Coronation Street is set to air a special episode on Monday, dedicated to Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) and her circle of close friends, as they come together for a night that will change their lives forever.
The episode centres on Debbie's plan to create a picture book for her son Carl Webster's (Jonathan Howard) 40th birthday. To help her, she invites Abi Webster (Sally Carman), Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins), Bernie Winter-Alahan (Jane Hazlegrove), Glenda Shuttleworth (Jodie Prenger) and Sally Metcalfe (Sally Dynevor) over for the evening, emptying a box of old photographs across the floor as they begin their task.
A Night of Memories and Tension
While the crafting session becomes a bonding experience for the women, it is not long before issues within the group begin to surface and tension starts to rise. Past trauma, family history and fraught relationships are brought up as they descend into squabbles, threatening to kill the celebratory mood entirely.
Coronation Street boss Kate Brooks explained how the episode came about: 'It came about in a story conference. I like telling special episodes, I like trying to make it really character focused and character driven.'
'I know how special this friendship group is on screen, it's just electric, I thought, let's dedicate a whole episode to these women and these stories, there's no stunts, there's nothing like that. This is just about their relationship with each other, with the outside world, and a little snapshot into what it's like when you've got that female friendship group.'
Personal Battles Come to the Fore
Each member of the group faces their own private struggles. Debbie is currently battling vascular dementia, a terminal condition that has impacted her life immeasurably as she faces her mortality. Abi's life was thrown into chaos when she entered into an affair with Carl, destroying her home life with husband Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell), only for Carl to eventually end things.
Christina has recently learned that the daughter she gave up for adoption was murdered by her husband, Richie (Nathan Sussex), with her granddaughter Lucy (Anya Dewin) now living across the street with Richie's cousin Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) and Sally. Sally has struggled with Lucy's behaviour, including accusations of mistreatment that led to an investigation by social services.
Bernie recently discovered that a faulty BRCA gene runs in her family, leaving them more predisposed to various forms of cancer, a reality she has faced with her son Kit Green's (Jacob Roberts) breast cancer diagnosis. Glenda's story has seen her seek romance, yet have it stay at arm's length, while the other members of the group have all found love in various forms.
Women United by the End of the Night
Though some of the group find comfort in sharing their issues and receiving love and support, others realise they face enormous decisions and battles ahead. By the end of the night, the women stand united and pledge their allegiance to one another, but it is clear that some have major obstacles to come and choices they can only make alone.
Sally Dynevor spoke on how it feels to be part of this legacy: 'It's really beautiful to capture something like that on screen. So we all feel like that.' Sue added: 'I'm doing an episode of all women with my mates, it's just amazing. I'm doing it with my best mates as well.'
Sally gushed: 'You know when birds fly in a formation, there's always one at the front, and there's always one at the back, supported by the ones at the front, it felt like that. It felt like I was at the back just watching these powerhouses smash it. And I got to be a little part of it. I couldn't have been happier.'
Amy said: 'Doing this episode, it's like coming home: you sit around, you say your lines, but in between, we're playing fantasy dinners. Then we were playing sing your theme tunes from your childhood. It's not like work. It's one of the best things ever.'
Jodie added: 'I think it's vital. I grew up with these women, and we watched these women to make us feel seen in a way. I love it when you see women who are flawed, who are funny, who are brave, who are silly, who are heartbroken, I think it's so vital. Floods and fires and everything and car crashes are great, but I think to these women, that's their issue going on, and I think it's vital to tell these stories because it's just a beautiful thing in a very traumatic way.'
