CORONATION Street actor Calum Lill has shared the moment that his grandmother was left ‘disgusted’ at the revelation his character was behind Lauren Bolton’s murder.
Calum joined the ITV soap opera in September last year as mysterious solicitor Joel Deering who managed to charm Dee-Dee Bailey, played by Channique Sterling-Brown.
In shock scenes broadcast last week, it was revealed after months of ongoing speculation that Joel was responsible for Lauren Bolton’s disappearance after seemingly murdering her over the head with a chair leg.
Fans were left stunned at the confirmation that his character had a scary dark side to him with it further being revealed that he was ‘controlling’ a young and vulnerable sex worker called Ellie.
Having had to keep the huge soap reveal a closely-guarded secret, it seems that even some of Calum’s closest family members were unaware that Joel was responsible for Lauren’s demise.
In a new video, Calum’s grandmother can be seen looking gobsmacked at the revelation as she questions if he “battered her”.
Sitting beside him on the sofa, she peers over her shoulder at the moment the flashback scene aired to reveal Joel striking Lauren.
In utter shock, she appeared to joke that she was unable to distinguish the acting from reality as she said: “So you mean to tell me that my grandson’s a killer?”
She continued: “You battered her? I can’t believe it.”
Calum kept silent throughout his grandmother’s reaction before she stood up and seemingly walked off after the reveal.
The ITV star joked that she was “leaving in disgust.”
Callum, who plays Joel, has since broken his silence about the explosive twist saying he’s struggled to keep the secret for a year.
He said: “I’ve known this for over a year. It was last May that I got sent the breakdown for Joel saying that he was a charming character who’s got a dark side.
“When I got the screen test they said, ‘Okay, this is what Joel is going to be doing’. I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, like this is a really terrible person. And I’ve got to hide in plain sight for a year.’”
The actor added: “I felt a huge weight of responsibility on my shoulders to do well and not give it away and not play some cliche, because the things Joel has done have happened to people in real life.
“So I had meetings with charities and did research. I watched documentaries and read psychological papers to create as much truth as possible.
“The thing that I kept in my mind was I would never want anyone who’d experienced anything like that to be watching something on screen that didn’t feel authentic and feel offended.”
Coronation Street's shock exits 2024
Corrie has said goodbye to several cast members this year. Let's break down who's left the famous soap:
Eliza Woodrow (Savannah Kunyo) has said farewell to Corrie to start a new life in Germany.
The youngster moved to live with her dad Dom Everett, who went back on the £10,000 bribe Eliza’s grandfather Stu had offered to keep him out of her life.
Paul Foreman will bow out of the soap this summer when he loses his fight with motor neurone disease (MND) in tragic scenes.
After being diagnosed last year, the fan favourite, portrayed by Peter Ash, was devastated to learn he only had months left to live.
Viewers know he is planning to take his own life to end his suffering.
Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) departed the cobbles after being offered the opportunity of a lifetime to study in America.
Though she struggled to decide with her stepdad Paul’s impending death from MND, she was convinced she had to live her life to the full.
Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) has struggled with the sudden departure of his father Peter from the cobbles.
The Weatherfield legend left his family and loved ones behind on Boxing Day, 2023, when his wife Carla Connor encouraged him to travel around the world with a friend.
Simon’s been on a downward spiral ever since and his exit could end in tragedy.
Alya Nazir is set to leave the cobbles as actress Sair Khan prepares to go on maternity leave ahead of the birth of her first child.
It looks likely she’ll be heading to Dublin after securing a lucrative new job, leaving her colleague and fling Adam Barlow behind.
Show stalwart Eileen Grimshaw is taking a break to star in the Sister Act The Musical UK tour.
She’s had to leave the Street immediately after her son Jason broke his back after falling off a moped in Asia. She will be back filming in May once her dates on the tour come to an end.
