Since then, the soap has been keeping fans on edge with a whodunnit storyline.
Coronation Street airs evil Joel Deering’s final scenes as he skips court and threatens Roy Cropper
However, some felt robbed by having the storyline end without Joel’s victims getting justice.
Taking to Reddit, one person called out the ITV soap for making a big mistake.
They penned: “Having Joel get killed was a big miss from Corrie imo, as has been pointed out it’s become a crutch for the writing team to kill the big villain off.”
Another agreed: “It’s infuriating that the worst characters get off so easy and don’t get their comeuppance.
“I would have been absolutely fine with them somehow dying in prison after – e.g.: other inmates would have eaten Joel for breakfast.
Darkest soap storylines
Over the years the likes of EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street have all tried to try outdo each other with their outlandish plots in a bid to keep us tuning in each week. But here are some of the darkest that had fans in shock…
EastEnders: Tony grooming Whitney (2008-2009) – Tony King first appeared in Albert Square in 2008 as the boyfriend of Bianca, played by Patsy Palmer. But it was quickly revealed he was a paedophile who had been grooming vulnerable Whitney, Bianca’s adopted stepdaughter from a previous relationship, since she was 12. The shocking storyline attracted more than 200 complaints within a week of it beginning. Whitney waited until her 16th birthday to reveal the truth to a horrified Bianca, who called the police.
Emmerdale: Holly’s drug addiction and shock death (2010-2016) – In 2010, Holly Barton (played by Sophie Powles) became Emmerdale’s first teenage drug addict. The shocking storyline saw her taking cocaine on a night out before developing a deadly heroin habit. Parents John and Moira desperately tried to help get their daughter clean but when Holly returned in 2016, following a four-year absence, she quickly relapsed. Fans were left stunned and heartbroken when distraught Moira found Holly dead in her bed from a heroin overdose.
Hollyoaks: Luke’s rape (2000) – Actor Gary Lucy was just 17 when he took on this groundbreaking storyline, which saw his character Luke Morgan become soap’s first male rape victim. Luke had endured a long-running bullying campaign by football rival Mark Gibbs – who raped him after Luke stood up to him. Luke was left suicidal following the brutal attack, before opening up to his brother Adam. Gibbs was sentenced to eight years in prison. Gary won the Best Actor gong at the British Soap Awards in 2000 for his performance.
Coronation Street: Evil Richard Hillman (2001-2003) – Just a mere mention of ‘Richard Hillman’ is enough to send a shiver down the spines of soap fans. He is often ranked one of the most evil soap villains and it’s not hard to see why. The smooth-talking financial adviser bashed his ex-wife Patricia over the head with a shovel. In a bid to keep his mother-in-law Audrey quiet, he set fire to her house. And when Maxine caught him trying to murder Emily Bishop, he took a crowbar to her head. He made his exit from the cobbles in 2003 when he drove Gail Platt, played by Helen Worth, and her family into the canal. They survived, but he didn’t.
“A solicitor and a paedo?! It would have been HM Christmas-Came-Early,”
A third fumed: “Between Joel, Phelan,Geoff, and Stephen, I mostly expect abuse storylines to end in death now … it says to me they’re too lazy to write a decent ending or they’re all rating stunts.”
While a fourth simply stated: “I wanted him tortured for hours.”
Coronation Street Live – Killer on the Cobbles will be produced by ITVStudios Daytime and will air live on ITVX at 9pm on Friday November 15th.
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The solicitor abused vulnerable Lauren Bolton for several monthsCredit: ITV
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Some fans felt cheated by how Joel’s storyline endedCredit: ITV
