Coronation Street star Sue Devaney was 'frightened' about Debbie Webster dementia storyline
‘Coronation Street’ star Sue Devaney has said she was "scared" and had sleepless nights when the ITV soap's producers informed the actress they wanted her to "take centre stage" with a dementia storyline for her character Debbie Webster.
Sue Devaney "was a bit frightened" and suffered sleepless nights about playing a dementia-stricken Debbie Webster in 'Coronation Street'.
The 57-year-old actress repeatedly had to question herself and seek advice from her family and friends on whether she could portray the degenerative condition - which causes a decline in thinking, memory, and reasoning skills - with justice through her character.
Sue - who was approached by the ITV soap's boss Kate Brooks about the storyline last September - told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I was a bit frightened.
"It's not like a drama series where you might be doing it for six weeks.
"This is playing someone with dementia for one, two, three years.
"It was a case of, 'Can I do it? Am I ready?' I don't do things by halves. I'm all in or all out.
"Our first chat [with Kate] was really thorough.
"She said, 'I love Debbie, and I want you to tell this story.'
"It's going to be a heartbreaking journey of emotion and honesty. Sad, hopeful, uplifting and truthful. Will you do it?'"
This week's episodes will see a neurologist tell Debbie that she has vascular dementia - although she opts to keep it to herself.
In the months leading up to the start of the storyline, Sue had to get her head around Debbie dying.
She added: "I went home and didn't sleep a wink.
"I talked it through with my husband. He said, 'What would be the reason for not doing it?'
"I realised it was fear.
"I love playing Debbie, so I had to get my head around Debbie dying."
But despite being scared to "take centre stage" with the challenging storyline, Sue felt she had to do it to stress to those who have dementia that they are "not alone".
The star - who helped look after her father-in-law following his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2018 - said: "This is such an important story. I had to do it.
"You read more and more about people being diagnosed with young-onset dementia, like the wonderful Pauline Quirke and Fiona Phillips.
"Through storytelling on soaps, it shows us all we are not alone."
'Coronation Street' is working with the charity Dementia UK, and Sue has joined some online dementia self-help groups to get some advice for the plot.
The star added: "Years ago, I sang in nursing homes, so I was around older dementia patients.
"Also, I'm chatting a lot with a friend, his wife has young-onset dementia."
