Coronation Street villain makes terrifying return to soap – despite being ‘killed off’ in grisly final scenes
A Coronation Street villain is set to make a terrifying return to the soap – despite being ‘killed off’ in his grisly final scenes.
Joel Deering, played by Calum Lill, is set to come back to the ITV show, less than a year after the horrible character was murdered on-screen.
The smooth-talking solicitor first arrived on the cobbles in September 2023, charming and eventually getting engaged to fellow lawyer Dee-Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown).
But under his seemingly trustworthy exterior, he was hiding a dark secret – Joel was using his power and position to groom vulnerable young women, including Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton).
Several Weatherfield residents went after him for his crimes – but after a long, tense whodunnit, it was revealed to be Lauren herself who delivered the final blow, with a crowbar.
But despite being dead, his body found in a river in September last year, he is set to make just one more appearance ‘soon’ – most likely in the form of a ‘flashback’, a source told The Sun.
Joel Deering (pictured), played by Calum Lill, is set to come back to the ITV show, less than a year after the horrible character was murdered on-screen
The smooth-talking solicitor (pictured, with Lauren Bolton, played by Cait Fitton) first arrived on the cobbles in September 2023, charming and eventually getting engaged to fellow lawyer Dee-Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown)
They said: ‘Calum has been back filming and viewers will be seeing him on screen again soon.
‘He might be dead but there is lots more to say about that murder and he is likely to be involved in some flashback scenes.’
The drama on the street all began when Joel was appointed Lauren’s solicitor in September 2023, helping her get away with just a caution, after she was arrested for an angry act of criminal damage.
But following a long-standing pattern of grooming young girls in his legal care, he began helping her with her bills in return for sexual favours, all while his relationship with Dee-Dee was blossoming.
When Lauren broke it off and threatened to tell Dee-Dee about his infidelity, Joel beat her relentlessly, leaving her for dead.
But she managed to get away and spent five months in hiding, presumed dead back home.
She only returned, five months later, out of concern for her employer Roy Cropper – he was hospitalised after being attacked by yobs, who wrongly believed he had killed her.
While away, she had discovered she was pregnant with Joel’s child, which she revealed to him on her return.
The drama on the street all began when Joel (right) was appointed Lauren’s (left) solicitor in September 2023, helping her get away with just a caution, after she was arrested for an angry act of criminal damage
But following a long-standing pattern of grooming young girls in his legal care, he began helping her with her bills in return for sexual favours, all while his relationship with Dee-Dee was blossoming
Determined to conceal the pregnancy, Joel callously drugged Lauren (pictured, with Max Turner, played by Paddy Bever) with labour-inducing medication to try to make her give birth prematurely – but the baby, named Frankie (pictured), survived
Determined to conceal the pregnancy, Joel callously drugged Lauren with labour-inducing medication to try to make her give birth prematurely – but the baby, named Frankie, survived.
Soon after the truth came out about the whole ordeal, Joel was arrested and seemed set for jail time to finally serve justice to Lauren.
But he was soon found dead, triggering one of the soap’s biggest ever whodunnits.
It eventually emerged that Max Turner (Paddy Bever) – who Lauren had been developing a blossoming romance with since she returned to Weatherfield – had gone to confront and attack Joel but it was Lauren who delivered the final blow.
She was put on trial but eventually acquitted, when the jury realised that she had acted the way she did because she was a victim – not a criminal.
The news of Joel’s return to the soap comes just after another character made a surprise reappearance on our screens, to the amazement of viewers.
Builder Gary Windass (Mikey North) made a shock return to the cobbles last week, after several months away.
The character has not been seen on the ITV show since January, which left fans baffled at the time – his absence was not explained and no plot point was created to justify it.
The news of Joel’s return to the soap comes just after another character made a surprise reappearance on our screens, to the amazement of viewers
Builder Gary Windass (Mikey North), pictured, made a shock return to the cobbles last week, after several months away
The character (pictured) has not been seen on the ITV show since January, which left fans baffled at the time – his absence was not explained and no plot point was created to justify it
Fans were shocked and delighted to see Gary’s return, taking to X (pictured) to express their astonishment
Gary’s partner on the series Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) has also been missing from recent episodes.
But they both came back in last Wednesday’s episode, with Gary telling Maria he wants to sell his shop and buy the builder’s yard in Weatherfield to start afresh – which she is not convinced is a good plan.
Fans were shocked and delighted to see Gary’s return, taking to X to express their astonishment.
One said, ‘I’d forgotten what he looked like’, while someone else commented, ‘A rare Gary sighting!’
Another added: ‘Gary’s here too?! Did they finally find the key to the cupboard they’ve been keeping all these characters in?’
Someone else said: ‘Oh wow, Gary Windass is still alive? I forgot about him.’
Last month, avid fans of the soap had questioned where he was on X, with three posing the exact same question, ‘Where is Gary Windass?’, with another adding: ‘Really need his storyline.’
Someone else commented: ‘Hmm Corrie mysteries… Gary and Maria have been AWOL for months. Is there a Bermuda Triangle corner in Weatherfield?’
Fans were worried the lack of explanation meant the couple were going to be quietly written out of the show – but their fears will have been alleviated by their surprise return.
