Coronation Street is set to see the return of Lauren Bolton as Cait Fitton reprises the role after a short stint on the cobbles which started in November last year. Fans will remember the character for being Max Turner's love interest as he was groomed by her dad's gang led by Griff Reynolds.
Griff was the far-right extremist who viewers of the ITV soap watched terrorise Alya Nazir and councillor Maria Connor as well as refugee Daryan Zahawi who was brutally attacked by racist thugs while working at Alya's restaurant Speed Daal before leaving the cobbles.
Things took an even darker turn when Alya saved the lives of her neighbours by driving the Speed Daal van away from the street knowing there was an active bomb inside after it was planted by the extremist gang with Max being the one to again alert them to the danger alongside then-love interest Lauren, who was also the daughter of one of the gang members.
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But the reign of terror by Griff and his cronies only came to an end, despite undercover cop Spider Nugent being placed within their gang, after Alya almost died after being stabbed by teenager Blake who was intent on causing damage as he live-streamed his visit to Maria's refugee drop-in.
And it was upon seeing the videos Max helped create for Griff's terrifying gang that Blake decided to pull his own horrifying stunt. After, once the police intervened and the group was destroyed, Corrie fans saw Lauren leave Weatherfield to spend time with her mum in Cornwall, convinced she’d be safer there.
But next week, Lauren will be back in Weatherfield and actress Cait has teased what viewers can expect about her 'unpredictable' character. "I think Lauren is very naive, she's a very easily misled character but there's definitely more to her than meets the eye," Cait told the Manchester Evening News and other press.
"I think the audience was very wary of her at the start because of what was going on and the alert signs and red flags that were showing but I do think when she left, there was a big shift. I was really overwhelmed with the amount of support I came out with and I think Lauren is very much of an outcast.
"She shares this edited version of herself and her life and I think that's what young people, particularly teenagers, can relate to as on social media, for example, you have to put this front on and everything's like a fairytale until the cracks start to show and I think with Lauren, she has to be this strong person. She has a guard up and she feels like if she lets it down, she'll have to start letting people in and I think that's what she really struggles with."
Asked whether she will return to Weatherfield with the same views she left with after being influenced by her dad at the extremist gang, Cait said of Lauren: "I think she's definitely changed. She's been through so many things in the last six months - and before. And as human beings, we go through these experiences and it changes us as people and I think so just wants to be accepted now.
"She wants to be taken away from what she was known for and what her dad was known for and she wants to be herself. She can't do that on her own so that's why I think acceptance is such a big thing and to build bridges with people."
Asked about Max, Cait claims there's unfinished business between him and Lauren as he strikes up a romance with Bec, the ex-girlfriend of his STC mate Gav. "I think there always will be [unfinished business]," she told us. "I think there will always be love there, there will always be feelings there because they share the same trauma.
"I think when you go through something with someone and you experience something with someone that's been there for you or experienced it with you, you have those feelings there that you're never going to forget... That's what Max has been for Lauren so from my perspective, I do really think there will always be feelings there but they are similar characters."
While Cait says she thinks viewers will see her character in a different light, she also suggested she could see Lauren settling down on the street after saying she needs a 'father figure' in her life. "I'd love to see Lauren settling down on the street. She's easily misled and there's more to her than meets the eye," the new soap star said.
"She's such a complex character to play and that's why I love playing her. There are so many layers to her and she's so unpredictable in how she reacts. I just love playing her because I know deep down she's such a genuine girl but she's just scared.
"And that's why I think her settling down onto the street and making these friendships and potentially finding love again, the right kind of love, I think it'll do her the world of good and she's more than capable to do things even though people expect so little of her. Deep down she's got so much to give, I really do think that."
