Coronation Street reveals Lauren Bolton's attacker

On tonight's episode of Coronation Street, the assailant responsible for the attack on Lauren Bolton was finally revealed. This comes after a prolonged period of three months since the teenager went missing from her residence.

During Roy Cropper's (played by David Neilsen) detention as a suspect for the death of Lauren (portrayed by Cait Fitton), the latest episode revealed that Nathan Curtis has been charged with the murder. However, there is still a surprising revelation yet to be uncovered.

Roy found himself in a dangerous predicament when Griff Reynolds (played by Michael Condron) entered his cell and held him at knifepoint, demanding to know the location of Lauren's remains. This put Roy's life in jeopardy.

Griff became even more irritated when Roy refused to admit to a crime that he was not guilty of. Roy simply stated that regardless of what he said, Griff would still end up killing him.

Griff disclosed that his intention was not to murder Roy. Instead, he disclosed that Roy had decided to take his own life. To achieve this, Griff began fastening sheets to the window bars to use as a hanging mechanism.

Roy was successful in informing the prison guard, however, while Roy waited for additional assistance, Griff compelled Roy to pen a farewell message acknowledging responsibility for Lauren's homicide.

While Nathan was in the interview room with his lawyer Joel (played by Callum Lill), he was shocked to hear from DS Lisa Swain (played by Vicky Myers) and DC Kit Green (played by Jacob Roberts) that the hair found in the back of his van belonged to Lauren. They informed him that he was now being charged with her murder.

Sarah (portrayed by Tina O'Brien) had initially intended to place a strand of Lauren's hair in the van using an old hair tie obtained from the Platt residence, but had a change of heart when interrupted by Nathan. Afterwards, she handed the hair tie over to Kit when he arrived and advised her to allow the authorities to carry out their investigation.

On the other hand, looking back in time, Kit proceeded to put the hair inside Nathan's van all by himself. And only afterward did he demand a search of the van, saying that somebody had reported illicit drug activity taking place.

After Nathan was accused, Dee-Dee, who was Roy's lawyer, acted swiftly to ensure that Roy was set free.

After writing his so-called 'confession' and feeling certain that his life was over, Roy returned to his cell. However, he managed to persuade Griff to let him make a phone call to Nina (played by Mollie Gallagher) before anything else. But as Roy tried to make the call, the riot squad suddenly stormed into his cell and seized Griff. Fortunately, Nina was still able to inform Roy that he was in the clear.

Roy started crying, feeling relieved that he was finally done with his difficulty, and following his release from Highfield prison, he and his family members met up at the café.

But as soon as Joel was about to exit the café, he came across Hope (Isabella Flanagan) who was standing beside his vehicle.

Whilst participating in a fundraising car wash event for Little Big Shotz, Hope stumbled upon a necklace. When she showed Ruby her discovery, Ruby urged her to either return it to its original spot or turn it in.

Hope was unaware that the necklace she found actually belonged to Lauren. This was an important piece of evidence that had been missing since Lauren went missing. The necklace was given to her by her mystery boyfriend.

Hope informed Joel that she discovered the necklace under a seat in his car and will be giving it back.

At this particular moment, the television program eventually disclosed to its audience, with the help of a flashback, that Joel was actually the perpetrator who assaulted Lauren in her apartment!

Hints have been scattered throughout the episodes, and the entire purpose of Joel being introduced was related to Lauren. Joel, a calm and polite lawyer, showed up for the first time in September as the lawyer on duty assigned to represent Lauren after she caused damage to the salon. However, after that, he seemed to have minimal involvement with her.

Joel attempted to impress Dee-Dee, but it was later revealed that he was already wed, although he and his spouse were separated and had a young daughter.

Dee-Dee stumbled upon some significant information after finding a jewellers' receipt. Joel had initially stated that he had splurged on costly cufflinks for himself, but subsequently contradicted himself and claimed to have actually bought a bracelet for his daughter.

Nonetheless, it is highly probable that the receipt was intended for Lauren's necklace, particularly since she obtained it shortly thereafter.

On Valentine's Day, Lauren was surprised with a big bunch of flowers from her unknown boyfriend. Afterwards, Joel also gave Dee-Dee a bouquet in a box that looked almost the same.

In the blog article for this week, it was uncovered that after examining the messages Lauren received from her partner, it was determined that he was highly educated and had impressive punctuation skills. This detail prevented Roy from being eliminated from the investigation through forensic comparisons.

However, what happened to Lauren remains uncertain. We witnessed Joel use a chair leg to violently strike Lauren's head while she was down on the ground. Despite the presence of bloodstains in the apartment, there is currently no conclusive proof confirming Lauren's demise.

As a duty solicitor for Nathan, Joel is now in a great position to make sure that Nathan is held accountable if he tries to manipulate his defense.

Will Dee-Dee be at risk when Joel proposes to her next week? Also, when will the truth come to light?

What motivated Kit to put the hair in Nathan's van and falsely accuse him? Did he have a desire to permanently remove the ex-sex trafficker from the streets, or was there a more malevolent intention behind his actions?

Will Hope eventually understand that she returned Lauren's necklace to Joel? Could this realization put her safety at risk?

After the disclosure, Callum Lill, who plays a role in "Coronation Street," has commented on Joel's dual identity...

How do you feel now that the information you've been holding for so long is finally public knowledge? I'm scared, but I'm also glad that it's out there. I've been aware of this for more than a year. In May of last year, I received the information about Joel's personality, depicting him as a personable individual with a hidden, sinister nature.

