Coronation Street’s Cait Fitton was left in floods of tears for 12 hours straight as she filmed an intense scene for the ITV soap, which saw her character Lauren Bolton suffer at the hands of Joel Deering
Cait Fitton, who plays Lauren Bolton on Corrie, has opened up about the emotional toll of her character’s intense storyline.
The 22-year-old star joined the soap in late 2022 as the rebellious Coronation Street teen and quickly became embroiled in a gripping plot involving Max Turner’s far-right storyline.
However, it was the abuse Lauren suffered at the hands of Joel Deering that led to a dramatic twist, with Lauren disappearing from Weatherfield only to return pregnant with Joel’s child. In a shocking turn of events, Lauren took revenge by killing Joel and disposing of his body with Max’s assistance.
The storyline captivated viewers, but for Cait Fitton, the behind-the-scenes experience was overwhelming, especially during a particularly grueling day of filming with co-star Calum Lill, who played Joel.
“Things can feel like they’re moving quickly when you’re in the soap but that day itself was so slow,” Cait recalled. “And because it was so slow, it was hard. I was crying for 12 hours, it’s not a normal thing to do.”
Despite the challenges, Cait found the outcome rewarding, expressing pride in her work: “The feeling of watching it on screen, it’s like ‘that’s why we do what we do,'” she shared. “It makes you feel good. I was very proud to be a part of that storyline and I’m very grateful to everybody upstairs who has trusted me with it.”
The soap star has faced more challenges off-screen, particularly with the pressures of social media. Corrie’s outspoken fans certainly don’t hold back, and Cait has admitted that coping with the scrutiny was tough at first.
She opened up about seeking viewer validation, saying, “I was keen to know what viewers thought about me. I was looking for their approval and, half the time, I didn’t get it,” However, she’s since grown in confidence, expressing, “But as time’s gone on now, I’ve got enough trust in myself to just go on set and try my best.”
On screen, Lauren is dealing with the aftermath of her traumatic experience, with Joel Deering being cemented as one of Weatherfield’s most remembered baddies. But behind the scenes, Cait and co-star Calum had a fantastic rapport.
Reflecting on their working relationship, Cait revealed, “We both really respect each other because it was also his first proper job,” adding, “He really got me through a lot.” The duo delivered some gripping moments that kept the audience captivated.
To enhance their performances, they even stayed in character during filming breaks. Cait explained, “We distanced from each other. He was on one side, I was on the other side of the building,” and detailed how they maintained their roles even when crossing paths: “Every time we passed each other, we’d be in character because we wanted it to be real.”
Cait also praised her fellow actors David Neilson and Paddy Bever for their support. She fondly spoke about learning from them: “I learned the most from David Neilson, who plays Roy,” and shared her appreciation for their camaraderie: “He’s such a wise person. He just makes you laugh on set. It’s the same with Paddy Bever, we have an amazing bond off-screen. This place is full of people with good advice! “.
Lauren’s future on the iconic Coronation Street is now hanging in the balance after her boyfriend Max was revealed to have set No. 8 on fire in a desperate attempt to claim insurance money to pay off Harvey Gaskell.
The arsonist could be jeopardising his own relationship. Cait, who plays Lauren, shared: “There’s frustration more than anything. We had our happy ending and Max made a stupid decision without thinking of the consequences.”
She continued: “Max has done what felt right in the moment and not thought about the consequences. Now, he’s either going to prison or he’ll have to run away. He’s not going to have the life he’s always wanted to have with Lauren.”
In recent episodes of the Manchester-based soap, Max confessed to his stepmother Shona Platt (Julia Goulding) about the arson before revealing his plan to flee from the cobbles.