After four years together, Coronation Street’s Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) and Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) seemed like one of the more solid couples on the street. They have had their ups and downs in the past but their partnership has generally been based on real affection, mutual respect and shared interests.

Until very recently it seemed like they would always be together, and they were all set to get married. All of that changed when Debbie consulted a doctor after she’d been experiencing worrying symptoms.

She had further tests and was devastated to learn that she has young-onset dementia.

In the wake of this discovery she ended things with Ronnie, not wanting to be a burden on him as her disease progressed. Ronnie is currently unaware of the real reason for her dumping him, as she’s determined to keep her diagnosis to herself.

Currently only her brother Carl (Jonathan Howard) knows what’s really going on, after he accidentally saw a letter from the hospital in her bag. Debbie has sworn him to secrecy.

In her heart, though, Debbie knows she still loves Ronnie and a couple of times she’s been about to either reconcile with him or at least explain.

On one of those occasions she came into the bistro to look for him, determined to fix things, only to see him chatting to Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) – not the first time Leanne has seemingly set her sights on Ronnie. Although this encounter was perfectly innocent, Debbie was crushed, she walked out without Ronnie even seeing her.

Since then she’s found out that there was nothing romantic going on between Ronnie and Leanne. But when Ronnie introduces her to a woman called Fiona, who he says is an ‘old flame’ of his, Debbie can’t help but be jealous.