Coronation Street star Sue Devaney has broken her silence on the news her character Debbie Webster will be written out of the soap after being diagnosed with young onset dementia.
Last November, Metro was first to break news of the plot, with a source telling us it would be a ‘devastating’ watch for fans.
The announcement was met with a huge backlash from fans of the ITV soap, with some even setting up an official petition to save the beloved character.
The months since have seen an increasing number of clues pointing to Debbie’s fate as she’s experienced moments of forgetfulness – and next week, she goes for tests that will eventually see her officially diagnosed with young onset dementia.
Speaking for the first time about the storyline, Sue said she felt ‘a mixture of things’ when Corrie’s producer Kate Brooks called her into the office to tell her.
‘She said we’ve got this brilliant story, and we want to give Debbie dementia. And obviously, down the line, you don’t survive dementia. So I knew that the story would eventually come to an end and my character would come to an end,’ Sue explains.
‘There was a mixture of a lot of things. This was my first job when I was 16 and I left after a year and now it will be coming to an end again. But I also realised this was a really important story to tell and is a really fantastic opportunity to act.’
Sue also refutes some reports that she was ‘furious’ about the story, calling them ‘completely untrue’.
‘The only reason I was concerned about the storyline was because I wanted to be sure I could do it justice,’ she insists. ‘It is an honour and privilege to be given this sort of storyline.’
Sue first appeared as then 15-year-old Debbie 40 years ago and stayed for a year before making an unexpected comeback in 2019.
The actress says she has been surprised by the public’s reaction to news of Debbie’s latest storyline, explaining: ‘It’s really lovely that Debbie is loved. And I didn’t realise what people thought of Debbie, they love Debbie and that’s brilliant. But Debbie’s not going anywhere yet.
‘Debbie has been diagnosed and this is her journey. The whole of the story is to see her journey, isn’t it? To see this journey and tell it.
‘Viewers read things like, oh yeah, they’re killing Debbie off. Well, actually, it’s amazing that they’re giving Debbie this brilliant story.’
Statistics and facts about young-onset dementia
According to Dementia UK:
- An estimated 7.5%, 70,800 of the estimated 944,000 people living with dementia in the UK have young onset dementia.
- Someone develops dementia every three minutes in the UK.
- One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime, whether that be through caring for a loved one with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both.
- 53% of people in the UK know someone who has dementia.
Young-onset dementia support groups and help can be found on the Dementia UK website.
Next week, fans will see her go to the doctors about her symptoms, believing they are due to the menopause.
After discussing a series of recent incidents, shown as flashback scenes, including a black out and fall, the doctor advises her that he wants her to have further tests as he is concerned she is showing symptoms of early onset vascular dementia.
Debbie then makes the heartbreaking decision to keep her anguish from her family, with Sue explaining: ‘I think Debbie is in denial and wants to pretend everything is alright until it’s not.
‘She’s a protector of her family, even though she doesn’t have children. She doesn’t want to worry them. It’s like her world is being exploded.
‘Also, people will treat you differently. She wants people to see her as the Debbie they know, the one who is in control and running a business. She doesn’t want them to see her as someone else,’ says Sue.
Coronation Street is working closely with Dementia UK on the plot, which will continue to follow Debbie’s journey as she comes to terms with the diagnosis and what it will mean for her and the family.
Speaking about the importance of depicting young onset dementia – a term describing any form of dementia that develops before the age of 65 – on screen, Sue continues: ‘A lot of people are saying, why give it to Debbie? She’s so vibrant and she’s so full of life. But I think that is where a good story lies because it’s somebody that has everything and also words are important to Debbie.
‘She has a quick wit and everything is so important, money and success. She’s been dealt this hand of this illness and it is going to be interesting to follow her journey.’
Coronation Street producer Kate Brooks also says: ‘With one in two people being affected by dementia, we felt this was such an important story to tell for the simple reason that it resonates with so many people. Having a character as vibrant as Debbie Webster, and an actor of Sue Devaney’s incredible talent and calibre, at the heart of this storyline, was key to unlocking the many emotions that come with navigating this diagnosis.
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‘We’re working closely with Dementia UK to ensure this story is told as truthfully and sensitively as possible – whilst never losing sight of the person behind the diagnosis.’
She adds: ‘This is a story about family, about community, but ultimately this is a story about love, and how love can provide light, even through the darkest of times.’
Coronation Street airs these scenes from Monday 7 April at 8pm on ITV1 or stream first from 7am on ITVX.
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