The Bold and the Beautiful recap for December 19, 2024: Brooke makes a shocking decision

Brooke makes her decision about being CEO while Eric pledges to fight for the company in The Bold and the Beautiful recap for December 19, 2024.

We begin today at Forrester Creations, where Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor) is trying to convince Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) that she’s the only one who can lead the company into the future. Hope (Annika Noelle) agrees, citing her mother’s time as CEO in the past. Carter pledges his full support for her; he knows that it’s a hard decision for Brooke because of Ridge (Thorsten Kaye), but he ultimately thinks Ridge and the rest of the Forresters will be back. Carter knows that Brooke and Ridge are in love and they will overcome everything that’s happening. He asks her again.

Eric (John McCook) wants a drink as he arrives home but Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) thinks they should keep clear heads. Ridge makes Eric promise not to get worked up so that it doesn’t jeopardize his health. Taylor (Rebecca Budig) walks in, looking for Steffy. She doesn’t want to interrupt, but Ridge says she’s family.

Taylor feels bad that they’re going through this. Eric says it’s the ultimate betrayal after considering Carter to be like a member of the family all these years. He pledges to use his whole fortune to get the company back. Taylor offers to talk to Carter but no one thinks he’ll listen. Steffy and Ridge don’t think the company will be able to move without them.

Carter needs an answer. Brooke points out that Ridge will go “ballistic” with the move, but Carter points out that she has more experience in the job than Ridge or Steffy. And she’s a “unifier” who will bring people together. Brooke says this is overwhelming in more ways than they can imagine, but she doesn’t need more time. "I will do it. I will accept," she tells them.

Taylor can’t believe Hope and Carter are a couple and they’re suddenly behind the takeover. Steffy thinks Hope went after Carter just to get the line reinstated. Eric knows Hope and Steffy have butted heads for years but he doesn’t think Hope put this all together. Ridge says he couldn’t live with Hope on the property and Brooke chose Hope, so now he’s there.

Brooke wishes none of this had happened the way it did. The Forresters were pushed out of their own company, and while she knows Hope and Carter think they’re justified, she’s still shocked by it. And she didn’t expect Carter to choose her as CEO. Zende (Delon De Metz) walks in and says a camera crew from Spencer Publications is downstairs. Carter tells him to send the crew away and they’ll make their own announcement on social media. He wants Brooke to do it.

Steffy points out that there have been so many changes in their personal and professional lives. Steffy doesn’t think Ridge can stay with Brooke after what happened, though Eric points out that they have weathered more storms before. Even Taylor agrees, to an extent. Eric wants to know where things stand with Ridge and Brooke.

Zende asks why they want Brooke to make the statement. Carter calls her a pro and Brooke agrees. She asks Zende to talk to Katie about setting up the announcement on social media.

Eric wants to know where things are with Ridge, who isn’t sure because things are so raw right now. Right now Ridge wants to get the company back. Steffy gets a ping from the Forrester social media account. They think things must be falling apart already.

Zende gets the camera set up. Brooke sends a text to Ridge that she needs to tell him something but she gets no response. Hope helps Brooke get camera-ready and then Zende goes live. Brooke addresses the changes at the company, assuring people that everything will remain the same, but COO Carter will manage the LLC that manages the company while Brooke assumes the role of CEO.

Steffy, Ridge, Eric and Taylor watch in shock as Brooke says they’ll be reinstating Hope for the Future while Steffy and Ridge take a leave of absence. She ends by saying the company will be in good hands. Her hands. (Cue the mic drop!)

Ridge can’t believe Brooke did this to him. Eric thinks it’s a power grab and thinks Brooke should be standing with them. Eric thinks Carter is using Brooke as a pawn. Steffy wants to have their own press conference, but Eric doesn’t want to go to the press yet. Ridge says she stabbed them in the back and Steffy calls it a hostile takeover. Steffy and Eric need to leave, but Taylor stays behind to check on Ridge. She asks if he’s ok, and he says that what Hope and Carter did was bad but what Brooke just did is so much worse.

Carter congratulates Brooke. There are more reporters in the lobby so Hope and Carter go to talk to them, leaving Brooke with Zende. He can’t believe that Brooke did this. He can’t believe she’d do this to people she cares about, especially Ridge. Brooke agrees with everything Zende is saying. She feels the same way and it kills her to see Ridge hurt. She says she’s not enabling them to get away with this, but she has a plan to give the company back to Ridge. She smiles at Zende, who wants to know more.

Ridge can’t believe Brooke would do this to him. Taylor points out that Brooke always does this to him. She reminds him that all the people who love him want more for him than what Brooke offers. Ridge says every time he’s broken up with Brooke he finds ways to go back to her. Maybe this time it’s different. He thinks Taylor might have been right about Brooke all along.

The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays on CBS and the following day on Paramount Plus. Check your local listings to see when it comes on where you are.