Did mercifully ousted The Young and the Restless showrunner Maria Arena Bell take credit for Josh Griffith's efforts to fix the sudser back in 2008? It's starting to look more and more that way.

MAB has long taken credit in the press for the decision to bring back mega popular Eileen Davidson  as Ashley Abbott. However, in a recent TV Guide interview, Griffith—whom MAB allegedly had forced out during his previous stint in Genoa City—said it was his idea to welcome Davidson back to the fold.

Davidson, who returns as Days of Our Lives' wacky Kristen Blake DiMera on Oct. 11, weighs in on the drama for a new TV Guide chat. Here's a snippet:

TV Guide Magazine: Well, for what it's worth. I interviewed Josh Griffith a couple of weeks ago, now that he's back as head writer at Y&R, and he hates it that you're not on the show anymore. He wants you back. Bad! He told me he was the one who brought you from The Bold and the Beautiful back to Y&R during the writers strike.

Davidson: I talked to Peter Bergman [Jack] the other day and he told me the same thing. That's very interesting, because I'd always been led to believe it was Maria Bell who brought me back

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The return of Eileen Davidson to Days of Our Lives as Kristen Blake may be the most anticipated return to Salem since Drake Hogestyn and Deidre Hall reprised John and Marlena. In an interview with The Day, Hogestyn teased what’s in store for John and his once-sociopathic ex-lover.

"It's a very interesting storyline," Hogestyn says. "She comes back, and John's accepting her at face value. She says she's changed, but there are some indicators that's she's back for something more. So right now, it's been very interesting. We're happy to have (Davidson) because Dee and I are now in a very strong storyline, and that's good. The audience is really going to be onboard with it."

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When Days of Our Lives fans last saw Kristen Blake DiMera, the nutty schemer had been sold into white slavery. Meanwhile, her even nuttier doppelganger Susan had managed to happily make off with Baby Elvis and beau Edmund. In the Sept. 10 issue of CBS Soaps In Depth, Eileen Davidson, who returns as Kristen in October, previewed what at least one of her alter egos has been up to since 1999.

"I asked for some back story," she says. Slipping into character, she updates us on recent events in Kristen's life: "Stefano rescued me immediately, and I've been off living a very good life in Europe!"

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Set your DVR's for Oct 11, Days Of Our Lives fans. Eileen Davidson tweeted her first airdate to fans last night.


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Is Kristen Blake DiMera a changed woman?! TV Line's  Megan Masters stopped by Days Of Our Lives to speak with Eileen Davidson on returning after a nearly 14-year absence. Davidson said, "She's been getting a lot of therapy." 

Davidson also revealed how Kristen got off that island, where exactly has she been since then and if Sister Mary Mora and Susan Banks will be paying a visit. Davidson stated:

 

 It would be such a trip to bring Susan back. I'd like to see how she's evolved and if she got like a major makeover. (Laughs) I'm open to suggestions.

Watch the video after the jump! READ MORE

 

At the end of May, Soap Opera Digest first reported Days of Our Lives was in talks with exiting The Young and the Restless actress Eileen Davidson to reprise the roles of Kristen et al. Following the Daytime Emmys, Nelson Branco reported Davidson was definitely headed back to Salem in his Soap Opera Uncensored online publication.

Today came an "exclusive" report from The Hollywood Reporter (which only a few weeks ago likened soap stars to porn stars in a Daytime Emmy article) with confirmation from Davidson herself. Exclusive must not mean what it did when I was in J-School. READ MORE