Coronation Street spoilers follow.
Coronation Street star Sue Devaney has spoken about Debbie Webster’s dementia storyline for the first time – denying claims that she’s “furious” over the plot.
The ITV soap sparked an outcry from fans late last year when news leaked out revealing that Debbie will be diagnosed with young-onset dementia.
While there’s a long journey ahead for Debbie, the story will ultimately lead to her departure from the ITV soap.
This inspired a touching viewer petition to “save Debbie”, as loyal fans spoke out against the plans to lose such a popular character from the show.
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In her first public comments about the story, Sue has now shared how she really felt when Corrie‘s producer Kate Brooks informed her about the storyline.
She explained: “[I felt] a mixture of things. Kate called me into the office and she said: ‘We’ve got this brilliant story, and we want to give Debbie dementia’.
“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.
“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.
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“Some papers claimed that I was furious about the story, which was completely untrue. The only reason I was concerned about the storyline was because I wanted to be sure I could do it justice.
“It is an honour and privilege to be given this sort of storyline.”
Addressing the online petition, Sue continued: “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.
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“We’re all frightened of getting older, aren’t we? We’re all frightened of the inevitable that’s going to happen, which is going to be death and nobody knows how we’re going to die.
“Viewers read things like: ‘Oh yeah, they’re killing Debbie off’. Well, actually, it’s amazing that they’re giving Debbie this brilliant story.”
In next week’s episodes, Debbie attends a private doctor’s appointment and opens up about a series of strange incidents that she’s encountered in recent weeks.
These include the moment that she lost her purse and blamed newcomer Mick Michaelis, losing her temper with her nephew Jack in an uncharacteristic outburst, and letting Mick get the blame for her falling over in the ginnel.
Debbie assumes that her recent experiences are due to menopause, but the doctor suggests that she should undergo tests for vascular dementia.
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The doctor also encourages Debbie to be honest with her partner Ronnie Bailey from the start, but she chooses not to confide in any of her loved ones for now.
Sue added: “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, you know, and words are important to Debbie.
“She has a quick wit and everything is so important, money and success. And actually, she’s been dealt this hand of this illness and it is going to be interesting to follow her journey.”
Coronation Street bosses are working on this long-running storyline with support from Dementia UK.
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According to a press release from the soap, Debbie’s journey will be explored “over the coming months and years” as she comes to terms with the diagnosis and what it will mean for her and her family.
Show producer Brooks commented: “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.
“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.
“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 on Wednesday, April 9 on ITV1 and ITVX.
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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