‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Is Bringing Back Taylor — With Rebecca Budig Instead of Krista Allen

The Bold and the Beautiful bringing back Dr. Taylor Hayes — but not with Krista Allen .

On the Tuesday, August 6, episode of the soap opera, fans got a first look at Rebecca Budig as the series’ iconic psychiatrist. Taylor returned in a headscarf as she spied on Brooke ( Katherine Kelly Lang ) and Ridge ( Thorsten Kaye ) in Monaco. Taylor then called her daughter, Steffy ( Jacqueline MacInnes Wood ), to let her know her mom was coming home.

“That’s right, Steffy, it’s your mom,” Taylor said. “I’m in Europe. That’s why I’m calling, to tell you I miss you and I’m coming home. That’s right, honey, mama’s coming home. I’ll call you soon with all the details. I love you, my daughter. I love you, Steffy. Mama’s coming home.”

Taylor was last played by Allen, 53, in November 2023. Fans saw her leave town after Ridge got back together with Brooke for the umpteenth time.

Actors Who Got Their Start on Soap Operas: Julianne Moore, Meg Ryan and More

“The craziest thing is right before I got dropped, I did the cast photo shoot, and then the next week they called and said, ‘We’re not going to keep your third year and thank you very much, you were wonderful and thank you, goodbye,” Allen told Deadline her surprising departure in December 2023. “And I was like, ‘What?’”

That same month, Allen told People , “I have no idea what's going on. ... The contract was dropped, which is so crazy. It's like, make that make sense.”

Budig, for her part, opened up to the outlet on Tuesday about taking on the gig. "Before this job came up, I thought about going back to school and studying psychology, because it actually fascinates me,” she told the outlet. “It’s ironic that I got this part, given that that’s what I was going to try and do in the fall, anyway.”

Budig is no stranger to the world of soaps. She’s previously starred on General Hospital , All My Children and Guiding Light . Budig will be reunited with Kaye, 58, who she appeared with in All My Children .

“I've always loved Thorsten,” Budig gushed to People . “He's always been very kind to me … I've been to his house for Thanksgiving once, so I love Thorsten and his family. … He does something different every time. He doesn't say the same thing every time, so he keeps you on your toes — and that's all you can ask for, really.”

Shocking Soap Opera Exits: Kristian Alfonso, Alison Sweeney and More

Budwig shared that she was ecstatic to join the Bold and the Beautiful family and can’t wait to see what fans think of her portrayal of Taylor.

“I always thought that All My Children might've been the best job I ever had in terms of the people all really getting along,” she reflected. “But I truly get the vibe here that it's that one-in-a-million group of people that is just collaborative, kind, supportive and just very welcoming. So I'm excited. Really excited.”

The Bold and the Beautiful airs on CBS weekdays at 1:30 p.m. ET.