ITV Coronation Street Lauren 'set for romance' with surprise resident - and it's not Max

Soap enthusiasts are convinced they've sussed out who will be Lauren Bolton's next romantic interest in Coronation Street. Lauren Bolton, played by Cait Fitton, has certainly had her fair share of drama since arriving on the scene back in 2022. After a lengthy absence, she's recently hit the streets again, leaving viewers stunned with her reappearance.

The twisted plot unfurled to reveal that it was none other than nefarious lawyer Joel Deering, portrayed by Calum Lill, who orchestrated Lauren's vanishing act. After cunningly ingratiating himself into Lauren's life under the guise of financial aid last year, he manipulated her into an abusive sexual relationship.

The turmoil escalated when Joel grievously assaulted Lauren in a fit of fury during which she mentioned her fiancee Dee-Dee Bailey, played by Channique Sterling-Brown.

Yet, making a surprise comeback, Lauren dropped a bombshell on Joel: she was expecting his child. In a vile twist, Joel attempted to end her pregnancy by drugging her, hoping to eliminate the unborn child, reports the Express.

Thankfully, his heinous scheme failed. Lauren went into premature labour, and against the odds, the baby made it through. While Joel believed he had dodged his reprehensible deeds, the truth made its way to light just last week.

In the aftermath of such revelations, Lauren has joined forces with Dee-Dee to topple Joels house of cards. Amidst these twists and turns, Corrie fans are buzzing with predictions about who will be Lauren's next romantic partner.

Torn between theories, some suggest a potential spark could ignite with her best mate Max Turner, embodied by Paddy Bever, but there's also talk among the fanbase pointing to Craig Tinker, played by Colson Smith. They argue Craig could become more than just a friend as they reckon he'd be "really good" for her.

Amid a lively Reddit discussion, Corrie fans shared their thoughts on who could be Craig Tinker's next romantic partner. One fan commented: "Maybe Lauren. She could use someone nice right now."

Another chimed in with support, writing: "I think this is actually a really good suggestion. I don't care for either of these characters' storylines past or present but I think this could be the making of them both."

A third person added to the conversation, stating: "I absolutely agree. They would be really good for each other. We could do with something a bit more uplifting, and I for one would love to see this one play out."

One more expressed similar sentiments, saying: "Me too and not have it go pear-shaped too quickly afterwards, certainly not while we, the audience, are still riding the feel-good wave. I would really like to see a couple that overcomes their (childhood) traumas to beat the odds by having a nice quiet life together."

Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX