ITV Coronation Street Joel Deering star Calum Lill reveals new role after exiting show

After a rollercoaster 15 months on Coronation Street, Joel Deering’s actor, Calum Lill, is bidding farewell to the cobbles. Yet, there’s no rest for the wicked as he’s already gearing up for his next gig. “I’m doing panto in Bournemouth – I’m playing the baddie in Jack And The Beanstalk,” Calum chuckles. “Obviously, the baddie is the giant, so there’s a 3D giant with a normal, human-sized henchman in spandex and a green top hat, which will be me.”

To get into the mindset of villainous Joel, Calum would immerse himself in dark music and intense preparation. However, he’s taking a lighter approach to his pantomime role. “To be Joel, I was listening to dark music and rocking in a corner. I was reading the panto script the other day and was trying to do the same for it, but then I realised, I don’t need to tear myself to pieces in a corner listening to scary music!”

He adds: “I think it’s going to be a nice, welcome break from attacking teenage girls,” adding that he’s been typecast as the antagonist for a while. I’ve had an unbroken streak of playing villains. Maybe one day someone will give me the chance to play someone who’s not a baddie, we’ll see.” Despite moving on, Calum acknowledges the unique opportunity Coronation Street provided, especially after a two-year dry spell in acting. He fondly recalls his time at ITV as the best year.

The actor opened up about his appreciation for his stint on the iconic soap, stating: “I’m so grateful to be given the opportunity and I miss being on Coronation Street so much,” he says. “I miss the people, because they’re incredible. Although I only had 15 months here, it was the best time of my life.”

He reflected on his departure from the show saying, “Calum left the show in July but he returned earlier this month for Joel’s demise, which saw him brutally killed off by Lauren Bolton (played by Cait Fitton) and the star explains that he’s never filmed anything quite like it.”

He continued with enthusiasm about his last filming experience, “I came back for my final episode – it was nice to come back and see everyone – and it was like we were filming a movie,” he recounts. “We spent 12 hours shooting one of the scenes. We had different cameras and green screens and special effects. I’ve never experienced anything like that before – it was incredible. The location has been used for the Peaky Blinders movie, House Of Guinness, The Talamasca – all these big productions – and us.”

The star also shared details about his close connection with his colleagues and life beyond the soap, adding, “While he may have left the cobbles with no way to return, that doesn’t mean Calum will lose touch with his castmates. He and Channique Sterling-Brown, who plays Joel’s ex-fiancée, Dee-Dee Bailey, became close friends during filming. Outside work, Calum says he and his real-life fiancée, Roberta, who he proposed to in June, often have dinner with Channique.”

Calum has often spoken highly of his fiancée Roberta’s unwavering support during the challenging early days on Coronation Street. He confessed, “For about six months, watching the episodes back, I was beating myself up,” and shared how he would need time alone after viewing episodes with her.

Calum reflected on the hard work he put into his role, saying, “I’d watch the episodes with my fiancée and I’d go upstairs and she’d know to leave me for a bit. It took that time to try and get into the character. I worked so hard. I know that there are definitely better actors than me, but I don’t think anybody else could have put in as much work as I did.”

Now that his stint on the show is over, he feels a sense of relief and pride, stating, “I’m finished now, and I can sleep. I have time and I can see my friends. But that’s probably the happiest time I had, it was amazing. I am proud of my work, not necessarily because I think I’m great but because I’ve not had the opportunity to work that hard before.”

Calum also revealed he kept some mementos from his time on set, including Joel’s outfits and a rather grim prop. He joked, “I’ve got loads of Joel’s costumes. His smart casual stuff is nicer than any of mine, so I’m absolutely kitted out now! ” and added with a laugh, “I’ve got the murder weapon at home. It’s like a brick that would have been part of the bridge, so I’ve got the foam soft version. Not soft enough to be hit as hard as I was in the face repeatedly by Cait [Fitton], but softer than a brick nonetheless.”