Coronation Street’s Lauren star Cait Fitton teases ‘rollercoaster’ LSD drug plot

Lauren Bolton is clearing out the old and welcoming the new on Coronation Street. But according to actress Cait Fitton, peace on the cobbles won’t last long.

“She’s at a really stable point of her life. She has a job at the Rovers behind the bar and she’s learning the craft,” Cait says, “She’s trying to build relationships. That’s where the party comes in.”

What begins as a chance to let loose quickly spirals into disaster for Lauren. The chaos kicks off when Aadi (Adam Hussain), nudged by Bernie (Jane Hazlegrove), throws a midsummer party.

In the ITV soap, Lauren turns up alongside Dylan, Betsy and Brody. But things take a dark turn when Brody, played by Ryan Mulvey, brings LSD to the party. “Lauren doesn’t even know what is going on,” Cait says.

“She has anxiety over whether or not she should even be there because she doesn’t know anybody apart from Betsy. She seems out of place, though she tries her best to fit in.”

Then, she accidentally takes the drug. “She has a traumatic experience with it,” Cait says, “We see a side of her that we haven’t seen for months.

Her trauma is going to affect her future. It’s going to be a rollercoaster. Everybody at that party – their lives are going to be changed. I don’t know how she’ll go through it.”

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Lauren has already been put through the wringer since making her first appearance in Weatherfield in 2022. After surviving abuse at the hands of Joel Deering and welcoming her baby son Frankie, Lauren’s had to navigate trauma, grief and isolation.

On top of that, she’s lost her boyfriend and confidant Max Turner, played by Paddy Bever, after his arrest and imprisonment for arson. “It’s been really hard without Paddy,” Cait says.

“My journey started with him and his time ended with me. It was strange to wrap my head around doing scenes without him. I miss working with Paddy.” Still, the pair remain close. “I am in touch with him,” she says, “We’re both very busy, but we do catch up.”

In Paddy’s absence, Lauren’s found a new on-screen ally in Betsy Swain, played by Sydney Martin – and Cait couldn’t be more grateful. “Sydney has a beautiful aura to be around,” says Cait.

“She’s so positive and the best person to go to for advice. We clicked straight away. We’re always looking for each other at work. She’s like my home.”

The off-screen bond translates directly into their characters’ growing friendship. “It’s nice because they’re getting close,” Cait says, “Lauren has never had that and hasn’t had the opportunity to bond with the younger people on the Street. She needs a backbone to rely on. Betsy accepts Lauren for who she is, and vice versa.”

But Cait has also found support well beyond Sydney. She beams when speaking about her Corrie castmates, especially soap veteran David Neilson who plays Roy Cropper in the drama.

“I love working with all the co-stars. I see them on a daily basis,” she says, “David is such a beautiful person, inside and out. I learn something new with him every day.

He’s got such dry wit, but the most powerful thing about him is that he has the capacity to make you cry. If I have to be emotional, all I need to do is look at David in his Roy attire.”

Since taking on a job at the Rovers Return Inn, Lauren’s been pulling pints and brushing shoulders with some of Weatherfield’s most iconic residents, including Carla Connor, portrayed by Alison King.

“I worked with Ali a little bit during the Joel storyline,” Cait says, “She’s like the mummy of the group. She took me under her wing, even when I first started. She’s absolutely brilliant. I’ve also learned a lot from Jodie Prenger.”

Lauren’s role at the Rovers feels especially meaningful for Cait, who’s been dreaming of being in Coronation Street since her childhood.

“I was a massive fan of the show, I used to watch it religiously all the time,” she says. “When I went to school, everybody wanted to be a nurse, a doctor, a policewoman or an artist. I wanted to be in Coronation Street.”

It’s a full-circle moment she still hasn’t quite wrapped her head around. “I’ve always wanted to do it, but I never thought I’d do it this early in my career,” she says.

“That’s why I have so much love for the fans. We wouldn’t have this show without them. I used to be one of those people standing outside the gates waiting to get a picture with someone!”

Despite her rising profile, Cait is reluctant to use the word “famous”. She prefers to stay grounded. “I don’t like the word because it puts you in a bubble, where you’re higher than other people,” she says.

“I’m just a born-and-bred Mancunian doing a job she loves. I’ve come from the bottom and worked my way up – it shows hard work does pay off.”

And while she’s thriving as Lauren, Cait acknowledges the emotional toll her role can take. “It’s taken me a long time to have thick skin, it’s not an overnight process,” she says.

“We are normal people outside of filming, but everyone sees the characters as actual people. That can be really hard, especially with Lauren, who is complex.”

That said, Cait isn’t done pushing boundaries. Before her soap stardom, she sang in pubs and clubs across Manchester, chasing dreams of the West End.

“I wouldn’t take that off the cards,” she says, “I’d love to do something like that.” Her ambitions don’t stop there: “Masked Singer, hit me up!”

Off-screen, Cait finds balance in the quiet joy of home life, especially with her two border terriers. “I love playing with them in the garden,” Cait says, “One is a rescue dog. She bites through everything like she’s still a puppy. I absolutely adore them.”