Starting Over: Young & Restless’ Daniel Is Due for a New Love — and We Know Just Who It Should Be

Young & Restless’ Daniel is still processing the pain of losing his life partner, Heather, but in Genoa City, you don’t get a whole lot of time to mourn. That means his next love interest will soon be upon us… and we have a few ideas as to whom it might be.

We know, we know, she’s married to Mariah. But even the most iconic of romances on Young & Restless suffered multiple break-ups and make-ups along the way. While Tessa and Daniel getting together would be eyebrow-raising, they’ve been getting closer, and the possibility of an entanglement simply can’t be ruled out.

Sally, Daniel’s interior designer, surely came to know him well through the process of learning his likes and dislikes. She is currently dating perpetual screw-up Billy Abbott and could land back on the market at any moment. Especially if Daniel’s mother Phyllis has anything to say about it!

Jack Abbott’s granddaughter ran off to London with Noah Newman, but Sharon and Nick’s son doesn’t exactly have a great track record in the romance department. Allie could turn up on her family’s newly-remodeled doorstep at any moment, single and ready to mingle.

Daniel has a past with Michael Baldwin’s half-sister, Eden, who left Genoa City after her traumatizing experience with Paul William’s late son, Ricky. Should a stronger, healed version of Eden return to town to visit Michael and Lauren, love may bloom between her and Daniel as she helps him deal with his profound loss.

Audra’s presently attached, but is hiding a damning secret from her significant other. Nate has no idea that Victor’s offer to set her up in business is contingent on her seducing Kyle away from Claire. Of course, she doesn’t actually have to sleep with him, but the scene is set for Nate to find her in a compromising position and dump her. If Audra were to offer the unemployed Daniel a job, a little office hanky-panky could be in the cards. Daniel was once known as “Herve the Perve” after all. Phyllis’ son doesn’t seem like Audra’s type, but then again, neither did Noah.

Elena and Daniel crossed paths several times when his mother was in the hospital in a coma after being run off the road by Jordan (or was it Ian?). Anyway, it seemed like a chem test to us, and with Young & Restless fans sorely missing their favorite doctor, a budding romance with Daniel could be the perfect way to bring her back.

Talk about a blast from the past! Daniel and Amber Moore have a complicated and tumultuous past, in other words, the very best kind! Who wouldn’t love to see the soap-hopping Amber, who last appeared on Bold & Beautiful, and her portrayer, Adrienne Frantz, back to mix it up with Daniel?!

We’re 99.99% sure Lily would never go there again after Daniel cheated on her. But considering her other ex, Billy Abbott, has been involved, not once, but twice, with the woman who drugged and raped him in Myanmar, one simply cannot rule out the possibility of a reunion.

For those who don’t watch Bold & Beautiful, you may not have realized that Sally Spectra has a younger sister named Coco. We’ve long been wondering when Sally’s sibling would make an appearance in Genoa City to visit her sister, and we think the very moment Daniel decides he’s ready to date would be the perfect time.

Claire’s fallen in love with Kyle Abbott, but their relationship has not only Summer and Audra gunning for it, but also The Great Victor Newman. Let’s just say we don’t like their chances. Might sparks fly if Daniel and Claire were to cross paths? It might be fun, if for no other reason than it would irk Summer.

Abby’s married to Devon, but he’s a serial cheater, and as we’ve pointed out, no couple stays happy for long on a soap. When they were younger, Daniel and Abby had a passionate romance, and even tangled with Victor to hold onto it. There’s every chance they could be drawn back together again if something goes wrong in her current relationship.

How’s this for soap messiness? Chloe, of course, is married to Daniel’s best friend Kevin, but her hubby is perpetually off-screen. If Chloe began to confide in Daniel about marital troubles… well, we all know where that could lead!

Many Young & Restless fans questioned if Daniel and Sharon would at some point bond over the shared trauma of losing Cassie and become an unlikely couple. It’s doubtful they’d ever get past Sharon throwing his dead wife’s body in the river and framing him for her murder, but as he now knows she was drugged, one cannot completely discount the notion. We’d love to see it only because Phyllis’ head would pop off. More likely? Sharon will reunite with [Spoiler].

Daniel spent many years off the canvas, many of them in Savannah. It’s possible some beautiful former acquaintance could show up in Genoa City and love could spark. We can’t wait to see what the future holds!