Corrie fans uncover who Joel’s killer sidekick is but fear his downfall is ‘sealed’

Coronation Street fans believe they’ve uncovered the truth about Lauren Bolton’s (Cait Fitton) killer and their secret accomplice.

Recently, Roy Cropper (David Neilson) has found himself in hot water after he was wrongfully arrested and charged as the prime suspect in the alleged murder of missing teen. Viewers will remember that Lauren, a troubled young girl, mysteriously disappeared from the cobbles in February.

Her sudden absence left her close friend Bobby Crawford (Jack Carroll) worried after discovering her flat unlocked and empty. The blonde bombshell’s departure was never shown on screen, and it appears she didn’t inform anyone of her plans to leave Weatherfield, except for Roy.

After reporting Lauren missing, Roy has become a person of interest due to his kind-hearted nature. Suspicions rose when he was caught cleaning Lauren’s flat, leading some to believe he was guilty.

Following his arrest, internet sleuths have made his life a misery by hounding him with waves of online abuse. In Thursday’s episode (May 30), DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) and newcomer Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) believed they had solved the case when they arrested Nathan Curtis.

The TV villain returned to the cobbles last month, but he’s no stranger to loyal viewers. He is a known abuser who had previously tormented Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon) and was recently released from prison.

As they questioned Nathan in his cell, with Joel Deering (Callum Lill) acting as his lawyer, a graphic flashback seemed to point to Nathan as the culprit, reports the Mirror. However, in a shocking twist later in the episode, it was revealed that Joel was actually Lauren’s killer.

As the episode drew to a close, the residents of the cobbles were seen celebrating Roy’s release from prison following Nathan’s arrest. Joel left the festivities early and headed towards his car, which had been cleaned by young Hope Stape.

The youngster was washing cars as part of her fundraising efforts for the drama club Little Big Shotz. In a shocking twist, Hope revealed she had discovered Lauren’s necklace under his car seat.

This revelation triggered a disturbing flashback showing Joel assaulting Lauren, leaving her lifeless and covered in blood. He then looked at himself in the mirror, visibly shaken and repeatedly touching his face in shock.

As he hurriedly left the flat, he snatched up Lauren’s necklace from the side. After the flashback, viewers saw a sinister Joel fiddling with the necklace on the cobbles before staring off into the distance.

With Nathan now behind bars, will Joel be caught and who else is in danger of the killer solicitor? After watched the dramatic scenes hit the airwaves, viewers flooded to X – formerly known as Twitter – to share their theories online.

Many viewers believe that little Hope might just be the one to trip up Joel thanks to her knowledge about the necklace. Meanwhile, other eagle-eyed fans reckon Joel’s DNA is bound to have been left behind after he got handsy with his hair and face post-attack on Lauren.

One viewer tweeted: “I think Hope and Ruby could be the key in bringing down Joel #Corrie #CoronationStreet @itvcorrie”. Another suggested: “I hope Hope figures out it’s Laurens and starts blackmailing Joel #Corrie”, and yet another chimed in: “IF they find the gloves, his DNA/hair particles will surely be all over them #Corrie.”

In a separate twist, Thursday night’s flashback revealed copper Kit planting evidence in Nathan’s van to frame him, sparking speculation among fans about whether he’s in cahoots with Joel. A fan speculated: “Joel killed Lauren and I guaranteeeee Kit knows he did and is for some reason helping him #CoronationStreet #Corrie”.

Another surmised: “Kit and Joel are working together!!! #Corrie” and one more pondered: “Are Kit and Joel in on it together #corrie”.