Michael Le Vell

Michael Robert Turner[2] (born 15 December 1964), known professionally as Michael Le Vell, is an English actor. He is known for his role as mechanic Kevin Webster in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a role he has played since 1983.[3]

Michael Le Vell
Born
Michael Robert Turner

(1964-12-15) 15 December 1964[1]
Newton Heath, England
OccupationActor
Years active1981–present
Employer
Known forRole of Kevin Webster in Coronation Street (1983–)
Spouse(s)
Janette Beverley
​
​
(m. 1986; separated 2011)​
Children2

Early life

Le Vell was born in Newton Heath, Manchester. When he was fifteen, his mother died from a brain tumour, and when he was 22, his father died of lung cancer.[4]

Career

Le Vell began his acting career in the Oldham Theatre Workshop after taking an interest in amateur dramatics while at school.[5] He had a guest role as paperboy Neil Grimshaw in Coronation Street.[6] He then went on to appear in the BBC shows Fame is the Spur and One by One.

Le Vell later attended an audition at Granada Studios for the series Scully, where he met casting director Judy Hayfield. Hayfield presumed that he was present to audition for Coronation Street, and asked him to return the following day to try out for a part. Le Vell was then offered the role of Kevin Webster.[5]

During the 1980s, Le Vell gained status as a gay icon because he wore tight jeans and had a moustache. He was also the first British actor to have his left ear pierced while on screen.[1] Le Vell received a high volume of fan mail from gay fans. He later stated that his gay following diminished after he shaved off his moustache.[7] His following resurfaced in 2005 after photos of him dressed as a woman for charity appeared in the Daily Mirror newspaper.[8] 26 years into playing Kevin, Le Vell said he would continue in the role because he still viewed it as "the best job on television".[9]

Personal life

Le Vell lives in Hale, Greater Manchester.[10] He married actress Janette Beverley in October 1986, after she had featured alongside him in Coronation Street.[11] They have two children together.[12] In 2011, Le Vell and Beverley separated after 25 years together because they had become estranged from each other.[11]

Le Vell was a member of the celebrity football team All Stars, who play for charities. In 2007, he was hospitalised during a match.[13] He was a director of Ratio Money, which went into administration on 12 April 2010.[14] This business attempted to exploit a loophole in the Consumer Credit Act to allow people to avoid credit card debts.[15]

Trial

In September 2011, Le Vell was arrested on suspicion of rape, which he denied. He was tried under his real surname Turner.[10][16] In January 2012, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case, citing insufficient evidence.[17] On 14 February 2013, Alison Levitt QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, stated that she had reviewed a decision not to prosecute Turner following allegations made against him in 2011.[18] She authorised Greater Manchester Police to charge him[19][20] with 19 offences.[18][19]

ITV announced that he would not be appearing in Coronation Street "pending the outcome of legal proceedings".[21][22] Le Vell stated: "I am innocent of these charges and intend to fight them vigorously."[23] He pleaded not guilty to all 19 charges.[24][25] During the trial, which took place before Judge Michael Henshell[26] at Manchester Crown Court, his barrister described the accuser's evidence as containing a series of inconsistencies.[27] On 10 September 2013, he was found not guilty on all counts,[28] and on 21 March 2014, he returned to his role as Kevin Webster. He left the series shortly after his on-screen return, to combat a drug addiction he developed during his trial. Le Vell returned in October the same year, his absence on the show being explained as caring for his father in Germany. [29]

Notes
  • Kay, Graeme (1991). Life in the Street. Boxtree Limited. ISBN 1-85283-161-8.
  • Little, Daran (1995). The Coronation Street story : celebrating thirty five years of the street. London: Boxtree. ISBN 0-7522-1019-X.

References
  1. "Michael Le Vell". itv.com. (ITV Plc). 11 November 2008. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  2. "Coronation Street star Michael le Vell cleared over sex attack claims". Manchester Evening News. Trinity Mirror. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  3. "Coronation Street: Michael le Vell to return as Kevin Webster in early 2014".
  4. Not guilty: Corrie's Kevin Webster cleared of child sex abuse offences HeraldScotland, 10 September 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  5. Little 1995, p. 173.
  6. Kay 1991, p. 58.
  7. Johnson, Angela (21 October 2008). "What made Street star a gay icon?". Click Liverpool. (Mercury Press Agency). Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  8. Roberts, Bob (12 April 2005). "Queen St; Schoolgirl picture gets Corrie Kev new male fans". Daily Mirror. (Trinity Mirror). Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  9. Green, Kris (23 June 2009). "Michael Le Vell (Kevin Webster, Corrie)". Digital Spy. (Hachette Filipacchi UK). Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  10. "Coronation Street's Michael Le Vell in child sex arrest". BBC News. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  11. Daniels, Colin (15 October 2011). "'Coronation Street's Michael Le Vell splits from wife". Digital Spy. (Hearst Magazines UK). Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  12. Kilkelly, Daniel (6 October 2011). "'Coronation Street' actor Michael Le Vell denies sex abuse claims". Digital Spy. (Hearst Magazines UK). Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  13. Wylie, Ian (11 July 2007). "Corrie star's pitch drama". Manchester Evening News. (Trinity Mirror). Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  14. "Business Investment - Business Investment, Small Business, Investment, New business, Entrepreneurship, Startup, small businesses, small business startup, small business". ratiomoney. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  15. "Julian Knight: Forget the soft soap, this plot to wipe debt is just greedy". The Independent. London. 14 June 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  16. "Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell denies sex assault allegation". The Guardian. London. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  17. "Soap star Michael Le Vell cleared in child sex case". BBC News. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  18. "Coronation Street's Michael Le Vell charged with child sex offences". BBC News. 14 February 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  19. "ITV drops Coronation Street's Michael Le Vell from the soap amid child rape charges". The Independent. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  20. "Michael Le Vell will not appear in Coronation Street says ITV". The Bolton News. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  21. "Le Vell will not appear in Corrie until after court case". ITV.com. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  22. "ITV: Michael Le Vell will not be appearing in Coronation Street". ITV.com. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  23. "Michael Le Vell Will 'Fight' Child Sex Charges". Sky News. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  24. "Michael Le Vell in court to face child sex abuse charges". The Guardian. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  25. "Coronation Street's Michael Le Vell denies child sex charges". BBC News. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  26. "Michael le Vell trial: Judge tells jury their assessment of alleged victim is 'critical in this case' as they resume deliberations". 10 September 2013.
  27. Nigel Bunyan "Michael Le Vell acquitted of child sex offences", theguardian.com, 10 September 2013
  28. "Coronation Street's Le Vell cleared of child rape". BBC News. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  29. "Kevin Webster returns to Weatherfield". 11 March 2014.
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