Debbie makes a shocking discovery on Coronation Street as Ronnie does his best

It would be wonderful if Debbie Webster’s (Sue Devaney) last days could be happy and peaceful. However, this is Coronation Street.

We’d all love Deb to have a poignant, blissful and drama free end to her life on the Cobbles with beloved hubby Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) the inevitable heart-breaking goodbye, but drama always happens on the Cobbles.

With her vascular dementia symptoms rapidly advancing, Debbie’s decline is becoming more and more noticeable.  She’s never had cause to doubt Ronnie before. But now she’s growing more and more confused, suddenly Debbie is questioning everything.

While the disease clouds her mind, the feisty strong-willed Deb of old is still there and won’t give up her independence, which means she’s kicking against Ronnie’s attempts to care for her. She won’t be treated like a child.

In next week’s trip to the Cobbles, this starts to take it’s toll on Debbie… which leads to a jaw-dropping discovery.

When Debbie announces that she’s off to work, Ronnie’s forced to gently remind her that today is her day off. Too proud to admit that she’d totally forgotten and not wanting him to worry, Debbie acts like she’s got back to back meetings and couldn’t cancel them. Ronnie knows full well that she’s saving face, but plays along regardless just to humour her.

But later, we see that Debbie only believes that she’s busy at the Chariot Square, where Ronnie thanks Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) for finding some work for his wife to do and keeping her busy. From afar, Debbie watches them with discomfort, sensing they’re talking about her.

Later, after a disastrous incident where she almost electrocutes herself with a toaster, Ronnie comes to Debbie’s rescue and this causes a huge argument where she accuses him of treating her like a child…

… only to find a leaflet advertising a care home in the bin. Debbie’s aghast. Is Ronnie trying to put her in a home?

So when Ronnie turns down Debbie’s offer of an afternoon lie down and nips out to grab some lunch, she’s already fearing the worst.

That’s why she enlists the help of Abi Webster (Sally Carman-Duttine), her ex-sister in law. She unburdens her suspicions that Ronnie is seeing someone else and planning to get her out of the way in a care home. Will Abi help her?

We get our answer when Abi agrees to follow Ronnie to a supposed ‘meeting’… only ti catch him with his arms around another woman. Is Ronnie doing the dirty on Deb? Abi wastes no time in finding out.

However, Ronnie explains the truth – the woman is from a dementia support ground that he’s just joined. Concerned to see how much Ronnie is struggling, Abi urges Ronnie to come clean to Debbie but Ronnie refuses. Can he be convinced?

It seems so, when Ronnie assures Debbie that he’s not having an affair. Swayed, Debbie believes him and reveals that for his birthday she’s booked the honeymoon suite at the hotel. The two look forward to a romantic evening…

… But when Ronnie arrives at the hotel with his overnight bag, there’s heartbreak instore when Debbie’s mortified to realise she’d forgotten and hired the honeymoon suite out to someone else.