Coronation Street has confirmed one of the show’s biggest fan theories – naming Debbie Webster as the biological mother of her “younger brother” Carl. The truth has been revealed in Thursday’s visit to the cobbles, which ended with an emotional cliffhanger.

Viewers have spent weeks speculating about Debbie’s unwavering loyalty towards Carl, even though he’s given her every reason not to trust him. And if you’d started to think there was more to it than just a sibling bond, you were right…

Thursday’s episode saw Debbie at a crossroads on the day of her plea hearing, where she was facing charges in the wake of the Corriedale crash. Carl was driving when disaster struck in the crossover special last week, but he manipulated the situation by placing an unconscious Debbie into the driver’s seat.

Although Debbie has spotted clues that Carl is tricking her – including her seatbelt bruising indicating that she was on the passenger side – she has been determined to take the blame for him.

Corrie’s latest episode saw Debbie defy legal advice and warnings from her loved ones, who all wanted her to plead not guilty to the criminal charges she’s facing. Carl was the only one who’d encouraged her to plead guilty, still keen to cover his own tracks.

After entering her guilty plea in court, Debbie continued to struggle with everyone’s bitter opposition to her decision.

During a private moment at home, Debbie searched through a box of mementoes and pulled out a baby’s hospital band from a hidden compartment.

The writing on the band read: “Carl, 15-12-1986. Mother: Deborah Webster.”

Carl has grown up thinking that his mother was Elaine Webster, who was given an off-camera death storyline recently. After a lifetime of lies, how long will it take before he discovers the truth about Debbie?

Speaking recently about her character’s loyalty to Carl, Sue Devaney – who plays Debbie – commented: “I think she’s letting him get away with little bits of things. I think Debbie’s… she’s not that far down the line [with her dementia] that she doesn’t see things. Love is blind, isn’t it? Yeah, love is blind.”

On Debbie’s future, she added: “It’s not going to be plain sailing. She’s going to be married, which she is very excited about. But I think there’s going to be some massive reveals, things that we didn’t know about Debbie, and also quite a bit of reflection.”