A Coronation Street legend has signed a new contract and admitted feeling ‘relieved’ despite decades on the ITV soap
A Coronation Street icon has confessed to feeling a huge sense of relief after securing a new year-long contract this month.
Nothing is ever guaranteed on the ITV soap—even after spending four decades playing garage owner and mechanic Kevin Webster.
Actor Michael Le Vell, 61, told The Mirror: *“You can never take the job for granted. My contract was up in January and I’ve just been offered a new one, so I can finally breathe a sigh of relief for another year.
“But you can’t look too far ahead. They could always decide they don’t know what to write for you anymore and say thank you and goodbye. That’s just the nature of the business.”*
Following Kevin’s tough cancer battle and the strain of watching wife Abi (Sally Carman) drift towards manipulative brother Carl (Jonathan Howard), speculation is growing among Corrie fans that Kevin could be heading for a romantic reunion with his former wife Sally (Sally Dynevor), according to The Mirror.
As the second longest-serving cast member behind Bill Roache (Ken Barlow), Michael first stepped onto the cobbles back in 1983. Despite his decades of experience, he still battles pre-scene jitters, admitting: “Not a day goes by where I don’t get nervous.
“I get a churning stomach and I feel apprehensive, especially if I’m in every scene. It’s even more stressful if I’m in a scene with someone like Bill Roache or Barbara Knox – mainly out of respect – or if I’m in a big scene in the Rovers.
“If there are lots of people in the pub, when it comes to your bit, you’re thinking ‘don’t mess up, don’t mess up.’ Otherwise, they’ll all have to go back and do their dialogue again, so that’s an added pressure.”
However, he hopes to follow in the footsteps of Bill Roache, who continues to shine at the remarkable age of 93. Michael states: *“I’ll be on the show in my 70s, 80s, and 90s if they still want me. I’ve never been tempted to leave.
“I’ve had a lot of recent lines where Kevin says, ‘I’m old, I’m grey.’ He even joked about retiring the other week, and I thought, ‘No thanks, I don’t want to say that line!’ As far as I’m concerned, I’m on the No.1 show—it’s the best job in television. If it’s not broken, why change it? I love the storylines and the people—fantastic actors like Sally Dynevor, Sally Carman, and Alan Halsall. They’re such a pleasure to work with that some days it doesn’t even feel like a job. Although I won’t say that too loudly, or they might cut my pay!”*
Within three years of arriving on the cobbles, Kevin had married Sally, and the couple purchased 13 Coronation Street from Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander), before welcoming daughters Rosie and Sophie.
He recalls with a laugh: “Jean Alexander was one of the legends of the show, but I remember her once scolding me. She asked me to sign a get-well card for Bernard Youens, who played Stan. I’d just finished filming a garage scene and got a bit of oil on the card. She was furious!”
Kevin enjoyed marital bliss with Sally until his affair with Natalie Horrocks (Denise Welch) ended their marriage, followed by another betrayal that resulted in son Jack, born from a liaison with Molly, the wife of his friend Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall).
Since then, Kevin has had two more marriages—first to Alison Wakefield, who tragically took her own life after their son Jake died, and most recently a failed relationship with Abi.
The Manchester native developed his acting skills at the Oldham Theatre Workshop before making his television debut on Coronation Street at age 15, playing paperboy Neil Grimshaw. Three years later, fate intervened when he was spotted for Kevin’s role while auditioning for the comedy-drama Scully.
He remembers: “I was waiting in the corridor when the casting director walked past and asked, ‘Am I seeing you tomorrow for Coronation Street?’ I said ‘no.’ She replied, ‘Leave it with me.’ When I got home, my agent called to say I had an audition the next day. I went in, got the part of Kevin, and the rest is history. It’s been my life—I’ve grown up here. I’ve been Kevin Webster since I was 18, so at 61 I feel like an elder statesman of the show.”
Michael lives in Cheshire with his fiancée Louise Gibbons, their three Yorkshire terriers, and two Siamese cats. Passionate about animals and country living, the couple also care for two horses, Maximus and Magica.
“We’re completely different,” Michael says, comparing himself to Kevin. “When I’m not at work, I’m shovelling horse muck, cleaning out stables, and filling hay nets.”
He took up horse riding around ten years ago after starting lessons with Louise and admits the experience has been transformative. “The horses bring me peace. When you’re riding, your mind can’t wander—you have to focus. It’s the same with the dogs and cats. They give me unconditional love, and naturally, I give it straight back.”
Michael even tried his hand at competitive riding. “I did pretty well—I won rosettes in dressage, riding small circles in the arena. But I eventually got a bit bored, so I moved on to jumping lessons. I fell off twice. You don’t bounce the same way at my age, and it really hurt. These days, I mostly leave the riding to Louise and stick to feeding and mucking out.”
Over four action-packed decades on the cobbles, Kevin has been many things—a heartthrob, a hero who rescued Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) from the burning Rovers Return, and a man never shy of a scrap.
Michael laughs: “Alan Halsall calls him ‘Angry Kev.’ He says Kevin’s angry at everything—and he’s not wrong. He’s quick with his fists and slow to think it through. He’s hit everyone from Tyrone to Terry Duckworth. I’ve had more on-screen fights than anyone else. Kevin’s already punched his brother Carl four or five times—and guess what? I’ll be hitting him again next year!”
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