Coronation Street star ‘doesn’t want to think about’ co-star’s exit in ‘dark’ admission

Vinta Morgan, who plays Ronnie Bailey in the ITV soap, is set to be at the centre of the drama as 2026 gets underway

A Coronation Street star has said they ‘don’t want to think about’ it as they were asked about their castmate’s exit, and admitted it’s going to get ‘dark’ before they do bow out of the long-running show.

Vinta Morgan, who plays Ronnie Bailey in the ITV soap, is set to be at the centre of the drama as 2026 gets underway, thanks to his character’s wedding to Debbie Webster, played by Sue Devaney, as the character continues to live her life to the full following a devastating health diagnosis.

It is fair to say that fans have been left gutted by the news that Chariot Square Hotel owner Debbie has early-onset dementia, which will eventually lead to her exit from Corrie.

In scenes aired in April, viewers saw Debbie growing concerned about her memory loss and booked an appointment at a private clinic, believing her symptoms may be related to the menopause. After discussing a series of recent incidents, shown as flashback scenes, including a blackout and fall, the doctor advised her that he wants her to have further tests as he was concerned that she is showing symptoms of early-onset vascular dementia.

Corrie is now showing Debbie’s life as it unfolds with the devastating diagnosis. Despite her struggles, the character has been seen moving into her new home with fiancé Ronnie as they plan their wedding, set to take place in Yorkshire as the New Year gets underway.

While Debbie’s dementia storyline still has a long way to go, Vinta was asked at the premiere of Corriedale, the upcoming Corrie and Emmerdale crossover, at The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, the UK City of Culture 2025, on Tuesday (December 16), about eventually losing Sue from the cast.

“That’s going to be a part I don’t want to think about,” he told The Sun. “She’s a very beautiful human being, a great actress. The story is the story and we’re storytellers, but I’d like not to think about that bit.”

He added: “It’s obviously gonna get dark. A lot of people up and down the country suffer with dementia. It’s a very important story to tell. A badge of honour.”

It comes as Vinta and Sue were named among the 40-strong cast list across both Corrie and Emmerdale for the hour-long episode, dubbed Corriedale, that is set to kick off ITV’s new ‘soap power hour’, which will see Emmerdale and Corrie air in half-hour instalments every weeknight.

To mark the change, producers, scriptwriters and production teams have conceived an ingenious way of linking the two universes, with characters then returning to the soaps they are renowned for inhabiting in Manchester and Yorkshire, but with the horror that unfolds linking them forever.