Coronation Street spoilers follow.
Coronation Street is due to air a tragic long-running storyline for fan favourite character Debbie Webster in 2025, it has been reported.
According to Metro, Debbie will be diagnosed with dementia in the new year, with the story set to develop into a long-running plot.
The storyline will eventually lead to Debbie’s exit from the soap, with actor Sue Devaney due to leave the role that she first played in 1984.
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However, Metro reports that the plot will continue beyond 2025, meaning that Debbie’s departure is not imminent.
Digital Spy has approached the soap for comment.
Debbie first arrived in Weatherfield as a teenager, before leaving a year later with her dad Bill after he remarried and moved to Southampton.
She made her return to the cobbles in 2019, reuniting with her brother Kevin and working alongside villain Ray Crosby to redevelop the street. After finding out about Ray’s crimes, she turned her back on him and made amends with her neighbours.
Debbie is now often seen at the Chariot Square Hotel, which she owns, and frequently shares scenes with her partner, Ronnie Bailey.
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Debbie’s dementia storyline will be overseen by Corrie‘s new producer, Kate Brooks, who recently shared details of what fans can expect to see on the cobbles this Christmas.
The soap’s festive episodes will centre around iconic character Gail Rodwell’s exit after 50 years on the show, as actor Helen Worth prepares to bow out.
“This is a story with the Platts at the heart of it,” Brooks said. “It’s really festive. Basically it’s a story about family and how secrets impact and implode on a family. There are a lot of betrayals. Lots of secrets are exposed during this episode and it will be like classic Corrie, with a bit of a twist.”
She added: “We can’t tell a story on Christmas Day about her exit without it being steeped in nostalgia. There’s tons of nostalgia in this episode and hopefully people will be crying, they’ll be laughing, there’ll be gasps as people watching it go: ‘Oh my goodness, that’s just happened!'”
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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