The Soap Years

Since returning to Corrie, Debbie has stirred up trouble. And, says actress Sue Devaney, there is more to come...

The storylines time will never forget

She was Kevin’s stroppy sister in the 1980s and it’s clear Debbie Webster’s lost none of her edge now she’s back in Coronation Street. Barely seen for 35 years, she’s making her mark again – this week wrongly accusing Abi of cheating on her brother.

Debbie briefly returned to Weatherfield in October 2019 from Turkey, where she’s a wealthy property developer, to give Kevin £200,000 that she had inherited, and she came back again a few weeks ago.

But Kevin’s partner Abi is on the wrong end of her meddling when she tells him Abi’s been seeing Peter. ‘Abi promised Debbie she’d never see Peter again, so when she finds out Abi has been with him her blood boils,’ explains Sue Devaney, who plays Debbie. ‘She’s furious Abi has lied to her and, she believes, to Kevin. She won’t stand for it and tells him.’

It has been daggers drawn with Abi since Debbie’s latest arrival. Abi has turned to fellow addict Peter for support while struggling with her two youngest children moving to Australia with their adoptive parents.

‘Debbie feels for her as she sees a lot of similarities between them, and she’s actually quite invested in Abi and Kevin working as it’s the first time in years she’s seen her brother happy,’ says Sue. ‘But she doesn’t want Kevin to be with someone who is not being honest with him.’

Abi sets the ball rolling this week by encouraging Kevin’s son, Jack, to attack his school bullies. Kevin goes mad and Abi ends up seeking out Peter twice – watched by a suspicious Debbie, who relays it all to Kevin.

Sue hints it will be the start of a long-running feud. ‘Corrie does conflict between strong women so well,’ says Sue, who’s 53 and from Manchester.

‘Debbie and Abi are strong women who both speak their minds.’

Sue reveals there’s a secret reason for Debbie’s visit. ‘She’ll stay until the new business venture she’s working on is completed, but she hasn’t told anyone why she’s really there!’

Sue first played Debbie when she was a teenager in 1984 (pictured, inset), but the character left the next year to move away with her dad Bill. Sue has since appeared in shows including Dinnerladies and Casualty.

Her return is thanks to her co-star

Michael Le Vell, who plays Kevin. ‘He asked if I’d come back and I said I’d love to,’ says Sue. ‘So he told me to make sure I was available, because he was going to speak to the producer. He was brilliant.’

Sue admitted she was nervous to be back on set, but adds, ‘Once I got there it was lovely. It was just so easy. There is something about soap that I love, and I feel blessed to even have a job with what is going on in the industry at the moment.’ ■