APRIL 7
Outgoing Martha Byrne (soon-to-be-ex-Lily) tells Soap Opera Digest about the surprising call she got from ATWT. No, it wasn't to ask her to come back. "I have never gotten a phone call trying to work it out," Byrne says in the April 15 issue, which goes on sale Tuesday. The interview also includes words of advice for the next Lily, who will be played by Noelle Beck (ex-Trisha, LOVING) starting May 8.

MARCH 28
Soap vet Julie Pinson (ex-Billie, DAYS; ex-Shiloh, Y&R; ex-Eve, PC) has been hired for a recurring role as Janet Ciccone on ATWT. Her first air date is May 8. Check back soon to find out which storyline she'll be shaking up! And she'll already have some friends on the set: Pinson played Austin Peck's (Brad) sister on DAYS (where he played Austin) and worked with Marie Wilson (Meg) at PORT CHARLES's GH (where Wilson played Karen).

MARCH 24
Noelle Beck, best known to daytime audiences as LOVING's Trisha (from 1984-93 and in 1995), has been named as the replacement for ATWT's exiting Martha Byrne, whose last day at work as Lily was March 14. Before the announcement, Byrne had this advice for the actress who would take over her signature role: "Have fun. You'll be working with an incredible group of people who will support you and love you and make you feel at home and help you." Beck's first air date has not yet been released.

FEBRUARY 29, 2008
Two-time Emmy winner Martha Byrne, who has played signature ATWT heroine Lily on and off since 1985, is leaving the show after contract negotiations broke down. "We have made Martha an incredibly generous offer in hopes that she would remain a valuable member of the AS THE WORLD TURNS cast. Unfortunately, Martha has decided to leave, despite our best efforts to keep her," said a spokesperson in a statement. "Unfortunately, what I thought to be a reasonable and workable request, the show determined [to be] unworkable," responded Byrne, in part of a detailed statement explaining her reluctant decision to leave that will appear in the 3/18 issue of Digest. Byrne, whose last air date has not been released, will be holding a live chat for fans at her own Web site, www.marthabyrne.net on March 16. Fans have already created a Web site petitioning for Byrne to stay. Go to www.freewebs.com/keepmarthabyrne for more.

FEBRUARY 8
After some last-minute contract negotiations with AS THE WORLD TURNS, Trent Dawson (Henry) has inked a deal to stick around. "Thank you guys for the campaigning! Contract issues were resolved and Hank is sticking around. In fact he's very busy right now. Consider your mission accomplished, and my thanks eternal," he wrote to fans online.

JANUARY 20
Jennifer Landon (Gwen, ATWT) tells Soap Opera Weekly that she and co-star Jesse Soffer (Will) will leave the CBS soap in March. What does the two-time Emmy-award winning actress have to see about her exit? Pick up this week's issue to find out.

JANUARY 18
Tala Ashe joins AS THE WORLD TURNS as Ameera, a young woman who will come to Luke (Van Hansis) and Noah (Jake Silbermann) for help on February 22 — and who supposedly has a deeper connection to Noah.

JANUARY 15
Billy Magnussen has been hired as ATWT's Casey Hughes, who has been in jail since previous portrayer Zach Roerig exited on May 2. The actor is currently starring in The Ritz on Broadway and is a recent graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts — alma mater of Jennifer Ferrin (ex-Jennifer) and Cassandra Creech (ex-Denise).

JANUARY 7
At long last, ATWT's Paul gets the news that he's the father of Meg's baby, but as Marie Wilson tells Digest in the January 15 issue, she doesn't get the response she expected — at least not initially, but Meg's not just rolling over. "She thinks things are going to be just the way that they were supposed to be," says Wilson. For the full story on what's ahead for Paul and Meg, Rosanna and Craig, head to Digest's Late-Breaking News.