Who is Nathan on Coronation Street, did he kill Lauren and what happened to Bethany?

The mystery around Lauren Bolton’s disappearance thickens as Bethany Platt comes face to face with known trafficker and rapist Nathan Curtis.

Fan favourite Bethany, portrayed by Lucy Fallon, made her own comeback to the ITV cobbles as soap boss Iain MacLeod teased an explosive storyline for her. Once she bedded ex Daniel Osbourne, the nail in the coffin for his relationship with Daisy Midgeley, it was announced she’d be involved in an ordeal alongside wayward teen Lauren Bolton.

But while Detective Sergeant Lisa Swain’s questions remain mostly unanswered, with Corrie legend Roy Cropper pointed out as the culprit, actor Christopher Harper is set to return as Nathan Curtis – and his comeback could be the answer to all our questions.

Who is Nathan Curtis?

As one of the biggest villains in the Manchester-based program, Nathan Curtis has been the target of furious backlash during his first stint in Weatherfield, with viewers eager to see him get his comeuppance – a sentiment they will likely rekindle with as he’s set to return to the cobbles in scenes airing this evening, Wednesday, May 8.

Christopher Harper’s ITV alter ego made his debut on Christmas 2016 before becoming a secondary antagonist the following year. Upon his first appearance in the long-running program, Nathan witnessed his ex-girlfriend Shona Ramsey, now Platt, being led away from a church by vicar Billy Mayhew.

This left fans of the drama to fear the worst for Shona, who made it clear Nathan, her ex-partner was bad news. While she recalled her time with the devious character, she admitted to ending their romance and promptly leaving Nathan due to his behaviour. Billy Mayhew eventually found her while she was sleeping in the rough and offered her a place to stay while Nathan remained on her tail.

But Shona was quickly pushed to aside when Nathan found an unconscious 16-year-old Bethany Platt in an alleyway and carried her to hospital for treatment. Once she recovered from a diet pill overdose, the teen was keen to find her good Samaritan to thank him for saving her and after mistakenly thanking cabbie Tyrone Dobbs, she tracked Nathan down to his tanning salon, blissfully unaware she was in for her biggest ordeal yet.

What happened to Bethany Platt?

Bethany was at the core of a hard-hitting storyline tackling rape, grooming, sexual abuse and human trafficking as she struck up a friendly bond with Nathan who offered her a job and an opportunity to film vlogs for her growing social media presence.

Nathan kept up appearances, seeming friendly and supportive with his new protegee. With the help of his assistant (who was revealed as his lover later on) Mel Maguire, he managed to lure Bethany into a false sense of security before grooming her and putting his plan to execution.

While he was shown to be abusive with Mel, Nathan showered Bethany with love and the pair jumped into bed in February, 2017. The loved-up teen was unable to see through his act, despite authorities arresting him on suspicion of involvement in the abduction of another woman named Annabelle Adams.

Red flags continued to pop left, right and centre throughout the course of the year with Nathan keep to win over Bethany’s mother Sarah and her then-partner Gary Windass. But the pair were shocked when Bethany showed up at their home of the arm of the 35-year-old and Nathan moved to the next step of his plan.

After a cryptic phone call with an unknown associate in which he insisted Bethany was the answer to all his troubles, Nathan pushed the young girl to move in with him, proposing to her soon after, gaining further control over her – and introducing her to partners in crime Ian Yardley and corrupt copper Neil Clifton, who ended up assaulting her.

However, Shona was determined to have the last word and, when she learned that Nathan was lurking around David Platt’s niece, she tried her best to get him caught. Unfortunately, Nathan was one step ahead and arranged for her to be beaten to a pulp by his goons. This eventually caught up with him as he was arrested once again.

Upon his release, Nathan made plans to have Bethany transported to Belgium while her family begged her to open her eyes and get out of his grasp before it was too late. Thankfully, Nathan’s plan fell through when the police showed up at his home and arrested him for a third time – but the torment didn’t stop there.

While in custody, Nathan pulled further strings as he tried to keep Mel under his thumb and he asked her to silence Bethany once and for all before his court date. An obedient Mel was ready to help Nathan, taking advantage of the Platt family and staying in their home. But the death of fellow trafficking victim Lara Cutler reached Mel and she allowed Bethany to escape as her plan unfolded, before vanishing herself.

Nathan was finally brought to justice and while he initially succeeded in portraying himself as a victim, Bethany’s lawyer made him crack when she questioned him about his debts to Ian and their associates. The trio of men were handed custodial sentences as they were found guilty of raping Bethany and conspiracy to commit rape.

Did Nathan Curtis kill Lauren Bolton?

With Nathan’s heavy history set to be revisited this week, fans have been wondering for months if he could be involved in Lauren Bolton’s disappearance. Speculation became rife due to the wayward teen’s striking resemblance with a young Bethany.

Lauren, portrayed by Cait Fitton, went missing earlier this year after being sacked from her job at Roy’s Rolls when her boss, Roy Cropper, caught her trying to steal money from a customer. The troubled character struggled to find her mark in Coronation Street, with many residents associating her with far-right activist Griff Reynolds as she was initially introduced as part of Max Turner’s own grooming storyline.

Tired of persisting, Lauren was keen to make a fresh start as she told Roy when he showed up on her doorstep to give her some leftover wages, particularly due to a persistent former boyfriend whom she was trying to cut out of her life.

When her love interest Bobby Carroll paid her a visit in her flat, however, he was shocked to see Lauren was long gone – and she was later presumed dead when Sean Tully found traces of blood on her curtains.

Fans have been racking their brains to find out who Lauren’s mystery ex-boyfriend could be and have cited multiple names from newcomer Joel Deering to Weatherfield criminal Damon Hay. But Nathan Curtis has been a recurring suspect due to his past as a trafficker – could he have killed her?

Answers have yet to be revealed but some fans believe they may have found a clue that could confirm Nathan’s involvement in Lauren’s disappearance and potential murder. Viewers questioned whether a necklace she was given before she vanished was given to her by her tormentor and while Joel Deering remained their main suspect, some diehard Coronation Street fans remembered that Nathan was in the habit of giving necklaces to his victims.

Bethany was over the moon when she received her own piece of jewellery but she quickly saw Lara bearing the necklace and caused a scandal during one of Nathan’s parties. A first glance at tonight’s scenes has revealed that Bethany will spot Nathan on a building site before furiously confronting him over Lauren’s disappearance. Will he tell the truth?