Coronation Street fans have been left concerned for Abi Webster after a telling comment in a special episode of the ITV soap seemingly hinted at the return of the 'old' character, which soap bosses have been teasing.
Those who follow the ITV soap, which is filmed in Salford, will recall that Abi has faced a number of hard-hitting storylines, including her drug addiction, the tragic murder of her son Seb Franklin, and, more recently, her affair with Carl Webster behind her husband Kevin's back.
It was confirmed back in March that Abi, played by actress Sally Carman-Duttine, who made her Corrie debut in 2017, would be staying on-screen until at least 2027 as the soap star signed another year-long contract.
Special episode centres on Debbie's Angels
Speaking exclusively to Radio Times at the TV Choice Awards, she confirmed: "Just signed for another year, which is great. My goodness, I love it. It's my favourite job I've ever done."
And Abi was among those at the centre of a special episode of Corrie, which aired on Monday (November 9). There were emotional scenes as the episode was dedicated solely to Debbie and her friends, who she asked to help organise a surprise for her son, Carl, on his 40th birthday. It is the last she may spend with him following her early on-set dementia diagnosis last year.
Viewers saw Debbie gather her pals as she went through photos to put into a photobook for Carla, seemingly to remember her by when she's gone. The evening started off well, with the fizz popped and nibbles provided by Debbie's doting husband.
Fans notice Abi's sobriety comments
But what started as a fun bonding experience quickly descended into chaos as tensions surfaced among some of the women, and amidst the heated confrontations regarding family history and past trauma, the group struggled to keep the celebration afloat.
While some found solace in confiding in one another about their own personal burdens, others faced difficult decisions about their futures. By the end of the evening, the air was cleared, and the women united to move forward. As they went their separate ways, the women were left to deal with their significant, life-altering choices in private.
And while she has had a quieter time on the cobbles following the end of her marriage to Kevin after her affair with Carl, things look set to take another dramatic turn for Abi. "There's a great bit of the old Abi cropping up. It's quite a curveball but the old Abi does kind of re-emerge during the Christmas period," Corrie's producer Kate Brooks revealed to the Manchester Evening News during a recent press event.
"It's whether her family and friends are able to make sure that she gets that on the right track or not. It's going to be a bit of a bumpy ride. There's a few curveballs, but a friendship with Debbie is very important, and there's big stuff coming up in the spring which really puts them at the heart of it."
And it was during the special episode that Corrie fans noted Abi talking about her more than four years of sobriety, and feared that this could be challenged following the teaser for what's ahead.
@TheConnorSwains said: "Get the feeling from KB, Abby ain't making it to 4 years 9 months sober #Corrie." @LadyReignFC commented: "Abi mentioned she's sober multiple times, oh my girl won't be sober for long #corrie." @Raq91x wrote: "Abi talking about her sobriety …. the relapse looms. #Corrie." @connorsdingle added: "This excites me and scares me all at the same time!!! like what does 'the old abi reemerges' and 'make sure that she gets back on the right track' mean?!#corrie."
