An upcoming storyline in Coronation Street will see Debbie Webster be diagnosed with dementia, resulting in her leaving the show.
This news was reported by the Metro back in November last year. It was met with a lot of fan upset over the decision to wave goodbye to a much-loved character.
Now, the soap has officially confirmed the storyline. And, we’re now disappointed that so many older and classic Corrie characters are bidding goodbye to the cobbles.
Coronation Street: Debbie Webster set for dementia storyline and exit
Debbie Webster first arrived on the soap 40 years ago. She quickly became a fan favourite for her impeccable style and wonderful sense of humour.
She’s a strong, instantly likeable character. It’s no surprise that fans were devastated to hear plans to kill off the character.
Despite a petition being set up to save Debs, and with thousands of people on social media begging for the soap to go back on its decision, the soap has now confirmed that it is going ahead with Debbie’s dementia storyline.
Sally Carman referenced ‘the upcoming dementia storyline with Debbie’ whilst talking in a press Q&A about what’s to come for the Websters on the cobbles.
Debbie’s storyline is set to begin this year in 2025 but is expected to continue into 2026.
Opinion: Corrie is losing too many classic characters
Some of the older, classic Corrie characters have such a rich history of soap storylines under their belt. They’ve survived many eras of the soap yet help maintain its core identity.
Characters such as Debbie, Eileen and Gail help add some much-appreciated humour into the show which fans have always praised the soap for. They also make us nostalgic for past dramas and big events that happened moons ago on the cobbles, whilst also providing us with drama in the present day too.
These classic characters are the perfect combination on new and old. Fans are able to recognise past eras of the soap within today’s episodes because of this.
But now, there has been a sudden shift which sees a focus on the younger generation of characters as opposed to the older ones. And, many classic characters are leaving the soap altogether.
A balance needs to be found
Last year, we said goodbye to Corrie icon Gail Platt as she jetted off to France after 50 years in Weatherfield. And then, at the start of this year, we saw Evelyn leave to attend University. She may not technically be a classic character but she’s a rare exception as it feels like we’ve known her for years.
This year, Sue Cleaver will be leaving her role as Eileen Grimshaw. And now, Sue Delaney’s Debbie Webster will be killed off over the coming years.
This last one hurts us and many fans the most. With a string of iconic characters departing, losing Debbie in a way in which the door will not be left open seems like the wrong move.
The nature of soap is that actors come and go all the time which is understandable. But, to go as far as slamming the door shut with a death of a character who is everything Corrie is and more just leaves us heartbroken.
The classic characters and older characters we have left should definitely be used more to maintain the balance of the soap. These are the characters viewers have tuned in for, for over sixty years. It would be a shame to lose any more of them.
Read more: Coronation Street spoilers: First look as Abi suffers visions of Seb
Coronation Street usually airs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV.
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