Coronation Road tonight revealed the identification of Lauren Bolton’s attacker, three months after the teenager disappeared from her precinct flat.

While Roy Cropper (David Neilsen) has been on remand, accused of killing Lauren (Cait Fitton), tonight’s episode noticed Nathan Curtis as a substitute charged along with her homicide, however with an additional twist to come back.

Roy was going through his personal life-threatening scenario after Griff Reynolds (Michael Condron) confronted him in his cell, demanding at knifepoint to know the place he had hidden Lauren’s physique.

Roy’s refusal to admit to a criminal offense he didn’t commit solely pissed off Griff additional, with Roy stating that Griff would kill him both method.

Griff then revealed that he was not planning on killing Roy, however that Roy was going to finish his personal life, as Griff began tying up sheets to hold from the window bars.

Roy was in a position to increase the alarm with the jail guard, however as he waited for backup, Griff compelled Roy to put in writing a goodbye word confessing to Lauren’s homicide.

In the meantime, accompanied by solicitor Joel (Calum Lill) within the interview room, Nathan was shocked when DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) and DC Equipment Inexperienced (Jacob Roberts) revealed that the hair discovered at the back of Nathan’s van did certainly belong to Lauren. Subsequently, he was being charged along with her homicide.

Viewers had seen Sarah (Tina O’Brien) plan to plant a few of Lauren’s hair within the van, from an outdated bobble discovered within the Platt home, however she had modified her thoughts earlier than being disturbed by Nathan. When Equipment later arrived, she gave the bobble to him as he warned her to let the police do their job.

Nonetheless, as a flashback revealed, Equipment then went on to plant the hair in Nathan’s van himself, earlier than calling for a search on it after claiming somebody had reported that somebody was taking medication.

With Nathan charged, Roy’s solicitor Dee-Dee (Channique Sterling-Brown) rapidly set about securing Roy’s launch.

Again in his cell, having written his ‘confession’ and satisfied he was now on the finish of his life, Roy managed to speak Griff into permitting him to cellphone Nina (Mollie Gallagher) first. As he did so, the riot squad burst into Roy’s cell and apprehended Griff, simply as Nina was in a position to inform Roy that he was off the hook.

Roy burst into tears, relieved that his ordeal was lastly over, and after strolling free from Highfield jail, Roy and his family members gathered within the café.

Nonetheless, when Joel went to depart the café, he discovered Hope (Isabella Flanagan) ready by the aspect of his automotive.

Hope had discovered a necklace while collaborating in a automotive wash to lift funds for Little Huge Shotz. She had proven Ruby what she’d discovered, who implored her to return it to the place she discovered it, or hand it in.

What Hope didn’t realise was that the necklace was really Lauren’s, a key clue that’s been lacking since her disappearance which had been a present from her unseen boyfriend.

Hope advised Joel that she was returning the necklace, having discovered it underneath a seat in his automotive…

It was at this level that the present lastly revealed to viewers, through flashback, that Joel was really the one who attacked Lauren in her flat!

Clues have been dotted all through the episodes, with the entire purpose for Joel’s introduction having revolved round Lauren. The mild-mannered solicitor made his first look, again in September, because the obligation solicitor introduced in to signify Lauren when she’d vandalised the salon, however since then had appeared to have little to do along with her.

Joel went on to woo Dee-Dee, however was later found to be already married, albeit separated from his spouse, with a child daughter.

The revelation got here quickly after Dee-Dee had discovered a receipt from a jewellers. Joel had claimed to have purchased himself some costly cufflinks, earlier than later altering his story to say that he’d purchased a bracelet for his daughter.

Nonetheless, with Lauren having acquired her necklace very shortly afterwards, it’s now very seemingly that the receipt would have been for that.

Valentine’s Day additionally noticed Lauren obtain a big bouquet from her thriller boyfriend, with Joel later delivering a bouquet in an nearly an identical field to Dee-Dee.

This week’s episodes additionally revealed that, following evaluation of the texts acquired by Lauren from her boyfriend, that he was well-educated, with an distinctive grasp of punctuation – a indisputable fact that meant Roy had not been in a position to be discounted following forensic comparisons.

However what turned of Lauren? We noticed that Joel had bludgeoned Lauren over the pinnacle with a chair leg as she lay on the ground, however apart from the actual fact that there have been blood splatters within the flat, there’s no agency proof that Lauren is definitely lifeless as but.

Appearing as Nathan’s obligation solicitor, Joel has now discovered himself within the good place to make sure that the finger stays pointed at Nathan ought to he select to control his defence.

With Joel all set to suggest to Dee-Dee subsequent week, is she at risk, and the way lengthy will or not it’s earlier than the reality is revealed?

What purpose did Equipment should plant the hair in Nathan’s van and body him? Does he merely need to see the previous sex-trafficker off the streets for good, or is there a extra sinister motive?

And can Hope come to grasp that the necklace that she handed again to Joel was really Lauren’s? Does her information additionally place her at risk?

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Following the reveal, Corrie actor Calum Lill has spoken out about Joel’s double life…

How does it really feel for you that the general public lastly is aware of what you’ve recognized for such a very long time?
I’m terrified but it surely’s additionally a aid. I’ve recognized this for over a yr. It was final Could that I received despatched the breakdown for Joel saying that he was an enthralling character who’s received a darkish aspect.

Once I received the display take a look at they mentioned, ‘Okay, that is what Joel goes to be doing’. I assumed, ‘Oh my goodness, like this can be a actually horrible individual. And I’ve received to cover in plain sight for a yr.’

