Coronation Street actor Calum Lill has recently opened up about his reaction to the big reveal of who was behind the killing of his character Joel Deering on the acclaimed ITV soap.
Catapulted into the limelight for his portrayal of lawyer Joel, who debuted in 2023, he initially arrived as one of the good guys. He even began a charming romance with Dee-Dee Bailey, played by Channique Sterling-Brown.
However, it soon became apparent that there was more darkness to Joel than met the eye. The plot thickened when it emerged that Joel had a history of preying upon and abusing young girls, including Lauren Bolton, portrayed by Cait Fitton. He even came close to ending Lauren’s life, leading her to disappear for several months.
Eventually, Joel’s vile crimes were uncovered – culminating in the September discovery of his corpse in a nearby river. Yet, a pathologist later determined Joel was already deceased prior to his aquatic demise, igniting a captivating “whodunnit” saga, reports Plymouth Live.
Suspects abounded in the following weeks with both Dee-Dee and Carla Connor (Alison King) entering the frame. But the resolution came during the episode aired on Friday, November 15: an impactful flashback revealed Lauren as Joel’s executioner following a deadly blow to the head.
His remains were then disposed of in the river where the police later found him. Speaking exclusively with Reach and other media outlets, Lill commented on his departure from the show, sharing his thoughts on learning that Lauren would be the one serving Joel his long-overdue justice.
When questioned about his foreknowledge regarding the identity of Joel’s killer, Calum revealed: “At first, we were all really confused and trying to work out what was going on because we were getting snippets of this and snippets of that.”
“And I eventually found out maybe a couple of months before shooting it that it was going to be Lauren. But also that it was going to be so many twists and turns along the way.”
Reflecting on his reaction to discovering that Lauren was the perpetrator, Calum wittily remarked that it is “what he [Joel] deserves.”
He elaborated: “When I found out it was Lauren I thought soap justice is definitely a thing, and I think that’s the best justice he could have got.”
“He attacked her viscously and nearly killed her, so for it to be able to come full circle, and for him to get his comeuppance from the person he attacked when she was vulnerable and defenceless I think, is what he deserves.”
Coronation Street is on ITV at 8pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday and available to stream from 7am on ITVX