrative.

Austin Travers revealed deceptive behavior by keeping essential facts hidden from people. He harbored a personal grudge toward Avery, so he kidnapped her, which resulted in the shooting of Paul Williams. Austin kept secrets from Nick while investigating the Abbott and Newman families, and simultaneously deceived Summer with Abby, and Nick with important messages.

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These 10 characters of The Young and the Restless have surely met criticism because of annoying behavior. Many of them resorted to dishonesty, others cheated on their loved ones. They engaged in risky conduct, harming those near them, and fans have often found them to be selfish and dangerous. These characters do demonstrate admirable qualities, too, but their negative traits overshadow everything else about their personalities.

Throughout the show, the characters developed such untrustworthy reputations that they alienated friends and fans. Despite creating drama for the show, viewers would never desire such individuals as their friends in real life.