EXCLUSIVE: With Debbie’s dementia storyline growing ever more heartbreaking, Sue Devaney reveals she lives and feels her character’s struggles daily.
Working on Coronation Street hasn’t been easy for Sue Devaney. The actress has spent months filming an intense dementia storyline that has taken an emotional toll.
Viewers have watched her character, Debbie Webster, grapple with the shock and heartbreak of a devastating diagnosis. Portraying such a sensitive subject in the long-running ITV soap has been mentally challenging for Sue.
Speaking to the Daily Star Sunday, she said: “It’s a really heavy storyline, and at times it does get to me — how could it not? Taking on something like this stays with you.”
“With a subject like this, you draw from your own life experiences,” she added. “You can’t just finish filming and switch it off. Some actors can walk away and forget, but I’m not one of them.”
Portraying a dementia storyline would challenge any actor, but for 58-year-old Sue Devaney, it’s particularly difficult — serving as a stark reminder that it’s something which could one day affect her personally. Nearly a million people in the UK are currently living with dementia.
Sue explained: “I’ve been working closely with a dementia specialist at a hospice in Rochdale to prepare for the storyline. Being a woman of my age, it’s really made me stop and think.”
Sue’s family and friends have noticed how much the demanding storyline has taken out of her, and they’re doing their best to make sure it doesn’t become overwhelming.
She said: “My friends are always telling me to take better care of myself. Sometimes you just need something lighthearted to pull you away from it all.”
Viewers have praised Sue’s portrayal, with many who have personal experience of dementia commending the authenticity of her performance. She shared: “When you’re in the middle of a major storyline, you hardly go out — it’s all about learning your lines and being on set.”
“It’s only when I’m out and about and people come up to me to talk about the storyline that I truly realise the impact it’s having,” Sue shared. “So many have opened up about their own experiences with dementia and told me about loved ones living with the condition.”
“There’s even a props team member at Corrie whose wife has vascular dementia — we speak about it quite often,” she added. “I never expected the storyline to draw this much attention, but the response has been amazing.”
- “EastEnders’ Danny Dyer’s long-lost Casualty appearance resurfaces – and he looks the same”
- Emmerdale fan favourite issues apology following embarrassing mishap
- Soap icon who portrays infamous villain exits Hollyoaks in huge setback for the show
- “General Hospital Spoilers: Next Week — Willow Faces a Tough Choice, Josslyn’s Peril Grows, and Britt Hits a Breaking Point”
- “General Hospital Spoilers: Chase Torn Between Seeking Justice for Willow and Protecting His Marriage”
