ITV Coronation Street fans realise where they have seen psychic from Debbie’s Bistro night before

Fans of Coronation Street are notoriously good at remembering faces, so it’s no wonder that the psychic Debbie Webster hired for a special night at the Bistro was quickly recognized by them.

Knowing she was having financial difficulties, she followed Ronnie Bailey’s advise to throw some themed nights at the restaurant in an effort to draw guests.

When Ed Bailey was electrocuted and wound up in the hospital earlier this month after catching a shock while working at one of her hotels, the owner of the ITV soap opera Bistro, Bistro, was distraught.

Aggie was enraged and threatened legal action, but Debbie tried to make things better.

However, she starts brainstorming strategies to pay Ed back before things worsen, and Ronnie, Ed’s brother, proposes she try themed nights at the Bistro.

Leanne Battersby wasn’t impressed when she began her advertising and thought a “Psychic Night” may defraud trusting individuals of their hard-earned money.

Nevertheless, Debbie followed through with her preparations, and Madama Sienna eventually showed up, much to Debbie’s astonishment since she didn’t seem to resemble the poster’s depiction of her.

Before placing her drink order, the “psychic, healer, warrior” introduced herself and struck up a conversation with her spirit guide. However, Debbie told her to give her credit card to her so that she could “put up a tab” for her.

Sienna turned to Leanne and her sister Toyah Habeeb while removing a piece of paper from her sleeve.

To Leanne’s dismay, she soon started mentioning the name of her recently deceased spouse. Oh come on, were you serious, she yelled. To groans from Leanne, Sienna retorted, “Imran says it’s not your fault.” Does he know now? she retaliated. “Exactly where did you obtain that. Or should I go online?”

As the evening went on, Sienna became inebriated in the bar, leaving Debbie to devise a more serious—and dishonest—method of obtaining the money she needed.

As they realized the new psychic on the drama was a recognizable face, Corrie viewers began discussing her on social media.

Tweeted @spartacus2906: “Is this a Phoenix Nights psychic? #Corrie.” echoed @llggeorgia: “Is that Phoenix Nights’ psychic Holy Mary? #Corrie.” Posted by @GeorgiaBowring: “#Corrie I mentioned the psychic from Phoenix Nights in my most recent tweet, and just now it occurred to me that this woman is not from Phoenix Nights! She looks familiar to me, therefore I know she was in the show.”

Hello @BarbaraNice, unlike a psychic, I didn’t see it coming @itvcorrie #corrie, said @CaroleAnn1982. By @DazHaleWM: “It was wonderful to see Janice Connolly, a.k.a. @BarbaraNice, in #Corrie last night. She has now played three characters on The Street. The inaugural hat-trick of the new campaign!”

They’d be right, of course! The overzealous housewife alter ego of Stockport native and Birmingham-based performer Janice Connolly, who previously played Holy Mary in Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights, is called Barbara Nice.

She appeared as Barbara Nice in her Britain’s Got Talent audition in April 2019. She participated in the live shows but was later eliminated in the fifth semi-final round.

She has also starred in Coronation Street before, twice, as Dolly Gartside and Sheila Wheeler, a shop employee at The Kabin while it was operated by Norris Cole, the street’s troublemaker.