Joel Deering has a terrible twist planned for next week as he sets out to clear his name, and one longtime resident of Weatherfield will become his new target.
The duty solicitor, played by actor Calum Lill, is keen to hide his tracks even though a number of Coronation Street characters, including DS Lisa Swain and his ex-fiancee Dee-Dee Bailey, are aware of his disgusting acts against young girls, most notably Lauren Bolton.
But word gets around fast in the cobbles, particularly as Joel claimed to the police Lauren had illegally purchased and taken abortion pills, and in recent scenes of the Manchester-based programme, he was approached by a furious Carla Connor (Alison King) in the Chariot Square Hotel.
The outspoken Underworld factory boss, a firm fan favourite since her first appearance in the show in December, 2006, exposed Joel to an unsuspecting client and, while she was speaking the truth, he decides to turn the tables on her.
In a sickening move due to take place next week in the long-running show, Dee Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown) and Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) watch in horror and disgust as Joel serves Carla with a letter, launching proceedings against her for slander, a matter for the civil court to resolve in the UK.
While viewers will have to wait and see in order to find out what kind of trick Carla will have up her sleeve to dodge Joel’s wrath, another twist ahead could contribute to his downfall next week.
It all begins when the detective informs Dee-Dee Bailey that Joel’s work phone showed text messages coming from an unknown female, prompting her to make the decision to figure out who he has been chatting to.
Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) later agrees to track Ellie down himself, unaware of where his search may lead him, but he is warned that nobody within the Weatherfield police force must find out about the quest as it could result in both him and Swain to lose their jobs.
In recent scenes aired this Wednesday (September 4), Lisa Swain was told she needed to keep away from Joel and stop her investigation around him, despite her gut instinct that he was “up to his neck.”
For context, Joel has successfully framed Nathan Curtis (Chris Harper) for his actions on Lauren, but with Dee-Dee and the teen ready to fully expose him, DS Swain knows it’s only a matter of time and evidence until she can finally throw the book at him.
Thankfully for the detective, the police constable is successful in his search as he finds Ellie’s address – but what will he find and will Ellie even want to talk to him or Lisa? Elsewhere, Lauren (Cait Fitton) gets a visitor in hospital and they may be able to help her in her efforts to take Joel down.
