On 24th June 2024, I sat in the cinema at the Coronation Street Experience, alongside the assembled Corrie cast and soap journos’ to watch last night's episode (09th July - Ep 11309/10) in its entirety. Sitting in a cinema watching an episode of Coronation Street, whilst cast members are in the audience watching it with you, is superbly surreal, and a bucket-list fanboy moment to treasure.
Lauren's return was quite the surprise, and following the episode’s exclusive airing, we headed to a floor 3 media suite* where actress Cait Fitton (who plays Lauren) was interviewed about her character's shock-fuelled return!
READ ON!
Hi Cait,
The truth is out and Lauren is alive! How difficult has it been to keep that a secret?
It's been mental and so much fun! I knew, early on, that I was returning, which is very fortunate in this industry. I started filming again in April, and had to sneak in and out of the building with Cal (Callum Lill, who plays Joel) having to put me in his car boot to make sure we weren't being seen - it was chaotic. I’ve had to get on the floor of taxis when leaving and it’s been a whirlwind of emotions. We filmed on location for some scenes, and I was hiding in a big black coat and sunglasses - luckily I wasn't seen”
Tell us what's coming up for Lauren. Why has she only returned now?
“She wanted to put the trauma to the back of her mind and move on. She rushes the process though. Since she left Weatherfied, she's been going from hostel to hostel, sleeping homeless, and not being able to pay the rent, so she’s been getting booted out of different hostels. She’s not been able to come back as she doesn’t know where Joel is: he could be in Weatherfield or away from Weatherfield, but she doesn't want to take that risk. It was a near-death experience and she doesn’t want to face that again. Only when she hears that Roy is in the hospital, it’s affected him physically, so she decides to go back to put things right. She's in survival mode ”
When did you find out about this element of Lauren’s story?
“When I started in 2022, Lauren was supposed to be just a three-part character / three-month stint as a supporting role in Max’s far-right storyline. I didn't know much about her, I knew things were being aired on screen, but I didn't know why she was the way she was. Coming in as a supporting character, you don’t get that opportunity. Was she a racist or was this inherited from her Dad? I then got asked back and little hints of what she’d been through rose to the surface. I think I found out about this latest element just before Cal started, but I did not know how long it would go on for, or tense it would have been”
How would you sum up Lauren’s character?
“Strong, very strong, and very caring. She doesn't trust (a lot of) people, but the people she does trust, she cares about a lot. She was very naive and a different person before she left. If anything she doesn't trust anyone now, even those she had a bond with. It will take a long time to break down those barriers. She's a brilliant character to play. She's a lost little girl and from the wrong side of the tracks”
Lauren’s return also reveals that she’s pregnant!! How does she feel about that?
“She’s never had unconditional love, so she doesn't know what that is. But, with a child, her child, she's that child's role model and that baby’s going be with her through everything. She's got someone that's going to love her unconditionally”
How does she feel about Joel’s reaction?
“She’s petrified, terrified, as she knows what this man can do. She knows he won't stop at anything and now it's not just her she’s got to worry about, it's the baby as well. She wants to keep the baby safe but because of his authority and power, and the fact she’s from the wrong side of the tracks, she’s worried it (the baby) could be taken from her”
Thanks, Cait!
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14 comments:
I'd have thought she'd be safe now she's pregnant. Warped as Joel is, surely he wouldn't harm his own child? Hard to believe he truly loves DeeDee - is he capable of the emotion? It's been hinted that sex with Lauren was always forced and violent. Will he be the same with DeeDee? He's told so many lies. Hard to believe the story about his parents. Probably another of his fantasies to justify his behaviour. Thank goodness Lauren didn't fall for it. But it was stupid of her to run off again when she could have got help from anyone in the hospital.
Please let's not have weeks more of this awful story.
(Jeanie) Love this character and the actress so glad she hasn't been killed off. But her disappearance has turned out to be a real cheat on audiences. The producers might just as well have said she was abducted by aliens or that she sprouted wings and flew off into the clouds. Her disappearance was physically and logistically impossible. She's whacked three times on the head, yet springs up, sprints off, and recovers with no medical assistance and no apparent blood dripping anywhere on her escape route? She begs, bloody-faced on the street, for money for a bus and yet no one noticed her and came forward to the police? This despite countess internet sleuths combing the area and her picture everywhere on social media? And if she ran off and Joel didn't have a chance to clean the flat before Bobby came over why did no one notice blood everywhere and signs of a struggle? Any explanation needs to be kept within the bounds of what's physically and rationally possible.
I'm wondering if DeeDee is going to say something to Joel's parents about his daughter, and it comes out he doesn't actually have one. The woman who turned up claiming to be his ex-wife was obviously a stooge.
