Coronation Street star Sue Devaney was reportedly left in a state of shock when she was informed that her character Debbie Webster is to be killed off.
Debbie - younger sister of Kevin (Michael Le Vell) - first appeared on the cobbles as a teenager in 1984, leaving the following year - then after an absence of 34 years, Devaney reprised the role in 2019 and has been a regular cast member ever since.
In a storyline running throughout 2025, Debbie discovers that she has developed dementia - a devastating diagnosis that eventually results in her death.
The plot coincides with Kevin learning that he has testicular cancer and also paves the way for the introduction of the siblings' hitherto-unseen younger half-brother Carl.
"Sue was very shocked when she discovered she was being killed off," a source told The Sun.
"She was initially very sad and then furious and then upset again. It's taken her a long time to come to terms with it.
"She had no intention to leave the show and couldn't believe it when they called her in and broke the news."
The source added: "Sue is a total professional and is already putting her all into what she sees as hugely important long running storyline.
"She saw the positive impact of the MND storyline and hopes that her dementia story can have the same effect and raise awareness of the condition."
The news comes amid a swathe of recent and upcoming departures at the soap, including Helen Worth (Gail), Sue Cleaver (Eileen), Charlotte Jordan (Daisy), Colson Smith (Craig), Luca Toolan (Mason), Bill Fellows (Stu) and Peter Ash (Paul).
Neil Wilkes
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