In a stunning rewrite of Weatherfield history, Coronation Street confirmed on Thursday's episode that hotelier Debbie Webster is the biological mother of Carl Webster, the man she had always claimed was her half-brother.
A Secret Buried for Decades
The revelation came as Debbie, played by Sue Devaney, looked through a memory box containing a baby hospital band. This piece of memorabilia irrefutably proved her maternity, rewriting the family's established backstory. Previously, it was understood that Debbie and Kevin were the children of Alison and Bill Webster, and that Carl was the son of Bill and his second wife, Elaine Prior.
The new narrative suggests that in 1985, after Bill married Elaine, the family moved to Southport. It was during this time, at the age of 18, that Debbie gave birth to Carl. The child was then raised by Bill and Elaine as their own, with Debbie returning to the cobbles in 2019 and Carl arriving from Germany towards the end of 2025.
Viewers Had Sussed the Truth for Weeks
Following the broadcast, fans flooded social media to declare they had predicted the twist, pointing to Debbie's inexplicably forgiving behaviour towards Carl despite his heinous actions. One fan on Reddit summarised the collective suspicion, listing Carl's crimes: sleeping with his brother's wife Abi, stealing £18,000 from Debbie, causing a fatal crash while drink-driving, and framing her for it, and running over Tyrone Dobbs, leaving him in a wheelchair.
"That's a list that only a mother would be able to forgive," the fan wrote. Others noted that Debbie had previously discovered Carl's affair with Abi via CCTV at her hotel, The Chariot Square, but chose to ignore it, and had shrugged off his significant theft.
Unanswered Questions and Future Drama
The revelation explains Debbie's actions during the "Corriedale" crossover event with Emmerdale. After Carl learned that Elaine (the woman he believed was his mother) had died without telling him she was ill, and that Debbie had known, he got drunk and crashed his car with Debbie in the passenger seat, killing vicar Billy Mayhew. In a cruel move, he shifted the unconscious Debbie into the driver's seat, letting her take the blame.
While the maternal mystery is solved, the episode opened a new can of worms: the identity of Carl's father. Fans were quick to question the paternity, given that Bill Webster was originally presented as Carl's dad. This discrepancy promises to fuel further drama on the Street.
In the final scenes of the episode, a remorseful Carl agreed to cancel his plans to flee back to Germany after Debbie begged him to stay. With the truth now out in the open, the dynamic between Debbie, Carl, and Kevin is set for explosive conflict. Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
