Coronation Street star Calum Lill has spoken about the future of Joel Deering’s storyline in the wake of Lauren Bolton’s pregnancy twist.
Joel received a huge shock in Tuesday’s episode (July 9) as he discovered that Lauren is back in town – and expecting his baby.
The sinister solicitor groomed and abused Lauren over several months, as seen in flashback scenes. He now fears that Lauren’s pregnancy could spark his downfall, as there’s undeniable evidence of his wrongdoing.
Speaking about the storyline, Calum explained: “This is now way more serious for Joel because he can’t deny that he’s slept with Lauren. It’s just proof that he doesn’t need and he sees the life that he’s got falling apart in front of him.
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“Even if he managed to pull off that he’d had consensual sex with her, his life is still over. It’s all up in the air. The best case scenario of people finding out is that he loses his fiancée, who is his whole world anyway – he idolises her and puts her on a pedestal.
“Joel is incredibly selfish and is driven to do whatever is in his own self-interest. I don’t think we’ve seen the worst of him yet. We definitely haven’t seen the worst of him yet. I won’t say any more.”
Lauren fled from Joel in Tuesday’s episode, but he remains determined to track her down again next week.
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With Joel’s fiancée Dee-Dee Bailey leading her own search for Lauren, this gives the villain some insider information which could lead to him finding her first.
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Calum continued: “If Dee-Dee gets to Lauren first and Lauren tells her everything, his life just crumbles. Even if it’s just the fact that the baby’s his, everything’s gone. The stakes are bigger than they’ve ever been.
“I think ‘Desperate times, desperate measures’ is what comes to mind. I think he’s going to do whatever it takes to get to her first. I think whatever he does next is probably going to be a tough watch.”
Next week’s episodes also see Joel and Dee-Dee set their wedding date for September 27, but with Joel’s secrets starting to catch up with him, it’s unclear whether they’ll get that far.
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Calum added: “As stuff gets worse, if I was a bookie I’d say his chances are slim! He’s very determined, he’s very selfish, he’s very driven and seems to lack empathy, so when you add all that into the mix I think he’s going to do whatever it takes to get to that wedding date and beyond it.
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“What twists and turns that’s going to take us down, I can’t divulge, but they’re not going to be pleasant to watch. He’s going to fight tooth and nail to get there, so it’s going to be interesting.”
