As if Debbie Webster’s (Sue Devaney) needed another fighton her hands in Coronation Street.
The two biggest battles she’s had to fight on the Cobbles is her ongoing struggle with vascular dementia, and her absolute rotter of a son Carl Webster’s (Jonathan Howard)
The no-good dirty rat is the reason Debbie went to prison, thanks to him causing multi-car pileup by driving drunk, and then emotionally blackmailing Deb into taking the blame.
Debbie’s time staying at His Majesty’s pleasure is partly why her dementia has taken such a rapid turn for the worse. Without her routine and loving husbandRonnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan),her descent into confusion and disorientation became more and more freuqent.
Although Carl has seemingly turned over a new leaf and is giving his mum less grief of late, the damage remains. Debbie is losing herself to dementia by the day and it’s affecting her intimacy with Ronnie.
Unfortunately, dementia is not Debbie’s only enemy.
Viewers may remember that during her time inside, the no-nonsense Queen of the Chariot Square Hotel got on the wrong side of fellow inmate fellow prisoner Paula, played by Emmerdale’s Kelli Hollis.
Doing time for aggravated burglary, Paula was not someone to make an enemy out of. But to Debbie’s dismay, she already had beef with the hard-nosed lag before, when she threw Paula out of the Chariot Square hotel bar for being disorderly. It was clear instantly that Paula was one to hold a grudge.
The last thing Debbie needed was to make things worse. But when Paulabarged into Debbie’s cell in tears after being dumped by her boyfriend, Debbie tried to comfort her, but ended up mocking the man due to her lack of filter thanks to dementia. This triggered a raging Paula to physically lash out at Debbie, and bully her inside.
When Debbie was finally let out of prison, she thought she’s seen the back of her cellmate from hell.
She thought wrong.
In next week’s trip to the Cobbles, her old nemesis returns at the worse possible time.
At the hotel, Debbie gives Denise, a bride-to-be, a guided tour and confirms that her wedding is booked in for July. When Denise reveals that she requested 26th June, Debbie’s horrified to realise she’s messed up the dates.
When Carl delicately suggests that maybe Ryan (Ryan Prescott) should handle the bookings from now on, Debbie agrees with resignation.
In the hotel bar, as Carl and Ronnie are talking, Debbie approaches and gives Ronnie short shrift, given how awkward things are between them back home due to troubles in the bedroom.
Debbie is so distracted by her marital woes, that she doesn’t notice that her ex-con enemy, Paula, is nearby, watching her like a hawk.
What has a vengeful Paula got in store for Debs?
