Coronation Street fans currently enjoying the machinations of double-dealing Debbie Webster will be overjoyed to hear that Sue Devaney has pledged her future to the ITV soap.
‘I absolutely love playing Debbie and I’ve just signed a new contract that will take me to April 2022,’ the actress says. ‘When I first came back, I never imagined I would be around for that length of time and I’m delighted. Every day, when I drive into work, I have a big grin on my face. I’m so happy to be here.’
Devaney’s association with Coronation Street dates back to a year-long stint in 1984 when Debbie moved onto the Street with dad Bill (Peter Armitage) and brother Kevin (Michael Le Vell).
But her comeback plotline has tested those sibling bonds to breaking point thanks to Debbie having been revealed to be in league with shady businessman Ray Crosby (Mark Frost), who planned to raze the Street to the ground.
In recent episodes, though, Debbie has had a crisis of conscience and is now determined to right past wrongs by trying to ensure that Ray gets his comeuppance following his attack on young Faye Windass (Ellie Leach).
‘The scales have fallen from Debbie’s eyes and the last straw was what he did to Faye,’ Devaney comments. ‘She thinks that money can make everything right, so she offers to pay for a solicitor for Faye. Debbie wants to put everything back like it was and be the hero.’
The trouble is that Ray is set to overhear Debbie making secret plans to use his money to pay for Faye’s lawyer. It’s a disclosure that will result in Ray catching his one-time ally off guard and threatening her with cold-hearted revenge.
‘Debbie is definitely scared,’ admits the actress, ‘but she puts on a front and tries to talk her way out of it. She has more front than Blackpool, which has helped her in the past. But she’s really bitten off more than she can chew this time. Despite witnessing what Ray did to Abi, Debbie doesn’t think he could be that cruel to her. But by the time she realises that he’s actually prepared to kill her, it’s too late…’
Tense scenes to be broadcast on Friday 12 February will see Ray force Debbie into a walk-in fridge at the Bistro and make an attempt to lock her in.
Luckily, Kevin then shows up seemingly in the nick of time and stymies Ray with a well-aimed blow from a frying pan. But Kev’s attempt to then rescue his sister backfires when the fridge door slams shut behind them – locking them both in! However, as the temperature plummets, the frostiness between Kevin and Debbie finally starts to thaw:
‘When the pair of them are stuck in the freezer, they realise it may be their last chance to say the things that matter. They talk about their childhood and upbringing and Debbie tells Kevin she wanted to make something good out of herself.
‘She says she always looked after Kevin and their dad and that she never wanted to be anybody’s doormat again. There’s a really wonderful moment where Debbie says there’ll be loads of people out there looking for him, but that nobody would even know she’s missing. It helps Kevin to realise how vulnerable she is.’
Thankfully, while their characters searched their souls on screen, both Devaney and co-star Michael Le Vell tried to keep things light behind the scenes: ‘It was filmed over three days, so it was a great opportunity to have a proper catch-up with Mike.
‘And, in reality, it was absolutely boiling in there. Mike does the best cold acting, so he was shivering away and looking frozen. But they had to put more grey make-up on my face because I was having a hot flush.
‘We had such a laugh – at one point, they’re singing to try and keep their spirits up. So I was teaching Mike all the ABBA songs I learned from being on stage in Mamma Mia! I can even sing Dancing Queen in Korean, so I taught him that.’
Corrie is remaining tight lipped on how the pair escape their chilly confines, but there’s a hint that the experience may turn out to be a catalyst for Debbie’s rehabilitation in the eyes of the community – though Devaney hopes that her character still gets to retain her no-nonsense attitude:
‘Debbie’s hoping that she can make good and start again with her family around her and her own business. She wants to belong and be of use. But her problem is that she always thinks she knows what’s right for everyone else.
‘I describe her as the Joan Collins of Weatherfield. I love the fact that she’s a bitch with a heart. When she’s in the freezer with Kev, you do see a vulnerable side to her, but she doesn’t let that out very often.
‘When Debbie goes out the door, she puts on her armour, paints her face and becomes the warrior woman. She’s a powerful, strong woman with great style.’
And might Debbie’s magnetism end up attracting any of the fellas in the neighbourhood? ‘Ooh I hope so,’ laughs Devaney. ‘But if she’s going to get a man, I hope it’s when all these restrictions are over, so she can get up close and personal and doesn’t have to wear a mask!’
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