After four years on As the World Turns, Grayson McCouch will say goodbye to Oakdale in early 2008.

What is the reason behind this development? There are two dueling theories:

• A show insider says that McCouch was asked to take a salary cut, something even the biggest names in soap operas have been asked to do in this era of budget crunching
• Other says McCouch simply wanted to leave the series.

Either way, McCouch taped his final As the World Turns scenes on December 14. The actor was presented with a cake to celebrate his nearly-five-year run with the show.

"We don't comment on actor contracts," an As the World Turns spokesperson said about the situation.