Coronation Street Michael Le Vell’s life – gay icon, drug battle and second soap role

Favorite Kevin Webster from Coronation Street finds himself in legal trouble this week.

First his son Jack Webster, then Abi, contact his mobile as he is working on servicing Stephen Reid’s automobile, and Stephen threatens to take his business elsewhere.

Kevin, the mechanic, loses his fury and begins bashing Stephen’s automobile with a wrench when the pressure finally gets to him.

Later, when Kevin gets ready for Abi’s homecoming, he is startled to see two police officers standing at the door. Can Kevin protect Abi from knowing what happened?

Since 1983, 57-year-old actor Michael Le Vell has played the role in the ITV serial opera.

The Daily Star has looked inside the TV star’s life off-screen as Kevin reveals his darker side right now.

Corrie fame

Michael appeared as paperboy Neil Grimshaw in Coronation Street three years before he took on the renowned role of Kevin.

He only made an appearance in two episodes before making a comeback in 1983 as the mechanic Kevin Webster. His brief plot saw him getting into problems for tossing away newspapers rather than delivering them.

Sally Webster, another Corrie icon, was waiting for a bus when Kevin drove by and struck up a conversation with her.

They got married and had two kids together, but things were rocky since Kevin had several indiscretions, including one with Natalie Barnes, who was portrayed by Loose Women host Denise Welch

He was fired from the soap in 2013 after being accused of sexual offenses, which he eventually was found not guilty of. He briefly returned in 2014 before departing once more to deal with a drug addiction he had developed during the challenging trial.

He recently returned from his honeymoon with his new bride Abi Franklin, according to his current plot.

Second soap role

Michael performed in Coronation Street for approximately 40 years as Kevin and another character.

Earlier this year, Michael spoke with the Daily Star and other media outlets and explained: “I first came in as Neil Grimshaw, the paperboy, for a few episodes, and then after that finished Judy [Hayfield] said we’ll find something else for you.

“Actually, I wasn’t interested in Kevin Webster. When Judy passed and I was ready to go in for an audition for the television show Scully, she said, “Am I seeing you tomorrow for Kevin Webster?”

“The following day, I returned to Kevin’s audition, and I was hired for the 12-episode position.

I completed the 12 episodes, performed in a panto at the Oldham Coliseum, and then I received a call asking if I wanted to return. That was nearly 40 years ago.

Gay icon

When he started playing Kevin in the 1980s, Le Vell amassed a sizable LGBT fan base.

His persona wore tight jeans, a thick mustache, and, most prominently, an earring.

He was the first British actor to have his left ear pierced while performing, which drew a ton of fan mail even though the right earlobe is typically associated with LGBT people.

Last year, when discussing his infamous mustache, the star said that he had bookings to perform in homosexual nightclubs all across the nation.

Everyone admired Michael’s moustache, he admitted, and everything changed when it was gone. I had commitments to perform at homosexual clubs all throughout the nation, from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

“I could go out every night, have a great time, participate in Q&A sessions, sign autographs, and have my picture taken.

“Before Stephanie Barnes cut off Kevin’s mustache for a wager, I used to receive tons of fan mail and packages of underwear. Overnight, things changed—no one would book me.

Drug battle

Following the trial, Michael quit Corrie for three months in an effort to cope with his cocaine addiction, which he said was a result of the trial.

Michael Le Vell’s legal bills for the trial were £20,000, which caused the actor to file for bankruptcy.

Corrie granted him as much time off as he wanted, and he later checked into The Priory near his home in Manchester.

In 2014, Michael admitted to the Sunday Mirror, “I had never felt so depressed. Even if I was innocent, everything was circling around me.

And I simply accepted when someone offered them to me. I used cocaine for the first time just before my trial. I felt like I was escaping from some negative influences that were all around me. I feel so bad about what I did now.

Love life

In 1986, Michael wed his Coronation Street co-star Janette Beverly, who portrayed the supporting role of Elaine Pollard.

After 25 years of marriage, they split in 2011, a choice that was purportedly influenced by his accusations.

In 2014, Michael and Louise Gibbons started dating. In 2017, they got engaged.

Michael has been through hell and back and is still dealing with the fallout from the case, but Louise has stood by his side throughout his fight with addiction, a source claimed at the time.