Coronation Street viewers are convinced Joel Deering could kill his new-born son.

The duty solicitor portrayed by former Hollyoaks star Calum Lill has been wreaking havoc

in the ITV cobbles after bonding with wayward teen Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton),

whom he eventually took advantage of and violated.

For months, DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) was convinced Lauren had been killed, leading her to wrongfully accuse and arrest Roy Cropper (David Neilson). But Lauren eventually returned with a bombshell, telling Joel she was pregnant with his baby.

More recently, Lauren went into early labour, leading everybody in Weatherfield to find out she was still alive, despite the blood that had been found in her flat following her disappearance.

Lauren Bolton named her baby this Monday on Coronation Street but will Joel kill the new-born to save himself?

During this Monday’s trip to the cobbles (August 5, 2024), Joel was able to meet his new-born son, with a blissfully unaware Dee-Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown) as Lauren decided to name her son Francis, in a tribute to her grandfather.

But as Joel tried to get Lauren to delete an email that could incriminate him, many viewers flocked over to X, otherwise known as Twitter, believing that Joel may resort to murder as Francis’ birth could be his downfall.

“Get away Joel from that baby now you better not do anything to it”, one viewer begged, while another echoed: “#Corrie is Joel going to unplug the baby?”

A third pleaded: “Don’t leave the baby with his father whatever you do, Lauren”, just as a fourth continued: “I thought Lauren had at least suspected that Joel was behind her going into labour but apparently not. the stupidest thing Lauren can do is let Joel see or be alone with the baby. really hope Joel doesn’t hurt the baby which would be awful & it wouldn’t protect him.” Another pointed out: “Joel’s thinking “how can I kill her and the baby and get away with it.”

In later scenes, things took a turn for Joel when Lisa Swain personally headed to the hospital to ask for a DNA test on her Lauren’s baby, in a bid to prove Nathan Curtis, who was once in prison for raping a teenaged Bethany Platt, was her tormentor.

While walls appear to be closing in on him, Joel tries to appear stoic with his other half Dee-Dee but as drama continues to unfold next week, could she discover what he has been up to behind her back? And with too much to lose, how will Joel navigate his double life with a baby thrown into the mix?