Coronation Street spoilers follow.
Coronation Street’s producer Kate Brooks has shared all the details of Debbie Webster’s next chapter, as she faces the possibility of a prison sentence for the Corriedale crash. The Websters were among those who took centre stage in the soap crossover special, as Debbie’s brother Carl crashed at the scene of the multi-car pile-up.
Carl was on a downward spiral on that fateful night, as he drank heavily at Debbie’s wedding before speeding off with the blushing bride as his bewildered passenger. After the crash, Carl moved an unconscious Debbie into the driver’s seat to trick her into believing that she was to blame.
Thursday’s episode (8 January) saw Debbie’s police charges confirmed, which included dangerous driving and driving under the influence of excess alcohol. She’ll appear in court next week to give her plea.
The tense scenes play out alongside Debbie’s dementia journey, which has been running since the start of last year.
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In a new interview, Brooks explained: “We’ve not fully explored the impact of Debbie’s dementia and how that takes its toll on her as a character. So we’re still at the early stages and we’ve still got a long way to go.
“The drama that unfolded during Corriedale has put Debbie in a really precarious situation, where she’s determined to take the rap for Carl. She’s confused at this point. She doesn’t know, really, what happened. We assume that she genuinely doesn’t know that Carl has interfered and swapped places with her at this point.
“So she’s really struggling with that. She’s saying: ‘No, I’m going to face the punishment.’ With the nature of the crime and the seriousness of it, that could lend itself to a prison sentence. She’s facing that massive threat that’s hanging over her.”
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That’s not the only issue troubling Debbie in the weeks ahead, as her family is in utter turmoil. Kevin is still furious with Carl after uncovering his dark secrets and failing to bring him to justice.
Abi is also seething after being betrayed by Carl, who treated her like a fool by pursuing a secret affair with James Bailey.
“Debbie’s family is falling apart,” Brooks continued. “Carl and Kevin have never been so splintered as they are in the aftermath of the wedding. She’s there trying to get through day by day and protect them all.
“She’s going to need her mates more than ever. Glenda, Christina, Bernie and Sally really rally and get her through these darker moments, as she braces herself for a future that is looking quite uncertain at the minute.
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“Obviously, getting sent to prison is a terrible thing. Getting sent to prison if you’ve got early onset dementia must be a terrifying prospect. So she’s struggling with all these emotions.
“But even though there’s drama aplenty – and there are lots of secrets as well that we explode and explore with that family – she’s still Debbie. She’s still fun. She still makes you laugh. The heart’s still there, the pals are still there, and we still see that vibrancy that she channels.”
Not everybody is in Debbie’s corner, though. Some of the Weatherfield residents start to resent her for her role in the crash, which caused the tragic death of Billy Mayhew.
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Next week’s episodes see Summer struggle with her emotions when she witnesses a playful moment between Debbie and Ronnie – seeing it as inappropriate after everything that’s happened.
Brooks added: “Debbie is facing the wrath of a lot of the community as well. Previously to this, they thought that Debbie was the bee’s knees, but now she’s apparently culpable for Billy’s death and that’s a massive thing for Debbie to have to overcome.
“The thing about Debbie is that she’s one of the most big-hearted characters in the whole Street, so to have to deal with that as well is another real challenge for Debbie. But we love Debbie, and we all continue to love Debbie because she’s wonderful.”
Coronation Street airs on weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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For exclusive soap star interviews, gossip, spoilers and theories every week, don’t miss the Soap Scoop podcast from Inside Soap magazine. This week’s episode reacts to the biggest twists from the Corriedale crossover.