I don't think Lauren's return has been a 'cheat with viewers],she had to go in hiding after almost being killed by Joel[who I believe is capable of anything to keep the life he has with Dee-Dee]perhaps going to a free clinic where questions aren't asked?
Bobby did notice the blood but assumed wrongly that it was Roy who was responsible because he's a 'weirdo'who had something to hide because he was cleaning the flat [as a favor for Evelyn].
If anything Lauren's re-appearence should bring into question Swain's investigation as Roy was arrested on hearsay and there was never a search for Lauren's body.
Joel's parents did say Emily, so she is not a fake ex-wife.
Yeah, DS Ponytail (I will never get used to her having a name!) should get raked over the coals for what she did to Roy - Hopefully by Carla!
Exactly. If the police had Lauren's body, then they would have reports from the pathologist that might support their theory that Lauren was murdered and that Roy was responsible, but they don't have any of the required evidence to establish that in order to secure a conviction.
This story is still a mess. Of course if Lauren was covered in blood from Joel's attack she could have got help from anyone in the street! We don't yet know whether it was Lauren using Bethany's credit card. But if that comes to light, Nathan must be released and Swain's whole investigation brought into question.
This will run and run - unfortunately!
These are all good valid points.
I don't think, Roy, when he was cleaning Lauren's flat, would have managed to get rid of every single fingerprint.
I think the police would have found Joel's fingerprint in there.
I know he wore gloves when he attacked her but he'd been there plenty of times before that.
Some viewers found the two- hander pretty tedious - including me. It focused on their involvement and it didn't answer any questions for us about the plot.
(Jeanie) Days later, they found some small quantity of dried splattered blood. But surely when Bobby first entered the flat, right after Joel and Lauren had fled, he should have noticed fresh splattering and pools of blood on the floor where she was cudgelled--she lay there awhile pretending to be dead. Then if he were looking, seen blood specks through the staircase or elevator. I mean, he notices the freshly made bacon barm and looks all around because he's concerned--so why does he see no fresh blood? And fresh blood is very bright so any quantity at all is hard to miss. And surely, later, one of the people whom Lauren begged money from would have come forward to the police...I don't mind typical soap conventions that stretch belief because they're there to set stories in play--like long lost children returning, or everyone having enough money to eat and drink every night at the local pub. But in a mystery like this, I think the explanation should have to be within the realms of the possible. Otherwise they're building so many story lines (like Roy's arrest) on something which, literally, could not have happened, and they're tricking the viewer into thinking Lauren is dead or kidnapped by Joel by presenting circumstances in which it is impossible for it to be anything else. But then saying, oh yeah, she was able to get up and run away without leaving any visible signs of violence behind and suffering no serious injury.
That is the whole point of a two header, it showed the two sides to the story of the events that happened. They were the only two people who knew what went on, so obviously it would show their involvement. I didn't think it was tedious at all.
I think some of you need to watch the episode several times. Joel came back and he cleaned stuff, so obviously he removed some stuff. Bobby must have came up in the lift, and Lauren obviously ran down the stairs as she wanted to bolt.
Do you, honestly, mean to tell us that you try to help every bloodied people you see on the street? I've seen some in London and I haven't seen a single person trying to help them.
I throughly enjoyed the episode and felt it was the answers we need and looking forward to the next stage of the story.
Perhaps London is different but I don't tend to see young women with injuries out on the street, or travelling on buses and coaches, where I live in West Yorkshire.
We like to think that the public get would help and ask if she's ok, but maybe not.
We don't know these days who's carrying what, and many innocent people are attacked for no apparent reason - just as Lauren was.
Jeanie --It's who SAW her, not who was willing or not willing to help her. A pretty young blond woman, covered in blood and begging for money, she would be very visible. Yet no one came forward to the police later so that they could check CCTV and confirm that she was still alive....???? Despite her picture being everywhere and countless internet sleuths looking everywhere for her (red rec, bat site, etc.).
I only watched the episode once (I found it dragged, actually) but at no point did it show Joel cleaning blood from the flat or give him time to do that. After he bludgeons her, he rummages around a little, grabs the necklace, then flees. He gets in his car, then seems to decide to go back (perhaps to remove the body or to clean up), gets a sinister looking suitcase from the trunk of his car, then doesn't go in when he sees Bobby enter. So when, exactly did he clean up? There should have been a pool of blood in there when Bobbie entered, not to mention signs of a struggle,not just an uneaten sandwich!On top of that either blow looked hard enough to call for serious medical intervention.But no, she escapes, manages a perfect disappearance, and stays pregnant to boot!
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