Lauren Bolton’s sudden return to Weatherfield stunned Coronation Street fans on Monday, July 8. Lauren had been missing since February, and it was presumed she’d been murdered.
A long and complicated police investigation led by DS Swain followed, and Roy Cropper was wrongly arrested for Lauren’s murder. He’s thankfully since been released.
Coronation Street fans found out in May that Joel Deering attacked Lauren and it was presumed that he’d killed her. However, she’s now returned alive.
Here’s 5 key questions surrounding Lauren’s return in Coronation Street.
1. How is she still alive?
The biggest plot twist surrounding Lauren‘s sudden reappearance is the fact she was thought to be dead. Police began an investigation after she disappeared and came to the conclusion she’d been murdered.
In May, fans saw a flashback clip of Joel attacking Lauren. He hit her over the head and it looked like she was gone for good.
However, Lauren is now alive and well, and appears to have come away from Joel’s violent attack unscathed.
One fan wondered: “So after all this, a character with hardly any backstory, disappears for 5 months and now turns up alive. Even if Joel did hit Lauren over the back of the head back in February – she wouldn’t have survived injuries like that in normal circumstances.”
2. How did she know about Roy’s heart attack?
Lauren returned to visit Roy in hospital. He suffered a heart attacked in the café and was rushed to hospital.
With Lauren having been absent from Weatherfield since February, it seems unlikely that she would know about Roy’s heart attack – unless she has been secretly keeping in contact with a Coronation Street resident.
One fan questioned: “Just one thing though. How did Lauren, who’s been missing for months, know that Roy was in hospital?”
It seems Roy’s health is actually the reason behind Lauren’s return.
Actress Cait Fitton, who plays Lauren, told Entertainment Daily! and other press: “It isn’t until she hears that Roy’s in hospital, and it’s not just affected him mentally but now physically, she says ‘right I’ve got to go back and I’ve got to put things right’ no matter the consequences.”
3. Where has Lauren been?
Lauren has been missing since February with no trace of her in Weatherfield.
It’s unclear where Lauren has been for the past four months, but it seems unlikely she’s been with her family. Her dad, Reece Bolton, is currently locked up in prison, while her mum lives in Devon.
One fan wondered: “So Lauren’s been in hiding for months, only coming out because Roy is in hospital? Why the [bleep] did she not come out when he was in prison?”
However, the reason she hasn’t revisited Weatherfield until now is down to trauma from Joel’s attack.
Actress Cait revealed: “She’s not been able to come back to the door where Joel lives. She doesn’t want to face that trauma again.”
4. Why hasn’t she gone to the police?
While Lauren has wanted to stay away from Weatherfield out of fear of seeing attacker Joel, it remains unclear why she hasn’t reported him to the police.
One Corrie viewer said: “So Lauren can pop into the hospital to see Roy but she can’t let the police know she is alive to get him out of prison?”
A huge investigation was launched when Lauren went missing in February, meaning she could have easily got in touch with the police.
Is there more to Lauren’s disappearance than originally thought?
5. Why didn’t she clear Roy’s name?
Lauren has a close relationship with Roy, who was her boss at the café. He was the last person to see her before she disappeared, and she’s now returned after learning of his health woes.
However, Roy was wrongly imprisoned for Lauren’s murder after police grew suspicious of him. He endured some tough times in prison, and the experience has hugely impacted him both mentally and physically.
If Lauren knew about Roy’s arrest, it remains unclear why she didn’t contact police and clear his name. Nevertheless, it seems Lauren is prepared for questions surrounding her lack of interference in the murder case.
“She knows she’s going to get backlash when she comes back from people because Roy’s adored by everyone on the Street,” actress Cait Fitton said. “She knows that’s going to have to be something that she’s going to have to face.”
Read more: Complete Coronation Street cast list 2024 – meet them all here!
Coronation Street usually airs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV.
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