Coronation Street star wanted to stay on series for life – but exit storyline cut plans short

Coronation Street star Sue Devaney’s dementia storyline will cut short her time on the series – as she planned to remain on the soap for the rest of her life.

Devaney has appeared on the ITV soap as Debbie Webster as a full-time cast member since 2019, and will leave the show as part of the hard-hitting storyline, which started in 2025 and ends next year.

The actor first joined the soap in her teens in 1984, but her original stint lasted for just one year. She was brought back, aged 52, which made her think: “This is nice. I could end my career on Corrie, and I’d be very happy.”

She told The Sun: “As an actor, I’m probably gonna be here until next year. So you’ve got a year’s work. For any actor, that’s amazing. It’s like, if somebody said you’ve got a theatre job for a year, you don’t think, 'Oh, I’m gonna think about after that’. I know it’s coming to an end, but what happens after a year?

“I don’t know what I’m doing after I’ve done where I am. Nobody knows – we just have to make the best of every day, don’t we?”

It was previously reported in January 2025 that Devaney had no intention of leaving and “couldn’t believe it” when she was blindsided by news of her storyline.

“Sue was very shocked when she discovered she was being killed off,” a source told The Sun. “She was initially very sad and then furious and then upset again. It’s taken her a long time to come to terms with it.”

However, after Devaney’s alleged shock subsided, the actor fixated on the storyline’s potential to raise awareness about dementia.

An insider told The Independent: “Sue is a total professional and is already putting her all into what she sees as hugely important long running storyline. She saw the positive impact of the MND storyline and hopes that her dementia story can have the same effect and raise awareness of the condition.”

The inclusion of Debbie’s dementia as part of the soap’s 2025 storylines comes after the arrival of new showrunner Kate Brooks. A source described it as Devaney’s chance “to finally get her time in the spotlight”.

Opening up about her “love” of playing Debbie, Devaney once stated: “When I first came back, I never imagined I would be around for that length of time and I am delighted. Every day when I drive into work, I have a big grin on my face. I am so happy to be here.”

The actor will shoot her final scenes in August 2027.

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