SAD NEWS: Heart-wrenching dementia exit as show icon quits Coronation Street after split
Coronation Street has officially confirmed Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) is set to take centre stage in a heartbreaking dementia storyline.
Metro was first to break the news the character is being written out of the ITV soap back in November, with a source telling us the plot would be a ‘devastating’ watch for fans.
At the time, bosses declined to ‘comment on future storyline speculation’.
However, they have now confirmed the character’s fate in a new official Q&A issued to press with actress Sally Carman, who plays Abi Webster.
In the interview, Sally is asked about the ‘big year’ ahead for her on-screen family, with specific reference to ‘the upcoming dementia storyline with Debbie’, as well as her on-screen husband Kevin’s (Michael Le Vell) testicular cancer diagnosis.
Asked if she could ever imagine being ‘at the centre of storylines for a heritage family that has been in the show for 40 years’, Sally replied: ‘No, Corrie is an absolute dream job anyway but then to think it could get better than that.
‘Just being on the show, actually being involved in the Webster’s lives and being central to that just blows my socks off daily. Absolutely it does. I still have pinch-me moments all the time.’
Sally also discussed her character Abi’s relationship with Debbie, which is tested next week when Abi suspects her sister-in-law of reporting her to social services, amid her PTSD struggle in the wake of Mason Radcliffe’s (Luca Toolan) death.
Sally said: ‘[Abi] and Debbie have a brilliant relationship, because they can be the closest, closest friends and really love each other, and then they can be best of enemies.
‘It’s a constant fight, and I love it, but I think when it really boils down to it there’s more moments of togetherness than opposition, certainly with what Kevin’s going through, but… her mind is not in the right place.’
Actress Sue Devaney first appeared as then 15-year-old Debbie 40 years ago and stayed for a year before making an unexpected comeback in 2019.
Fans were in uproar at the news she is being written out of the ITV soap, with some even setting up an official petition to save the beloved character.
However, Metro understands that Debbie’s storyline has a long way to play out, with Sue staying on our screens beyond 2025.
A source told us: ‘It’s one of many major storylines new boss Kate Brooks has in the bag, and there will not be a dry eye in the house.
‘There is no doubt in the Corrie family that she will give the performance of a lifetime and make Debbie’s exit one to remember for years.’
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 or stream first from 7am on ITVX.
