Coronation Street’s Joel Deering will target Lauren Bolton once again next week,

after his vile actions in the latest episode of the ITV soap. The character will try

and trick Lauren into deleting something that could expose his crimes, and their true link.

As Lauren struggles to cope after recent events, Joel will try to encourage her that she needs him, and that she needs to do as he says despite him being to blame for her turmoil – and it leads to a discovery.

During Friday’s horrifying visit to Weatherfield, viewers saw him blackmailing someone into mugging pregnant Lauren. Amid him telling her he will help her flee to Ireland, he made a vile decision this week without Lauren knowing that would endanger her and her unborn baby

It’s not clear if Joel really is helping Lauren flee despite him wanting her out of the way, while it’s become clear he doesn’t want Lauren to have the baby. Viewers found out last month that Lauren was still alive and in hiding after Joel attacked her and left her for dead in February.

Flashbacks explained that Joel was grooming Lauren for months, coercing her into a sexual relationship and giving her money and gifts to keep her quiet. But when Lauren wanted out he brutally attacked her, almost killing her.

Coronation Street’s Joel Deering will target Lauren Bolton once again next week