Coronation Street star teases Debbie Webster's tragic final Christmas in Weatherfield as dementia story edges close to end

This Christmas will be Debbie Webster's (Sue Devaney) final in Weatherfield.

The Coronation Street icon is living with dementia, with recent scenes showing her cognitive capacity declining. Husband Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) was concerned to see her wearing slippers at work, while at the hairdressers, she thought it was the mid '80s and tried to style Bethany Platt's (Lucy Fallon) hair into an outdated fashion.

In today's episode, she mistook son Carl's (Jonathan Howard) one night stand for Kylie Minogue.

Speaking with Radio Times at this year's Inside Soap Awards, Howard revealed that some very tragic scenes are on the way over the festive season.

"I love my mum. I've just got the just got the scripts for the Christmas, and it does feel like it's going to be the last Christmas with my mum, you know," the actor revealed.

"And it's going to be really sad, just for me as an actor. It's going to be really, really sad. She's held my hand since I started. She's got so much love and so much light. [She's] so, so talented.

"It's going to be very different if I'm still here when when Debbie goes. If Carl's still in on the street, then it's going to be really, really different to not have not have Sue Devaney on set every day."

In a separate interview with The Sun, the star revealed that Devaney will film her final scenes in August next year.

Howard went on to tell RT that Devaney is well loved among cast, crew and fans – and that Carl's relationship with Debbie is one saving grace for the character.

"I get called names. I get called snake, rat, sleaze. I get called lots of names, but my one saving grace is 'oh, but you do love your mum.' Even though [he] tried to burn down her hotel, he does love his mum.

"This means I'm having an impact. It means people are reacting, whether it's positive or negative. At least I'm having a reaction. So I'm I'm I'm fine with that."

He concluded: "My only thing is that - because they're making him question his life decisions, they're making [him] nice. I feel like Carl is best as like a naughty little mosquito who just wants to bite everyone."

Read more:

• Coronation Street favourite Vicky Myers reflects on Alison King's 20 years with soap amid huge night for Swarla fans
• 5 Coronation Street spoilers next week: Carl Webster accused of attacking Eva Price as Betsy Swain struggles

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Authors

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.