Debbie Webster is set to step back from running her beloved Chariot Square hotel in Coronation Street as her dementia symptoms intensify, a decision that marks another major turning point in her storyline.
Despite support from husband Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan), loyal right-hand man Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) and her son Carl (Jonathan Howard), Debbie has found running the business increasingly difficult. Next week, she finally decides to hand over control, signing everything over to Ronnie and asking Ryan to support him in the same way he has always supported her.
Why Debbie Decides to Step Back
Speaking to Inside Soap, Sue Devaney explained the reasoning behind Debbie's decision: 'Everybody is telling her, saying this can't work anymore – it was a massive thing when she gave the key to Paula [(Kelli Hollis)], and Adam [Barlow's (Sam Robertson)] ring went missing – I think she thought, I can't do this, she probably should have stopped a good few months ago, but nobody wants to tell Debbie, do they?'
Devaney added: 'But what's nice is they've let Debbie decide that she's ready now, she sits Ryan down and says she'd like him to be Ronnie's right-hand man, and she's signing everything over to Ronnie, but when you're married to somebody and you sign everything over, you still feel like it's yours.'
The Emotional Impact of Stepping Down
The actress also hinted at how the change will affect Debbie's appearance: 'There's a definite change now in what she's wearing, because she's not at the hotel and I think there's going to be times soon when you don't see her with much make-up, because she can't do it like she used to.'
Jonathan Howard, who plays Debbie's son Carl, has all but confirmed that this Christmas will be Debbie's last, setting the stage for a bittersweet festive period for her loved ones. He told The Sun: 'Sue 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, I'm so happy she gets to play my mum and I get to play her son.'
Howard continued: 'It's going to be really emotional because since I started, she's always held my hand and been there for me, so knowing that at some point, it's still a year down the line, it's going to come to an end, it's so sad.'
He added: 'We've just got the latest scripts for the Christmas storyline. Carl is turning 40 just before Christmas and I think everyone is aware that it's potentially Debbie's last Christmas – you don't know how long with dementia someone's going to survive, but there is a feeling this is the last Christmas that she is herself.'
Debbie's Legacy as a Weatherfield Matriarch
Debbie has become one of the most beloved Weatherfield matriarchs of all time, something Sue Devaney said she was delighted to learn: 'I felt so overjoyed as it meant that I'd been doing something right. I've put all my mums-isms into Debbie and all of her unique sayings so that has been so special to see people go, oh we love that Northern Debbie.'
