ITV Coronation Street's Joel Deering star Calum Lill was 'ready to quit acting' before landing role

Coronation Street's Calum Lill was on the brink of quitting acting before landing his role in the popular soap.

His character Joel Deering was initially introduced as a duty solicitor assisting Lauren Bolton but soon became a permanent fixture in Weatherfield after sparking a romance with Dee-Dee Bailey. However, some residents including Alya Nazir grew suspicious of Joel and uncovered that he had a secret wife and a one year old daughter, leaving Dee-Dee devastated.

Joel insisted he is divorcing his estranged wife and fighting to see his young daughter, but it remains uncertain whether Dee-Dee can forgive him for his deception. He may continue to stick around in Weatherfield if he can reconcile with girlfriend Dee-Dee, which would undoubtedly be good news for actor Calum. The star has been candid about his struggles to secure roles before his big break last year.

Before joining Coronation Street, Calum worked as a car salesman - a job he confessed he "hated". He admitted he thought he'd have to give up acting after facing career setbacks and struggling to find stable jobs. "I was selling cars while auditioning for Corrie and I hated it," he revealed. "I thought, 'It's been 15 years, I'm going to have to drop it, nothing's happening'."

Gaining initial experience on shows like Doctors and Holby City post-graduation, Calum faced a period of no work following the onset of the lockdown. A pivotal moment came at the close of 2021 when he secured a 12-episode stint on Hollyoaks after which he worked on a paella stall at festivals alongside Coronation Street veterans Jenny Platt and Rupert Hill, recognised for their roles as Violet Wilson and Jamie Baldwin in the soap.

Despite an unsuccessful audition for Coronation Street at that point, Calum was buoyed up by Jenny and Rupert who assured him that if impressed, the producers would definitely get in touch with him again. In pursuit of this dream, Calum relocated to Manchester along with his girlfriend and maintained other jobs alongside his acting career in a bid to save for a house.

Eventually rewarded with the role of Joel on Corrie, Calum admitted it felt akin to "walking on air". He shared to The Mirror and other press: "It was a relief that 14 or 15 years had paid off and I wouldn't have to quit. There's no shame in quitting. So many people have to. It's one of the hardest industries to get into. But to know I didn't have to was incredible."

His girlfriend was equally overjoyed when he landed the role on Coronation Street after a two-year dry spell. "My girlfriend Roberta is incredible," said Calum. "When I told her I got the role, she was screaming and crying. I was crying too. She knew I'd been putting on a brave face and it was a huge relief that 15 years of hard work paid off."

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