Coronation Street Spoilers – Is Nathan to blame for Lauren’s disappearance?

Next week on Coronation Street, as Nathan Curtis returns to the cobbles after 7 years, Bethany suspects he could be to blame for Lauren’s disappearance. Elsewhere, Liam resorts to desperate measures to control his anxiety.

The disappearance of Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) takes another surprising twist next week, as Bethany (Lucy Fallon) is confronted by a sinister face from her past.

As Roy (David Neilson) continued to be incarcerated whilst awaiting trial for Lauren’s apparent murder, he had been desperately trying to remember details of a conversation he witnessed between Lauren and Max (Paddy Bever) several months ago, convinced that there was something there that could help his case.

When he finally realised that it was Lauren’s necklace, given to her by her mysteriously absent boyfriend, he was able to sketch it out from memory and give it to solicitor Dee-Dee (Channique Sterling-Brown) in the hope that tracking it down could identify the man in question.

Next week, Roy is devastated when Dee-Dee informs him that Weatherfield Police’s finest have not been able to find the necklace, and as such they have closed that line of enquiry.

Poor old Royston is back to square one.

Meanwhile, Bethany, Max, Bobby (Jack Carroll) and Beth (Lisa George) gather at the precinct where the police are filming a reconstruction of Lauren’s last known movements.

But as Bethany scans the people in the crowd, she’s horrified to see a very familiar face… Nathan Curtis (Chris Harper)!

Nathan was last seen on the street in 2017, when he was arrested and jailed for grooming and abusing Bethany as part of a sex trafficking scheme.

As a distraught Bethany later explains to Daniel (Rob Mallard) that she saw Nathan, he does his best to assure her that her mind must have been playing tricks on her; after all, Nathan is still in prison.

But when Bethany later sees the video of the reconstruction, the evidence is plain to see, as she pauses the video to show the face in the crowd. Bethany rushes to the police station where DS Swain (Vicky Myers) confirms, much to Bethany’s horror, that Nathan was actually released from prison a few months back.

Knowing Nathan’s history with young girls, Bethany immediately connects the dots and demands Swain bring him in for questioning over Lauren’s disappearance.

After a bit of detective work of their own, Bethany and Daniel trace Nathan to his workplace, a building site close to the precinct. As they approach the site, Nathan rounds a corner and Bethany comes face to face with her attacker.

“He hasn’t gone out and looked for her but I think he knows it’s inevitable,” Chris Harper tells us. “It’s a small world and they’re going to come across each other.

“He knows the power is with him, he knows that she’s more frightened of him than he needs to be of her. He’ll go searching for a bit of power and when they do meet he finds that, because it’s a horrible situation that Bethany finds herself in.”

Stronger than she was all those years ago, Bethany immediately pushes through the fear she’s facing and accuses Nathan of murdering Lauren.

“I think he tries to stamp his authority but it doesn’t work as well as it did and that catches him off guard momentarily,” Chris continues.

“She’s definitely grown up, she’s been through a lot but she’s been lucky enough to be supported by family and friends and there’s a strength she can find in that, so even when she’s faced with the snake she can stand up to it a bit.”

Could Nathan have had something to do with Lauren’s disappearance, or is his return to Weatherfield just coincidental?

“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,” Chris teases. “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.”

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Elsewhere, 14-year-old Liam (Charlie Wrenshall) resorts to desperate measures in an attempt to self-medicate for his anxiety, putting his life at risk.

Liam is currently on a long NHS waiting list for an appointment with the mental health team, after he researched ways to end his life following months of bullying from Weatherfield High student Mason (Luca Toolan).

Concerned that there could still be months more to wait, mum Maria (Samia Longchambon) and stepdad Gary (Mikey North) have been discussing selling the factory to fund private therapy.

Liam has quietly been suffering with further panic attacks, and after overhearing their conversation and worried that he was being a burden, he started researching anxiety medication.

Next week, as he and Joseph (William Flanagan) catch up to watch a movie at Billy (Daniel Brocklebank) and Paul’s (Peter Ash) flat, Liam has another panic attack after Joseph asks how things are going at school now. Liam reaches for his inhaler as Joseph implores him to tell Maria about the attacks, but Liam doesn’t want to worry her.

Wanting snacks for the movie, Liam goes searching through the kitchen cupboards for some treats whilst Joseph keeps a lookout. What Liam does find however is Paul’s (Peter Ash) secret stash of diazepam, which Paul plans to use to end his life as he faces increasing debilitation from MND.

Having seen the tablets on a list of ones used for anxiety during his research, an intrigued Liam quietly pockets them.

When Liam later returns home to an empty apartment, he can feel another panic attack coming on, and so he takes out the pills. Meanwhile, Billy is concerned to find the bottle missing from its hiding place, and is horrified when Joseph admits that Liam had been in there looking for sweets.

As Billy rushes to raise the alarm, Liam lies unconscious on the floor of the apartment with the bottle of pills nearby. Will he be found in time?

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Here’s the full spoilers for next week’s Coronation Street episodes:

Monday 6th April (Episode 11258/59)

Liam steals Paul’s secret stash.

Roy has no luck with the necklace.

Bernie catches Dennie red-handed.

Alya tells Adam that their kiss has ruined her career prospects.

Glenda has a business idea.

Wednesday 8th May (Episode 11260/61)

Bethany’s past comes back to haunt her.

Gary is caught on camera.

Glenda learns about the will.

Will Alya be able to bring herself to leave?

Friday 10th May (Episode 11262/63)

Bethany’s dismayed to be proven right.

Glenda won’t go down without a fight.

Bernie makes sure Paul’s night is a success.

Gary’s hoping for a reconciliation, but Maria makes it clear that’s not on the cards.