Coronation Street’s harrowing twist as Joel Deering is exposed as a groomer and abuser

CORONATION Street has a aired a shocking twist as Joel Deering was finally exposed as a groomer and abuser tonight.

The solicitor – who is played by actor Calum Lill in the ITV soap – has abused a series of young women, most recently Lauren Bolton.

ITV

Evil Joel has finally been exposed in Coronation Street – but in a harrowing twist Lauren was arrested too[/caption]

ITV

Dee-Dee is onto Joel – and she will have justice for everything he’s done[/caption]

Viewers watched as he tried to kill her in a brutal assault which saw her flee Weatherfield in fear for her life.

Her return was forced by Joel and he set about manipulating her again – convincing her that he’d changed and that he would find her a new life away from the cobbles.

And Lauren fell for it, living in his flat, being supported by him and crucially – keeping his secret.

However that all changed tonight as Joel’s fiance Dee-Dee Bailey finally found the missing piece to the puzzle and put everything that he’d done together.

After realising he had been lying to her and deceiving her for months, Dee-Dee began seeing the pattern and put it all together.

She realised he was Lauren’s secret boyfriend from all those months ago, working out he’d hidden the necklace’s existence from the police, lying to her in the process.

Heading to the hospital to ask Lauren, Dee-Dee was horrified to find Joel there visiting Frankie – and it all clicked into place.

And when she spoke to Lauren, she got the truth out of her – how Joel had groomed and abused her.

But more than that – she realised that Joel had drugged Lauren and then left her locked in the flat to miscarry alone.

Lauren broke down at the realisation that Joel had tried to kill her baby – and potentially her – and Dee-Dee helped her find the strength to speak to the police.

Unfortunately for her though, Joel was secretly listening outside and enacted his own plan.

As Dee-Dee and Lauren gave their statements, Joel was speaking to Kit Green, claiming Lauren had seduced him and then tried to illegally abort the baby when he refused to go along with her plan.

When they all emerged into the station foyer, Joel was arrested and taken in for questioning – and so was a distraught Lauren.

Later Dee-Dee broke down in her dad’s arms but will she get justice or will Joel get away with all he’s done?