Coronation Street star Sue Devaney has said that there is a long road ahead for her character Debbie Webster as she contends with a diagnosis of young onset dementia.
In recent weeks Debbie has found herself in a number of confusing situations - including losing her purse, shouting at nephew Jack (Kyran Bowes) and collapsing in the ginnel - and after taking her concerns to the doctor, she was surprised to learn that she may have dementia.
That diagnosis will be confirmed in upcoming scenes and Debbie will have to adjust to a new reality in a long-running storyline that will see her eventually lose her life at some point in 2026.
"A lot of people are saying, 'why give it to Debbie? She's so vibrant and she's so full of life'," said Devaney, who first appeared on the cobbles in 1984. "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."
The news that Devaney would be leaving the soap provoked a strong reaction from the fans, who have launched campaigns to save Debbie from her fate.
"It's really lovely that Debbie is loved," Devaney continued. "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.
"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."
Coronation Street continues Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7am on ITVX and at 8pm on ITV1.
Neil Wilkes
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