When I received the chance to audition, the casting team informed me about the character Joel's actions. I was taken aback and felt like he was someone unpleasant. Moreover, I had to perform this role while pretending to be someone else for an entire year.

Did you have an idea of the duration of the project back then? Yes, I did. During my initial meeting with the producer, they gave me an insight into how they had planned the storyboard for each month. Although some parts of it were subject to change, the storyline was divided into a year-long arc, and a lot of meticulous planning had already taken place, which is quite uncommon.

I had a heavy burden of accountability to perform effectively and avoid repeating a worn-out trope, since the experiences that Joel has gone through are actually based on real-life events. Consequently, I held consultations with charitable organizations and conducted thorough investigation.

To ensure authenticity, I indulged myself in watching documentaries and reading psychological papers. My top priority was to avoid offending those who have gone through similar experiences. It was crucial for me to create a genuine portrayal on screen.

Did you feel it was crucial to portray this character as friendly, amiable, and captivating in order to prevent us from suspecting that there may be an ulterior motive? Absolutely- it was paramount. However, I had to be careful not to make him too likeable to the point where his actions become implausible. Hence, I have been studying documentaries and reports on individuals of this nature.

There was one thought that kept recurring in my mind - nobody ever suspected them because they were extremely charming, even to the extent of someone like Ted Bundy.

I have spent a great deal of time studying Ted Bundy through videos. I did this in order to get a better sense of his behavior and speech patterns. This was not because Joel is specifically modeled after him, but simply to gain a deeper understanding of the actual person. While Bundy may have appeared kind, confident, and likable on the surface, this was really just a superficial front.

Did the inclusion of the ex-wife, divorce, and secret daughter make you suspect that the protagonist was not as kind as he seemed? While some may have been misled by these details, others may now view him with distrust as he has already caused harm to the beloved character, Dee-Dee.

Having a backstory and background knowledge about him proved to be quite beneficial as it helped me comprehend his decision-making process, sense of ethics, and overall outlook on the matter at hand.

How did you feel about keeping this secret and how did people react to you in public? Were there any suspicions towards Joel? It was a challenging task, and even my family members are unaware. They'll find out from the viewers just like everyone else. I don't believe there were any suspicions because I never imagined playing the character of Joel as immoral.

During a Sunday meal with my relatives a few weeks back, the conversation steered toward their personal speculations on the true identity of a certain individual. To my surprise, each family member held a distinct theory and unsurprisingly, none of them believed it to be Joel.

Nobody has been doubtful of me. Although some individuals online were skeptical, they placed their trust in me!

Right now, the viewers are aware of a certain situation in Weatherfield that none of the characters are aware of yet. What will happen to Joel? Is he feeling uneasy? My guess is that he's currently pondering on all the possible issues that may arise and figuring out the best approach to handle them.

Clearly, being a lawyer specializing in criminal defense, he is well-versed in the strategies needed to succeed in court. He is aware of the concept of reasonable doubt and the importance of eliminating any evidence that could implicate him.

However, you're aware that this is uncharted territory for him. He could have previously found himself in circumstances where he has violated the law and mistreated others.

This situation is fresh and I believe he is genuinely worried. He must ensure that the blame remains on Nathan, in order to avoid any suspicion towards Joel.

What are his emotions towards standing for Nathan? It was a fortunate coincidence. He was the legal representative appointed on the same day Nathan was interrogated. It was just by chance that he was present at the opportune moment and now he is the person advocating for a man who is being unjustly blamed for a crime he did not commit.

When the hair found in Nathan's car was confirmed to be Lauren's, he was just as surprised as Nathan. However, he doesn't have any concern for Nathan.

This might be the solution that releases Roy from jail and relieves Dee-Dee from worrying about him. Roy feels guilty about causing Dee-Dee stress because he loves her dearly. This is the only thing he finds hard to deal with, but now it seems like the issue has been resolved.

What attributes contribute to Joel's behavior? His psyche appears to be in a state of disarray as he views women in two distinct manners. Certain females, such as Dee-Dee, are placed on a pedestal and worshipped. On the other hand, he classifies younger females as inferior and takes out his resentment toward women on them.

As soon as he comes across these defenseless young women who might have come from unstable families, have committed crimes and are all by themselves, he acts like a predator. He focuses entirely on them, takes charge of them forcefully and plays with their emotions by taking advantage of his wealth and influence.

If you were to have a conversation with him and inquire about the reason behind his actions, he would defend himself by stating that he was simply aiding them.

It's a common habit of his, to interact with these young girls when nobody else does. Subsequently, he feels remorseful, leading him to strive to improve himself and treat Dee-Dee with kindness.

After the feeling of shame diminishes, he craves another indulgence, which creates a cycle of elation and guilt. This routine is harmful and we will observe in the upcoming weeks that he is continuing to engage in it.

How much longer can he continue remaining undiscovered? Will he slip up eventually? The odds of him making a mistake increase the longer he remains hidden. It's impressive that he's been able to keep up this behavior without being caught and considering Lauren's attack was in February.

Nobody has laid eyes on him yet. He has managed to evade capture thus far, but it's uncertain if he has been caught or not.

In my opinion, the more time passes, the higher the likelihood that he will make a mistake and he is aware of this. It's apparent that he's becoming increasingly nervous that the slightest slip-up could lead to his downfall. For instance, just sleeping with Lauren could be enough to cause problems.

If he committed the crime of murder on top of breaching someone's trust, his career and relationships would be destroyed. He would lose everything he values in life, including his job, fiance, and freedom. It would be a severe consequence for his actions.

The situation is extremely important, and if he becomes anxious, there is a greater likelihood of a mistake occurring.

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