Coronation Street’s Debbie Webster star Sue Devaney reveals secret neurodiversity battle

Corrie fans have been concerned Sue Devaney could be leaving the ITV soap

Sue Devaney’s dyslexia gave her a hard time amid Debbie Webster’s dementia storyline.

The actress, 57, first appeared on Coronation Street 41 years ago, and now Sue Devaney is waving goodbye to the role of Debbie Webster for a final time as she embarks on a tough vascular dementia storyline.

On-screen, Debbie has been lashing out, struggling to manage her emotions and becoming increasingly forgetful. But instead of recognising the early warning signs, Debbie blames menopause.

It’s a reaction Sue understands all too well. “Menopause is a scary time for any woman, with hormones all over the place and doing bizarre things. It changes your brain,” she says.

“A support worker from Dementia UK told me many women think it’s menopause and don’t get tested. The symptoms can be similar, like brain fog, but it’s on a much bigger scale with dementia.”

And then comes the fear. “At one point, Debbie wonders if it’s cancer, a brain tumor, or epilepsy causing her to fall over,” says Sue, “The specialist does a clock test, which I found interesting because, being dyslexic, I thought, ‘I can’t do a clock!’ You start to think of all these things. But I think your personality changes. You’re not yourself.”

Debbie Webster is set to be diagnosed with dementia in a heart-breaking storyline(Image: ITV)

Sue has portrayed Kevin Webster’s younger sister Debbie on and off since 1984. She first left the cobbles after just a year, made a brief return in 2019, and by 2020, she was back for good.

But earlier this year, producers confirmed that her ITV alter ego Debbie Webster would be diagnosed with early-onset dementia – hinting at a possible on-screen death and Sue’s permanent departure.

The moment she heard the news is still fresh in her mind. “Our producer Kate Brooks called me into her office,” Sue says. “Obviously, down the line, you don’t survive dementia, so I knew my story would come to an end” she says.

“There was a mixture of things. This was my first job and I left after a year and now it will be coming to an end again. But I also realised this was a really important story to tell and it’s a really fantastic opportunity to act.”

Before the storyline, Sue knew little about early-onset dementia, which affects people under 65. But she was no stranger to the disease itself.

“Years and years ago, to get my equity card, I used to entertain people in old folk homes and I was around a lot of people with dementia,” she says. “And when I was asked to do the storyline, we were looking after my husband’s dad who has dementia, but he’s in his 90s.”

Debbie finally seeks medical advice after suffering transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), also called mini-strokes where reduced blood flow to the brain causes cognitive decline.

Sue Devaney has been portraying the character on and off for decades

At first Debbie thinks it could be a brain tumour or epilepsy. “The biggest thing, when I first read the script, was the TIAs,” she says. “Debbie has these mini-strokes, falls over, and tries to ignore it. But it’s when she sees the specialist that she realises something isn’t right because her thinking starts to change.”

As the reality of her condition sinks in, Debbie makes a decision – nobody can find out. “I totally understand it,” Sue says. “My mum did the same when my dad had cancer. She downplayed it to protect us.

‌

Debbie is protective of her family, even though she doesn’t have children. She doesn’t want to worry them. It’s like her world has exploded. Also, people will treat you differently. She wants people to see her as the Debbie they know, the one who is in control and running a business. She doesn’t want them to see her as someone else.”

During her research for the intense scenes, Sue was struck by one man’s story that stayed with her. “His wife has early-onset dementia and he said, ‘She’s not my wife anymore,’” Sue remembers.

“All the things she loved are gone. It’s like a personality transplant. That’s what frightens me, and why I wanted to tell this story. With cancer, you know your body is giving up, but with dementia, your brain is giving up.”

She’s revealed one of Debbie’s scenes caused her trouble as she lifted the lid on her dyslexia

It’s a storyline that has hit hard with viewers. Fans have been vocal about their frustration, fighting to save Debbie from being written out. But Sue is confident this story is worth telling.

“Some people are saying, ‘why give it to Debbie? She’s so vibrant and she’s so full of life.’ But I think that is where a good story lies because it’s somebody that has everything and she has a quick wit. She’s been dealt this hand and it is going to be interesting to follow her journey.”

Debbie isn’t the only Webster battling illness. Her brother Kevin is also facing a serious health scare – he’s recently been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

For Kevin, the diagnosis has shaken his marriage with Abi and he’s struggling to process what it could mean for their future. But with Debbie keeping her own condition a secret, how will the family – one of the longest-standing clans in the Manchester-based soap – cope with two devastating blows?