ITV Coronation Street: What happened to Lauren Bolton? All the theories about missing teen

Coronation Street[1] fans have been left baffled by the disappearance of Lauren Bolton. Cafe owner Roy Cropper has lived under a cloud of suspicion for weeks - much to the distress of friends who know him to be a gentle soul seemingly incapable of telling a fib. Now things have gone from bad to worse after Roy, who was denied bail, collapsed in his cell and was rushed to hospital.

Roy's future currently looks bleak, with internet sleuths and police officers alike having made up their minds that he's responsible for Lauren's mysterious disappearance. Investigators believe Lauren was violently attacked in her own flat, which Roy (David Neilson) had so innocently tried to clean, having initially believed his former employee had made a fresh start elsewhere. A body has yet to be found but, unfortunately, a large amount of blood found at her home would suggest that Lauren (Cait Fitton) could have met a grisly end.

For DS Swain and her team, Roy couldn't look more suspicious - even if viewers up and down the country are currently shouting from their sofas in protest. But if Roy doesn't know where Lauren is, then who does? As viewers tap into their inner Sherlock Holmes, the Mirror[2] takes a look at some of the major theories currently casting shadows across the cobbles...

ITV Coronation Street airs feud drama as siblings at war and character flees Weatherfield[3]

Joel's receipt

Viewers have picked up on a number of 'clues' that tie Joel to the case

Viewers have picked up on a number of clues they believe 'prove' Joel Deering (Callum Lil) is behind Lauren's disappearance[4] - including a suspicious receipt.

Earlier this year, Joel's then-girlfriend Dee-Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown) was left puzzled after a confusing jeweller's receipt fell from his pocket. The receipt was from a purchase made around Christmastime, and it was clear the solicitor had been splashing some serious cash. After finding Dee-Dee discussing the receipt with Adam Barlow (Samuel Robertson) and Alya Nazir (Sair Khan), he claimed he'd treated himself to some cufflinks, but the explanation didn't convince everyone.

This week, viewers are reminded of this incident when incarcerated Roy tells Dee-Dee about Lauren's necklace, which she had been showing off proudly in the cafe. Roy explained that, if they could figure out where the necklace was from, they could hopefully track down her mystery boyfriend and potentially her whereabouts. Many social media users believe the receipt is significant, not buying the cufflinks excuse for a moment.

One person wrote: "My guess is the jewellery receipt that Dee Dee found at Christmas[5] will turn out to be Lauren's necklace, well that's what I think anyway."

Bobby's interference

Bobby has been suspicious of others, but could he be covering his tracks?

Lauren's friend Bobby Crawford (Jack Carroll) was left frantic with worry after his pal vanished without a trace - with her unlocked, trashed flat hinting at a ferocious struggle. After reporting Lauren as missing to the police, Bobby quickly turned detective himself, harbouring suspicious over pretty much everyone in Weatherfield - including poor Roy at one point. Although it would seem his keen interest in finding Lauren's killer comes from a caring place, there are those who believe the Underworld sales clerk could well be closely involving himself with the investigation so as to cover his own tracks.

In an apparent bid to save Roy, Bobby recently changed his statement to the police, making up a tale about a balaclava-clad man he'd seen in Lauren's flat. A number of viewers weren't convinced that Bobby's motives were selfless, however, with cries of 'lock him up!' soon circulating on social media. Taking to X - formally known as Twitter[6] - one armchair detective theorised: "I reckon Bobby killed her and has used Carla as an alibi now.

Using Roy as the bate for it so she doesn't suspect what he's up to. I reckon he was obsessed with her and he killed her." Another commented: "Bobby [redacted] Roy and returned to the scene of crime. The murderer gotta be someone she knows and he looks proper shifty."

Roy's telling flashback

Roy has been desperately trying to make sense of a confusing flashback (ITV)

After experiencing a hazy flashback of a conversation between Lauren and Max Turner (Paddy Bever) at Roy's Rolls, desperate Roy attempted to piece together why exactly that fragment of memory had stayed with him, but to no avail.

In the flashback, Max appeared worried, as he asked Lauren, "Is everything alright?" She then appeared to reply that all was fine, with the pair exchanging potentially meaningful smiles. Musing upon the significance of the flashback in his prison cell, Roy pondered, "There was something..." only for his train of thought to be interrupted by an officer banging on the door. Viewers were left just as frustrated as Roy, with many convinced that Max could well be somehow involved in her disappearance, or at least know more than he's letting on...

Nathan alarm bells

Evil Nathan has made a shock return to the street

Bethany Platt has this week had to face some demons from her past after coming across her former abuser Nathan Curtis (Chris Harper).

Back in 2016, Bethany, then a bullied teen suffering from self-esteem issues, was groomed by cruel Nathan, who intended to sell her into prostitution overseas. Ultimately, Bethany found the courage to report her ordeal, but it's clear this particularly dark episode in her life continues to haunt her. After encountering evil Nathan on a nearby building site, Bethany becomes convinced that the known criminal is responsible for whatever happened to Lauren.

Actor Chris, who recently reprised his villainous role, said: "All the signs are there - the similarities in Lauren's behaviour before she disappeared, her vulnerability, all really ring bells with what Bethany went through. "It wasn't so long ago that Bethany was at a petrol station on a motorway about to be smuggled over to Europe, so we know that Nathan's ruthless and things could have been even worse for Bethany. I think if you watch that slippery slope, you recognise the behaviour.

You recognise the situation she was in, and it could definitely be Nathan who's been involved in one way or another."

Bethany's ambition

Could Bethany be hiding Lauren?

Interestingly, some viewers believe journalist Bethany knows exactly where Lauren is, speculating that she could be hiding Lauren somewhere so she can break a huge story and make a name for herself. In a chat with Bethany mere days before she vanished, Lauren expressed her intentions to speak with the press about being groomed by Griff Reynolds's (Michael Condron) far-right extremist group. Could she now be alive, well and waiting to tell her story?

A number of Corrie fans have noticed that Bethany has acted 'shifty'[7] on a number of occasions when it comes to Lauren. Last month, one person tweeted: "Definitely something to do with Bethany and her mystery phone calls". Another agreed: "I think Bethany knows where she is."

Coronation Street airs every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 pm on ITV, and can be streamed on ITVX. Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat[8] , Instagram[9] , Twitter[10] , Facebook[11] , YouTube[12] and Threads[13] Do you have a story to share?

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References

1. ^ Coronation Street (www.mirror.co.uk)
2. ^ Mirror (www.mirror.co.uk)
3. ^ ITV Coronation Street airs feud drama as siblings at war and character flees Weatherfield (www.mirror.co.uk)
4. ^ Joel Deering (Callum Lil) is behind Lauren's disappearance (www.mirror.co.uk)
5. ^ Christmas (www.mirror.co.uk)
6. ^ Twitter (www.mirror.co.uk)
7. ^ Bethany has acted 'shifty' (www.mirror.co.uk)
8. ^ Snapchat (story.snapchat.com)
9. ^ Instagram (www.instagram.com)
10. ^ Twitter (twitter.com)
11. ^ Facebook (www.facebook.com)
12. ^ YouTube (www.youtube.com)
13. ^ Threads (www.threads.net)
14. ^ The best Amazon shopping deals right now including Fire and Ninja (www.mirror.co.uk)