So that you knew at that time how lengthy it was going to be?
Sure I did. In my first assembly with the producer he mentioned that they’d already storyboarded it month by month, clearly elements of it might change however the arc of the story spanned the yr and lots of element had been determined which is uncommon.

I felt an enormous weight of accountability on my shoulders to do nicely and never give it away and never play some cliche, as a result of the issues Joel has achieved have occurred to individuals in actual life. So I had conferences with charities and did analysis.

I watched documentaries and browse psychological papers to create as a lot reality as potential. The factor that I saved in my thoughts was I might by no means need anybody who’d skilled something like that to be watching one thing on display that didn’t really feel genuine and really feel offended.

Was it essential to you to make this character likeable, affable and charming in order that we didn’t begin to suspect that there was extra to him?
Sure 100%  and a line that I needed to tread was I can’t make him so good that it’s simply ridiculous that he might do that. So I’ve simply been watching documentaries and studying stories on individuals like this.

And one factor that saved coming again to me was that they by no means suspected them, they have been so charming, even proper to the extremes of individuals like Ted Bundy.

I’ve watched hours of footage of Ted Bundy to know his mannerisms and his intonation, not that Joel relies on him, however simply to know the true individual. He’s so good. He’s assured and he’s charming however that’s only a facade.

Was it useful so that you can have nearly the crimson herring of the ex spouse and the divorce and the daughter that you just’ve saved secret from Dee-Dee to offer him some form of aspect to him that perhaps he wasn’t as good as he appeared?
I believe as many individuals because it’s thrown off the scent I believe it’s made different viewers consider that they will’t belief him as he’s already damage our beloved Dee-Dee.

It was actually helpful in having a again story and background for him so I can perceive how he thinks and the way he ticks and his ethical compass on that complete scenario.

What was it like holding that secret and what have been individuals’s reactions to you out and about. Did they’ve suspicions about Joel?
It has been troublesome – even my household don’t know, they are going to have discovered similtaneously the viewers. I don’t assume they have been suspicious as they in all probability didn’t assume I might play an evil character like Joel.

I used to be having Sunday dinner with my household a few weeks in the past, they usually have been all speaking about their very own theories of who they assume it’s. And each one in every of them has received a distinct one and never one in every of them thinks it’s Joel.

They haven’t been suspicious of me in any respect. They have been conscious that some individuals have been suspicious on-line however believed me!

We are actually within the scenario the place the viewers is aware of however nobody in Weatherfield does. What’s subsequent for Joel, is he frightened?
I believe he’s attempting to work out what number of unfastened ends there could possibly be and the best way to cope with them.

Clearly as a defence solicitor he is aware of the best way to play the sport and is aware of that there’s affordable doubt and that he must cancel out something that could possibly be tied right down to him.

However , that is new territory for him. He might need been in a scenario earlier than the place he’s damaged the legislation and never handled individuals very properly.

However that is new and I believe he feels actual concern. He has to make it stick on Nathan so nobody ever suspects it could possibly be Joel.

How does he really feel about representing Nathan?
It was an enormous stroke of luck. He was the obligation solicitor on the day that Nathan’s questioned. He simply occurs to be in the proper place on the proper time, and he’s sitting there representing a person who’s being wrongly accused of the factor that he did.

He’s as shocked as Nathan when the hair in Nathan’s automotive is proved to be Lauren’s. He doesn’t care about Nathan. 

This could possibly be the factor that will get Roy out of jail and stops Dee-Dee being so confused about Roy, as a result of he does really feel dangerous about that as he does adore her, that’s the one factor that he struggles with and now it seems to be like the issue is solved.

What makes Joel the best way he’s?
He’s very tousled, he sees girls in two methods. He has these girls he adores and places on a pedestal like Dee-Dee after which there are the opposite girls, the younger ladies that he sees as lesser ultimately in his eyes and takes his hatred for ladies out on them.

When he sees these susceptible younger girls in all probability from damaged houses, with felony data and nobody looking for them, he is sort of a shark he hones in on them, coercively controls them and emotionally manipulates them utilizing his energy and cash.

If you happen to have been to sit down down and try to ask him why he did it he would justify it as simply serving to them.

When nobody else would. It’s a repetitive sample of behaviour, he engages with these younger ladies and afterwards there’s the ingredient of guilt so he tries to be a very good individual and be higher in direction of Dee-Dee.

Then the guilt wears off and he wants one other ‘repair’, he has a euphoria/guilt cycle. It’s a sample of harmful behaviour. And we are going to see within the coming weeks that he’s nonetheless doing it.

How lengthy do you assume he can proceed hiding in plain sight? Is he going to make any errors?
I imply, the longer he hides the extra likelihood there’s of him making a mistake. He’s been good to this point in that he’s been participating on this behaviour so long as we’ve seen him, and Lauren was attacked in February. 

And nobody’s seen him. Nobody’s caught him out till now however they don’t really know they’ve caught him out.

However I believe the longer it goes on for, the extra likelihood he’s received of slipping up and I believe he is aware of that. You may see that in him getting increasingly anxious that the slightest factor might convey his world crumbling down round him, , even simply the truth that he slept with Lauren.

That’s a breach of belief alone and will probably be sufficient to finish his profession and relationship plus homicide on high of that, his life could be over . Every little thing that he values in his life, his job, his fiance, his freedom?

So the stakes couldn’t be increased. However when he panics, the extra likelihood there’s of one thing going improper.