Sue Devaney, a familiar face on British television, has graced our screens in popular shows such as Casualty, Shameless and Dinnerladies over the years.
However, the 57 year old actress is perhaps most recognised for her role as Debbie Webster in Coronation Street, first appearing in Weatherfield in 1984 before making a regular return in 2019.
Fans of the ITV soap have grown fond of Debbie, so news of her upcoming exit from the show due to a storyline involving young onset dementia has left many devastated.
As Debbie's storyline takes centre stage in Coronation Street, we delve into Sue's life off-screen...
The Ashton-under-Lyne native has been a fixture on our screens since 1983. In addition to Sue's role on Coronation Street, she has portrayed Rita Briggs in Jonny Briggs, Liz Harker in Casualty, and Jane in Dinnerladies.
Viewers may also recognise her as Peggy from Channel 4's Shameless, Carmel from BBC comedy Being Eileen, or from her roles in Great Night Out and River City. Sue also lent her voice to the character Jane in BBC Radio 4's Normal and Nat, reports Leicestershire Live.
In addition to her television appearances, Sue has enjoyed a diverse theatre career, featuring in productions such as A Taste of Honey, Beggars Opera, and Mamma Mia! in which she starred as Rosie for a ten-week run.
Sue has been married to BBC journalist Jim O'Farrell since last year, when the couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony attended by their closest friends and family.
Sue does not have any children, a topic she previously addressed in an interview with The Big Issue.
She stated: "I never had any children, and I'm now nearly 50, and I think I've missed that opportunity, but it's only because I was busy doing what I was doing. People think you can have it all I don't think you can. I like to do one thing and not juggle about 25 plates. I've got a lovely partner, my sister, and my niece. I've got a life outside of acting."
Sue regularly shares updates with her fans on social media, detailing her daily activities with her husband and behind-the-scenes glimpses of life on the Coronation Street set.
In a heartwarming post last year, she marked a remarkable milestone: 15 years of sobriety. In a post on social media, she wrote: "Celebrating 15 years of sobriety with a little dip in the Atlantic with these two beautiful baldies! Feeling the love. I Keep on trudging that road to happy destiny. An attitude of gratitude and a life beyond my wildest dreams. Thank you to all my friends in fellowship for your patience and guidance."
The television executives had initially discussed Sue's character's future with her the previous year. Sue confessed she needed time to contemplate taking on such a significant plot before ultimately deciding to move forward with it.
She revealed: "I love playing Debbie, so I had to get my head around Debbie dying. And because I'm a woman of a certain age, I just like to potter and pootle about in the background and be the little comedy sidekick! The producer said it's my time to take centre stage. That scares me a little!"
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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