Debbie Webster to leave Chariot Square as dementia worsens

Debbie Webster will stop running the Chariot Square hotel next week, a move driven by her worsening dementia. The character will formally sign the business over to her husband, Ronnie Bailey, and ask Ryan Connor to remain as his right hand man.

The decision follows a period of escalating symptoms that have made daily management of the hotel increasingly difficult. Although Ronnie, Ryan, and their son Carl have all stepped in to help, the strain on Debbie has continued to grow.

Sue Devaney, who plays Debbie, told Inside Soap that the character reached a breaking point after a specific incident. "Everybody is telling her, saying this can't work anymore, it was a massive thing when she gave the key to Paula [(Kelli Hollis)], and Adam [Barlow’s (Sam Robertson)] ring went missing. I think she thought, ‘I can’t do this’", Devaney said.

Devaney noted that the character likely should have stepped back months earlier, but the cast and crew wanted to let Debbie make the choice herself. "But what’s nice is they’ve let Debbie decide that she’s ready now, she sits Ryan down and says she’d like him to be Ronnie’s right-hand man, and she’s signing everything over to Ronnie, but when you’re married to somebody and you sign everything over, you still feel like it’s yours," Devaney explained.

The transition will also bring visible changes to Debbie's appearance. Devaney said the character will wear different clothing since she is no longer at the hotel. "I think there’s going to be times soon when you don’t see her with much make-up, because she can’t do it like she used to," Devaney added.

Actor Jonathan Howard, who plays Carl Webster, recently spoke to The Sun about the character's future. He confirmed that Sue Devaney is currently contracted through August 2027, though the production is already intensifying the dementia storyline.

Howard described the upcoming Christmas episode as potentially being Debbie's last. "Carl is turning 40 just before Christmas and I think everyone is aware that it’s potentially Debbie’s last Christmas, you don’t know how long with dementia someone’s going to survive, but there is a feeling this is the last Christmas that she is herself," Howard said.

The actor noted that the character has been a central support for him since he joined the show. "She’s always held my hand and been there for me, so knowing that at some point, it’s still a year down the line, it’s going to come to an end, it’s so sad," Howard said.