Coronation Street fans 'work out' true identity of Lauren Bolton's killer as clue spotted

Could Coronation Street's Dee-Dee Bailey (played by Channique Sterling-Brown) be unwittingly rubbing shoulders with Lauren Bolton's (Cait Fitton) killer - and even going to bed with him? That's what fans have theorised, as they've noticed that her boyfriend Joel Deering (Calum Lill) seems startlingly suspicious.

Months earlier, a mysterious jewellery purchase was made by Joel right around the same time as Lauren received a precious necklace, which troubled Hope Dobbs (Isabella Flanagan) unearthed last night at the carwash. That could have been a coincidence, linked instead to Joel's plans to propose to Dee-Dee - but it's not the only thing about him which has raised suspicion.

The solicitor is known to be representing Nathan Curtis (Christopher Harper), who was arrested this week for breaking the terms of his release from prison after serving time for grooming and raping Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon). Could it be that he has personal links to the villain?

Besides that, text messages sent to Lauren by a mystery man have been among the central focus points of the episode. Police have reason to suspect Roy Cropper (David Neilson), as the mystery texter writes with perfect grammar and careful bullet points as he does.

However, viewers on Twitter had other ideas, with one pointing out: "So, the culprit owns the car at the car wash & is a whizz at grammar? Well educated? Highly qualified? Deedee’s fella? #Corrie."

Another had the same theory, writing: "Convinced it’s DeeDee’s fella #Corrie."

A third was equally confident, quizzing: "Can they just announce it’s Joel and be done with it?"

The possible villain was planning to propose to Dee-Dee but left her in floods of tears and begging him to leave during tonight's episode after he appeared to sneer at and undermine her abilities.

Shrugging off her fears about the case, after a date is set for Roy's trial, Joel told her: "We do our best but sometimes that's how the cookie crumbles."

Offended, Dee-Dee exploded as she asked: "Do you think I'm some kind of amateur? Just because I don't work in a fancy firm doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing - just leave!"

Meanwhile, viewers have been fearing for an increasingly withdrawn Roy after the despairing prisoner admitted: " I don't believe in God or any kind of natural justice."

With Bobby Crawford's (Jack Carroll's) fake evidence, which he has debunked to police, being the only support in his favour, Roy is left wondering: "What is it that is keeping the judiciary from descending into anarchy?"

Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV at 8pm.