According to multiple reports, Debbie Webster's dementia symptoms are worsening, leading her to make a brutal decision. The character, who has vascular dementia, realizes she must put herself first because she doesn't have much time left. Sue Devaney, who plays Debbie, told the Daily Mirror that Debbie has reached a point where she is thinking about how much time she has left and whether she wants to spend it fighting with people who are lying to her. Devaney said Debbie decides she has had enough.
Debbie is feuding with her son Carl Webster, who tried to get her money and let her take the blame for a car crash that led to Billy Mayhew's death. Carl used Debbie's declining health and memory problems against her. He also destroyed Debbie's hotel and threatened the wedding of Lisa Swain and Carla Connor. Devaney described Debbie as devastated by the damage to her hotel, noting that when she is poorly, everything seems worse.
Carl is at risk of being killed off in a whodunnit storyline next week. Devaney noted that people with dementia can get violent, especially with vascular dementia, but suggested Debbie could kill Carl with words rather than actions. The outcome of the whodunnit remains unknown, as does whether Debbie will actually harm Carl physically or just verbally.