Coronation Street used a recast for Toyah Battersby in the latest episode to highlight Debbie Webster's dementia, as the character failed to recognise her friend. The episode, available on ITVX and YouTube, airs on ITV1 at 8:30pm.
Recast reveals Debbie's perspective
In the episode, a woman approaches Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) asking for directions to the Rovers Return, struggling to recall where the Weatherfield pub is. The stranger, played by Anya Williams, recognises Debbie and offers to take her there. Debbie, however, does not recognise the woman and tells her to stay away.
As Debbie walks away, the camera reveals the woman is actually Toyah, with Georgia Taylor back in the role, looking emotional that Debbie did not recognise her. Debbie was diagnosed with early-onset vascular dementia last year, and her symptoms have progressed rapidly in recent months.
Dementia portrayal technique
The recast was used to show Debbie's perspective, as her illness meant she did not recognise Toyah, a friend and neighbour she has known for years. Emmerdale used a similar technique in 2017 for an episode focused on Ashley Thomas' dementia, with loved ones played by different actors to demonstrate the disease's impact.
Debbie's storyline is set to continue, with Jonathan Howard, who plays her son Carl Webster, telling The Sun: 'Sue [Devaney] is contracted to August, but already they are ramping up the dementia storyline. It's going to be very sad, so sad, I love Sue so much.'
Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 or streams from 7am on ITVX and YouTube.
