The following article referenced the loss of a child.
Coronation Street spoilers follow.
Joel Deering has enacted a sick plot in trying to get rid of Lauren Bolton in Coronation Street.
Earlier this week, the soap aired a chilling cliffhanger where Joel bought a packet of labour-inducing drugs that he planned to use against Lauren.
Friday’s (August 2) episode revealed the full extent of Joel’s attempt to make Lauren miscarry their unborn child, though he was ultimately unsuccessful.
Lauren was mugged outside the precinct, only for Max Turner to come to her rescue. Viewers eventually saw the mugger meet up with Joel to hand over Lauren’s keys and phone.
At the flat, Joel vowed to take care of Lauren after her mugging, supposedly out of concern for her wellbeing. However, he was next shown stirring the labour-inducing drugs into Laurne’s soup.
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Joel served her the drug-laced soup, then locked her in the flat while he supposedly went to get her a new set of keys and a phone.
It wasn’t long after Joel left that Lauren doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach as she went into labour.
At the same time, Max had tracked Lauren to the flat and banged on the door once he heard her screaming in pain.
Later, Joel’s blood ran cold when Bobby Crawford revealed that he’d heard from Max that Lauren was taken to the hospital after going into labour.
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“I doubt there is a baby now,” Joel callously told Dee Dee.
Joel accompanied Dee Dee Bailey to the hospital to check on Lauren, where it was revealed that Lauren’s baby was still alive and being treated in a special care unit.
“They’re doing everything they can but it’s very early days,” Max explained to a stricken Joel.
Earlier this week, Coronation Street cast member Channique Sterling-Brown dropped some hints that Dee Dee could soon catch Joel.
“We’ve been filming all the lead-up to Joel’s downfall. I think he’s playing a very dangerous game and he’s walking on thin ice,” she told Digital Spy.
“It’s been fun, because it’s been like planning a wedding but also exploring this different side of their relationship, where he’s really deliberately deceiving her to keep his lies and his other life undercover.
“Obviously Dee-Dee is a smart woman, so she’s definitely picking up on his signals.”
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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Organisations including Sands and Tommy’s are able to offer help and support to anyone affected by baby loss.