Coronation Street certainly didn’t hold back for the dramatic departure of villain Joel Deering.
The soap launched a gripping whodunnit last month, centred around the sinister solicitor Joel, played by Calum Lol. Fans will remember his arrival in 2023 as a seemingly good guy who started a relationship with Dee-Dee Bailey, portrayed by Channique Sterling-Brown.
However, his ‘true’ nature was soon exposed. In a shocking turn of events, it was revealed that he had a past of grooming and abusing young girls, including Lauren Bolton, played by Cait Fitton – whom he tried to murder, leading her to go into hiding for several months.
Joel’s crimes were eventually brought to light, and at the end of September, his body was discovered in a local river. However, a pathologist later determined that Joel had died before entering the water.
Over the past few weeks, many characters have been under suspicion, including Dee-Dee and even Carla Connor, played by Alison King, reports Plymouth Live.
But during Friday’s episode (November 15), Joel’s murderer was finally revealed. The flashback-filled episode unveiled the ‘true’ events of that day and Joel’s final moments.
In a massive twist, it was confirmed that it was Lauren who had killed him. In tense scenes, Joel was found by a revenge-seeking Max Turner, played by Paddy Beaver, on a railway track after being hit by a crowbar swung by Dee Dee Bailey, portrayed by Channique Sterling-Brown.
Tensions escalated on the cobbles as Max and Joel’s confrontation turned violent, with the sinister solicitor hurling insults at Lauren. Defending his girlfriend, Max was caught off guard when Joel attacked him, attempting to strangle him.
However, Lauren made a shocking entrance, striking her abuser with a rock, resulting in his death.
The dramatic aftermath saw Max and Lauren dispose of Joel’s body in the river. The plot thickened as they were separately hauled into the police station for questioning by Kit Green (Jacob Roberts), after coming forward to shield Lauren.
In a surprising twist, the soap employed cutting-edge Hollywood technology to bring the gripping episode to life. Joel’s actor, Calum, spoke to Reach and other media about the experience of filming the intense showdown scene with advanced tech.
“It was as if we were filming a movie,” he revealed. He elaborated on the production scale: “One of the scenes we spent about 12 hours shooting and we’ve got all these different cameras and green screens and special effects. It was incredible.”
Calum also disclosed that the Corrie cast found themselves amidst A-listers during filming. “Where we filming, it was Peaky Blinders movie, House of Guinness, these big Hollywood films, and then us.” he said.
This high-tech approach wasn’t new to the show; it was previously used for Kelly Neelan’s (Millie Gibson) departure in 2022. Reflecting on the experience, Calum commented on the impressive setup: “It was this huge black room, the ceiling was probably 70 feet high.”
Calum explained: “And it’s just this massive semi-circle of screens and then your set in the middle. We had this long railway bridge that we built, and that’s on a table that turns.”
He continued: “So instead of the camera moving, the train track moves and the whole background is synched to the camera. So wherever the camera moves, the background moves as if the camera’s moving in the real place. It’s crazy, but it’s really cool.”
Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday on ITV1 and ITVX at 8pm