A CORONATION Street star is continuing to spark rumours that he’s leaving the show.
Calum Lill has played evil solicitor Joel Deering since joining the ITV soap’s cast last year.
Speculation has been rife that Calum could soon be bidding farewell to the cobbles.
Fans know that he’s signed up to star in a production of Jack and the Beanstalk, which is being staged in Bournemouth later this year.
Meanwhile, Channique Sterling-Brown who plays Joel’s love interest Dee-Dee Bailey has revealed filming is already underway for “the lead-up to Joel’s downfall.”
Saying the baddie has been playing a “very dangerous game”, she told Digital Spy: “Obviously Dee-Dee is a smart woman, so she’s definitely picking up on his signals.
“I think it’s going to be a real time of turmoil for Dee-Dee whenever the truth does come out.
“I think she will be questioning her judgement of character – and her judgement in general.”
Earlier this year, viewers learned Joel was the centre of the soap’s long-running Lauren Bolton storyline.
The troubled teenager disappeared in February and was presumed dead by many, including the police.
A shocking twist saw Roy Cropper arrested and charged for Lauren’s alleged murder.
However, it was later revealed that Lauren was, in fact, still alive.
She had been in hiding after Joel left her for dead months earlier.
It further transpired that Lauren was also pregnant with the villain’s baby.
Viewers learned of Joel’s true nature back in May after a chilling flashback gave the first insight into what had happened to Lauren.
After the reveal aired, actor Calum shared what it had been like to keep Joel’s true colours secret.
Corrie has said goodbye to several cast members this year. Let's break down who's left the famous soap:
Eliza Woodrow (Savannah Kunyo) has said farewell to Corrie to start a new life in Germany.
The youngster moved to live with her dad Dom Everett, who went back on the £10,000 bribe Eliza’s grandfather Stu had offered to keep him out of her life.
Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) will bow out of the soap this summer when he loses his fight with motor neurone disease (MND) in tragic scenes.
After being diagnosed last year, the fan favourite was devastated to learn he only had months left to live.
Viewers know he is planning to take his own life to end his suffering.
Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) departed the cobbles after being offered the opportunity of a lifetime to study in America.
Though she struggled to decide with her stepdad Paul’s impending death from MND, she was convinced she had to live her life to the full.
Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) has struggled with the sudden departure of his father Peter from the cobbles.
The Weatherfield legend left his family and loved ones behind on Boxing Day, 2023, when his wife Carla Connor encouraged him to travel around the world with a friend.
Simon’s been on a downward spiral ever since and his exit could end in tragedy.
Alya Nazir is set to leave the cobbles as actress Sair Khan prepares to go on maternity leave ahead of the birth of her first child.
It looks likely she’ll be heading to Dublin after securing a lucrative new job, leaving her colleague and fling Adam Barlow behind.
Show stalwart Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen Grimshaw, is taking a break to star in the Sister Act The Musical UK tour. She will be back filming in May once her dates on the tour come to an end.
Her character left the Street after her son Jason broke his back after falling off a moped in Asia.
He revealed: “I’ve known this for over a year. It was last May that I got sent the breakdown for Joel saying that he was a charming character who’s got a dark side.
“When I got the screen test they said, ‘Okay, this is what Joel is going to be doing’.
“I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, like this is a really terrible person. And I’ve got to hide in plain sight for a year.’”
Coronation Street airs on ITV1 and is available to watch on ITVX.
