ITV Coronation Street star reveals great lengths she went to to keep return a secret

Coronation Street's Cait Fitton went to extraordinary lengths to keep her dramatic return to the ITV soap under wraps, even hiding in car boots and lying low on taxi floors. The actress made a surprise comeback as Lauren Bolton, whose disappearance had been a major plot point.

The 22-year-old actress returned to be by Roy Cropper's side as he suffered a heart attack, revealing that Joel (played by Calum Lill) was responsible for her absence due to his abusive behaviour. Cait, 22, shared her amusing experiences of sneaking around to avoid being spotted while filming her return scenes.

She said: "I had to sneak in and out the building, getting lifts from Calum but having to get in the boot to make sure I wasn't being seen. People would be at the front getting selfies, I'd be in the boot still. So it was a bit chaotic! It was like a massive game of twister in that boot, it was tiny. There were times when I had to get on the floor in a taxi, the driver was wondering what's going on – and I'd just shout go go go! It was mad. Fun but mental. I never thought I would have to be doing that to get into work."

Fans had been concerned for Lauren's safety after the former sex worker vanished from the show in March. Despite Roy Cropper (David Neilson) being cleared of murder accusations related to her disappearance, he spent time in jail accused of her killing and struggled with the aftermath, culminating in a heart attack and being left in a coma after being set upon by a gang.

Last night, viewers were finally let in on the secret that Lauren was the mysterious figure at his bedside, a revelation that Cait said she's thrilled is now public knowledge after months of subterfuge.

"I knew from very early on I was coming back, which is such a fortunate position to be in in this industry because once you finish a job you don't know what's going to happen after that. It's been a whirlwind of emotions", she told the Mirror.

In an attempt to mislead fans about Lauren's fate, Cait altered her Instagram bio to 'used to play Lauren'.

She elaborated: "Everyone was like 'has she left? ' I was 'Yes I'm gone now I'm finished! ' The amount of people so invested in the storyline, it's been a breath of fresh air. With Roy getting arrested for murder, then the reveal of Joel, it's been an amazing storyline to be part of. But it has made it really tough. I started back in April, by that point obviously no one knows that I'm filming."

"We filmed on location. That was a bit stressful. It felt like the Men in Black, I was in one of the big black coats, black sunglasses. The fact I wasn't seen was a miracle. It's been great. The support I've had online has been amazing. People messaging saying hope you're not leaving the show we love what you did with the character, hearing that gives a reassurance."

Cait Fairbanks, who portrays Lauren in ITV's Coronation Street, initially signed on for a brief stint as part of a far-right gang storyline. However, her character has since become pivotal, entangled in a gripping plot about coercive control with solicitor Joel.

In the next few episodes, viewers will unravel the mystery of Lauren's recent absence and the circumstances that drove her away.

For this challenging narrative, Cait worked alongside the Maggie Oliver Foundation, an organisation dedicated to supporting abuse survivors. Through this collaboration, she engaged with women who had endured similar ordeals to her character.

"It was awful to hear what they'd been through," Cait shared. "The women were so inspiring. Even though they'd been through all this trauma, they turn pain into power. Just because you go through something traumatic, it doesn't define who you are. That's what's so important, especially for Lauren, the trauma doesn't make her less of a person compared to someone else."

She continued, expressing how these encounters deeply affected her: "When I heard these stories and how disconnected these people were with their stories, it touched me. It made me go 'I need to do this justice now'. You can be a voice for people and bring it into our living rooms. Corrie is a big platform. Younger people that watch it, older people. From this storyline if I can make just one person speak up, I've done my job."