SHAMELESS star Rebecca Ryan has quit the Chatsworth estate.

The actress, who plays Debbie Gallagher, will be missing when the Channel 4 show returns in January.

Fans will learn that teen matriarch Debbie signed up for the Army and is serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Rebecca, 18, has starred in the award-winning series since the very first episode six years ago when she was just 12.

Viewers have watched her grow up on screen, with streetwise Debbie holding boozed-up dad Frank (David Threlfall) and the rest of the Gallagher family together.

Misift kid

 She’s gone from Manchester misfit kid to surrogate mum, saving the day in the face of potential disasters and visits from social services.

A Shameless spokeswoman said: “Rebecca wanted to leave to work on other projects and we wish her well.

“The door has been left open, so there’s always the chance that Debbie might return one day.”

Many were shocked when ‘little Debbie’ ended up in bed last year with young policeman Tom ahead of her 16th birthday.

Rebecca also made her stage debut at London’s Royal Court Theatre playing a 15-year-old who has an illicit love tryst with her teacher.

But having gone through many adventures on the fictional Manchester estate, Rebecca said: “I’m probably embarrassment-proof now.”

Sensible

The last series saw Debbie having some fun and being a normal teenager, instead of always being ‘the sensible one’.

Her now final appearance featured a spot of Irish dancing in The Jockey – Rebecca’s mum is a former champion and her daughter originally wanted to follow in her dance steps.

The teen star shares an agent with Atonement and The Last King of Scotland actor James McAvoy, who hasn’t done too badly since leaving Shameless.

Rebecca told pals she had taken the role of Debbie as far as she could and is now looking for fresh challenges.

Finally taking the advice layabout Frank always gives in the show’s opening titles: “Scatter!”