Coronation Street's Hope Stape exposed as 'murderer' as fans say 'makes sense'

enthusiasts are convinced they've cracked the case on who murdered Joel Deering and it appears to be none other than one of the youngest residents of Weatherfield.

Speculation is rife that Hope Stape could be the culprit behind the sinister act after she was embroiled in a vaping scandal, which involved her distributing disposable e-cigarettes at school. Viewers are now suggesting that the "only way" Joel's demise could be plausible is if Hope played a part in it.

Hope discovered Lauren's necklace in Joel's vehicle, but the theory among fans is that he attempted to silence his victim by luring her with vapes. Despite being caught pilfering from the corner shop, Hope had a secret supply of the contraband.

A Reddit user posited: "The only way this storyline will work is if it's Hope. Joel tried to manipulate and control Hope by sneaking her vapes, but then he ends up out of his depth with her and eventually, of course, dead."

In a lighter vein, another fan joked about an upcoming scene: "Next episode, Fiz falls out with Tyrone. 'It was Joel who started it Ty, don't go too hard on her!'", reports .

The consensus seems to be building, with one fan commenting: "I'd believe you if he burned to death..." while another exclaimed: "Oh my god, this is actually brilliant and not surprised if it was a storyline at all."

Meanwhile, a different commenter expressed their anticipation: "I need this to happen!"

Switching over to X, the successor to Twitter, a viewer remarked: "I hope Corrie remembers that Hope and Ruby were the ones who cleaned Joel's car when Lauren disappeared... [side-eye emoji]."

The plot thickens on the cobbles as some viewers speculated that character Joel might have cheated death. TV star Fern Britton aired an intriguing theory that Dee-Dee may be hiding her former flame in the cellar nourished only with convenience store provisions.

On record, she mused: "Just been having a catch up with Corrie , over lunch. So, what is going on? Who murdered Joel? Is he actually dead? Who identified the body, Kit? Why did Dee-Dee buy a tin of spaghetti hoops and a some custard? Feeding a chained up Joel in a basement? I'm exhausted.."

Another fan implored for a faster pace in the storyline: "Wish they would hurry up and reveal that Joel is still alive. If he was dead then why didn't they show him getting whacked over the head with a crowbar at the start? This isn't how a whodunnit is done!"