Coronation Street has sparked a number of key theories as to who Lauren Bolton's 'killer' is on the ITV soap, amid fears she's been murdered with Roy Cropper arrested
Coronation Street fans are desperate to know who Lauren Bolton's secret boyfriend is and who has 'killed' her, following the arrest of Roy Cropper.
In recent months, there's been a number of clues as to who the mystery man is that Lauren seemed to be dating. In the months prior to her suspected death, Lauren came into some money every now and again, while she was also given some flashy gifts.
When asked about the money, Lauren claimed she had a boyfriend and he was treating her, with her seen going on dates. But soon it became apparent she was being harassed, with her also seemingly attacked at one point.
Things took a dark turn in February when she suddenly went missing, with her loved ones fearing she had been kidnapped by a mystery character. In the weeks that followed, a gruesome discovery at her flat led to police suspecting Lauren was dead.
Blood and human tissue traces were found alongside a possible murder weapon. No body has been found and the soap is yet to confirm what has happened to her, but Roy has been charged with her murder.
So if Lauren is dead, what really happened to her and who was the culprit? Could it be linked to the person who was harassing her? Here's all the possible suspects...
Nathan Curtis
One theory on who might be Lauren's ex could see a former villain return to the soap, and it would certainly tie in with ongoing events. Viewers are starting to speculate whether rapist Nathan Curtis is the man in question, following the reports that he is returning this year.
Nathan groomed and sexually abused Bethany Platt on the soap in 2017, with him revealed to be part of a child sex grooming gang. Viewers are now fearing teen Lauren was being harassed by Nathan, maybe even groomed, and he could be behind her death or vanishing act.
Max Turner
Lauren's close friend and former love interest Max has been key to helping the search for missing Lauren, and was devastated over her possible death. But he's also caused problems, throwing the wrong people under the bus and even holding back information from the police.
Fans are starting to speculate he knows more about her going missing than he has so far let on. Might Max know where Lauren is and what really happened to her?
Daniel Osbourne
One character fearing they could come under suspicion is Lauren's tutor Daniel. Max has repeatedly put his name out there as being dodgy, and possibly harming Lauren, even to the police.
Daniel seems to be innocent, and in upcoming scenes he tries to help find out what has happened to Lauren - only to be followed by Max again. Could he have something to hide, or is he another innocent party wrongly accused like Roy?
Bobby Crawford
Lauren's love interest Bobby is another character desperate to find her, worried for her safety. He reported her missing to the police, before raising the alarm about the blood found at her flat.
Since then he has continued to search for her, but some fans are convinced he's faking his concern. Has Bobby hurt Lauren, and possibly followed in his killer father Rob's footsteps?
Roy Cropper
The Free Roy campaign is in full swing, following soap legend Roy's arrest for the apparent murder of Lauren. Poor Roy found the evidence apparently stacked against him, and he's now in a cell after being charged with murder.
But what if the detectives are right, and he is in fact involved. It seems unlikely, but could Corrie throw out a major twist and end up revealing Roy did hurt or kill Lauren after all?
Rob Donovan
Viewers also speculated that Carla Connor's killer brother Rob Donovan might be returning to the show and could be Lauren's mystery captor or killer, while he does seem to be in prison still. The theory was sparked because of her growing bond to Rob's son Bobby.
But is it it all a red herring? There's been no suggestion recently that Rob is out of prison, let alone making a comeback to the show.
Joel Deering
Joel is another name, amid his big secret being exposed. It's been confirmed he's been living a secret life away from partner Dee-Dee Bailey with the truth finally coming out in recent months.
But if he's lied about this, what else could he be hiding amid fans believing he's up to no good? Some viewers are speculating he could be the man who was harassing Lauren! He certainly seems to have the money for all the expensive gifts and payments.
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X.* Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .
