Corrie boss confirms Debbie Webster will stay “for a good while yet”

Coronation Street executive producer Kate Brooks has revealed that Sue Devaney will remain on the cobbles “for a good while yet”.

Earlier this year it emerged that Devaney had been axed from her role – one she first played in 1984 – as part of a dementia storyline, prompting much outrage and protests from some fans.

Initial reports suggested that Debbie would be killed off in early 2026 but it has now emerged that the character will be on screens “well into 2027”.

Talking to press on Friday, Brooks revealed: “We’re not galloping our way through the story at all. We love Debbie. There are so many stories that are happening around Debbie that are not dependent on whether she’s got dementia or not.

“For Debbie, she’s enjoying life. She’s living life. She’s making the most of it. She’s obviously planning for a big wedding with Ronnie. It’s going to be a really gorgeous, joyful wedding. It’s very Debbie in its execution. It smacks of Debbie being lovable and a bit out there.”

She continued: “She navigating all this as well as still running a successful business. This story is really in its infancy. There are some times when she will forget things but she’s living with it.

“You know, she’s still got a life. She’s not just a person who has dementia. She’s not defined by it at all. Her stories are not defined by it either, for a really long time. So we are just enjoying Debbie being Debbie.”

Brooks went on to say that despite her condition, she is “not in the grips of it” and that the “end game” is not in sight.

“Just because she’s been handed this, doesn’t mean she suddenly becomes a completely different person,” she explained. “Debbie’s still Debbie for a long time. And fabulous. She’s so fabulous, like, just her wardrobe alone is fabulous, and throw in that amazing set she now has with Ronnie.

“So just because you are handed that diagnosis doesn’t mean that your life just stops. There is so much more to live, and that’s what we want to tell with Debbie. She’s embracing life. She’s grabbing it by every horn going.”

Coronation Street continues Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7am on ITVX and at 8pm on ITV1.