What happened on The Bold and the Beautiful today? Recap for December 18, 2025

The Bold and the Beautiful episode on December 18, 2025, completely shifted the power dynamics within Forrester Creations and Spencer Publications. 

Thomas Forrester's unplanned return made the day memorable. His arrival threatened the job security of Hope's newest hire, Deke Sharpe. The Spencer family made a big decision and celebrated, but the design office was going through hard times. This event led to a huge fight between families in the business world.

The conflict between holding on to the past and starting fresh was the main theme of tonight's episode. Thomas Forrester made it clear that he wanted to take back his place as the head designer for Hope For the Future. Hope Logan was put in a tough spot by this move because she was trying to protect Deke Sharpe's career as it was starting to take off. At the same time, Bill Spencer used his power to get Katie Logan to leave her safe spot at Forrester Creations and start her own competing fashion company.

When Ridge and Steffy had to choose between being loyal to their family and doing business in a fair way, the drama reached a boiling point. Thomas and Zende made an unexpected partnership to get Deke out of the business, saying he wasn't experienced enough and was connected to Deacon Sharpe. Within the hour, Katie's decision to accept Bill's offer started a new era of competition, which will probably put her directly against the people she has worked with for years.

The Bold and the Beautiful: Everything to know about what happened in the episode (December 18, 2025)

Thomas Forrester Returns to Reclaim His Throne

When Thomas Forreester walked into Steffy's office, the mood at Forrester Creations changed right away. Zende was already there talking about the future needs of the Hope For the Future line. Steffy was happy to see her brother back in Los Angeles and welcomed him with a hug. Without wasting any time, Thomas said he wanted to go back to being lead designer. He said that he and Zende could take on the work together, so the search for a new designer should stop right away. Thomas turned down the idea of keeping Deke Sharpe on the team. He told Steffy that Deke didn't have enough experience for the high stakes fashion season they were in right now. Steffy appeared to agree with how her brother saw things.

Hope Logan Promises to Protect Deke Sharpe

Hope Logan spent time going over new sketches with Deke Sharpe in the design office. She complimented him on his creative ideas and tried to make him feel good about himself even though his designs hadn't gone into production yet. Deke talked about his worries about his future at work. He realized that Zende's designs were always picked over his. Hope told him that he got the job because he was good at it and told him to trust the process. She said that there was room for a Sharpe at the company even though the Forresters have a legacy name. Hope promised Deke she'd take care of him because that's what she does. She told him to keep sending in his work, no matter how much competition there was.

Bill Spencer Talks Katie Logan Into Starting a Competing Brand

At Spencer Publications, Bill Spencer wanted Katie to quit her job at Forrester Creations and open her own fashion house. Bill encouraged Katie for her  talent and reaffirmed that she could compete with the Forresters. 

Will, their son, came in while they were still talking about their father's big, romantic, and professional surprise. Will joined his dad in pushing Katie to take the leap. Katie talked about her worries about how a new business would impact their family and Will's schedule. Will, on the other hand, said he wasn't concerned and wanted his mom to do well. Katie's decision was starting to feel the weight of the pressure from both Bill and Will.

Ridge Forrester and Brooke Logan Discuss Katie’s Future

Ridge Forrester found Brooke Logan deep in thought near the Forrester runway. Brooke said that she was worried about how Katie was thinking. Ridge was upset that Katie was back with Bill because he was afraid that Bill would disappoint her again. Brooke felt the opposite and was glad the family was back together. She thought Katie should be with Bill and Will. Ridge said that Katie would always have a safe job at Forrester, even if Bill let her down. Brooke suggested that they should do extra things ensuring Katie knows she is valuable to the company. They wanted to make sure she felt valued so she would not stay upset about what happened lately.

Thomas and Zende Ally Against Deke Sharpe

The tension moved to the showroom, and Ridge joined Steffy, Thomas, and Zende there. Thomas kept trying to convince everyone to let him take over the Hope For the Future line again. Zende backed Thomas by saying that Deke was good but not great. Thomas was more direct and called Deke the "pizzamaker's son." Ridge told Thomas to cut it out with the rudeness, but Thomas said he was just telling the truth about the family business. He declared that as a Forrester, he was the right person to take over the family business. Ridge wondered if Hope would be okay with this change. Steffy told her dad that she would take care of how Hope reacted.

Katie Logan Seizes a New Opportunity

The episode ended with a big change for the Logan and Spencer families. At Spencer Publications, Katie made up her mind after hearing what Bill and Will had to say. She said that she was going to start her own fashion house and take advantage of the chance. Katie said that she wanted her family to be proud of her for making such a big gamble. Bill was very happy about her choice and yelled that he agreed. To celebrate Katie's new job, he and Will hugged her with them. Katie's long time at Forreester Creations comes to an end with this decision. It also creates a future conflict because she is getting ready to go up against her sisters and the Forresters in the fashion world.

The Bold and the Beautiful episodes are available to stream on CBS.