Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell - "I'm proud of the way ITV looks after the cast"
The Corrie actor reflects on his three decades playing Kevin Webster - and whether he'd want to see a reunion with Sally
ITV is celebrating its 60th anniversary later this month – and one man who has been on the channel for over half that period of time is actor Michael Le Vell, who’s played mechanic Kevin Webster on Coronation Street since 1983.
In over three decades in Weatherfield, Le Vell – and Kevin – has seen it all, from tram crashes and pub fires to marital break-ups and child kidnap plots. But the actor’s enthusiasm for Corrie remains undimmed. So what is it that keeps him playing Kevin?
“Because it’s still a joy to be involved with it. You know, I’ve seen actors come in for six months and then leave, thinking that they’re going to become God’s gift to acting.
“They regard the Street as just a stepping stone for them before going on to something bigger and greater. But, for my money, you won’t get bigger or greater than this.”
When Le Vell made his debut, visits to Corrie were strictly rationed to Mondays and Wednesdays. Fast forward 32 years and the soap is now a huge behemoth, with up to six episodes broadcast per week. Indeed, the centerpiece of ITV’s birthday bash will be a live and heavily promoted hour-long Corrie. So how does he feel about the state of the Street in 2015?
With a welcome air of honesty, he says, “Yes, I have seen it change so much. And, of course you get people getting nostalgic and saying that it’s not the same as in the days of Stan and Hilda Ogden. But you have to evolve. No TV programme can remain the same.
“Some people were unsure about moving to Media City [Corrie left its Granada base in 2013 for a new home in Salford] because it didn’t have that legacy of being where Laurence Olivier once worked. But, the fact is, nothing stands still.
“We’re now in a building especially constructed for Coronation Street. And that mainstay of ITV has always been there. The family feel is the same. We’ve had some crew members who have been with us since day one, likewise Bill Roache. I feel very fortunate to have been here for over 30 years.”
Michael Le Vell (right) with former co-stars Kevin Kennedy (Curly, left) and Nigel Pivaro (Terry, centre) in 1985
That good fortune and continued career is something he obviously appreciates, having had his personal life come under scrutiny during a trial at Manchester Crown Court in 2013 that saw him eventually found not guilty of 12 child sex offences.
The following year, he took a further break from Corrie to seek 'professional help' after he admitted to using cocaine.
But having made a full-time comeback in August 2014, he now says that he has no intention of ever quitting the role that put him in the spotlight. “I’m proud of the way ITV treats the cast of Coronation Street and looks after us.
“And I can’t ever see myself leaving unless they wanted me to go. I’ve always said that the day I stop enjoying it here is the day I stop. But there’s not a day goes by where we don’t have a huge laugh on set.
“There’s always a buzz to see what’s coming up for your character when a new set of scripts land in your pigeonhole. If that sense of excitement went, then I’d think I was in the wrong job.”
Bromance: Tim (Joe Duttine) and Kevin (Michael Le Vell)
One part of the job that he did have to get used to upon his return was former screen wife Sally’s (Sally Dynevor) new relationship. In Kevin’s absence, she’d hooked up with window cleaner Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) – and Le Vell admits that the idea of Sally moving on did initially grate.
“Yeah! I hated him from when I was watching from my settee,” he laughs. “It wasn’t until I met him in real life that I thought, ‘He’s not a bad bloke. I can see what Sally sees in him!”
So he wouldn’t want Kevin and Sally to have a future together? “No. The viewers would be bored if they got back together again. It would be like, ‘Here they go again – back to the drudgery of married life with Kevin and Sally’.
“They’ve been married and divorced twice and I’m delighted she’s found someone else. They’re a great partnership and it gives the characters somewhere to go. There’s a lot of humour in Sally and Tim’s household.”
Of course, all this hasn’t stopped Kevin from recently sharing an illicit kiss with his ex-missus, a twist that could put paid to Sally and Tim’s upcoming wedding. And – more importantly – might even be the end of Tim and Kevin’s beautiful bromance…
“Yes, I’ve discussed this with Joe Duttine. I said, ‘I don’t know where they’re going with this. I’ve been here all these years and Kevin’s never fancied a bloke yet’. But I suppose you’re never too old and if that’s what the scriptwriters decided to do, then I’d deal with it in the same way as you deal with anything that’s thrown at you.
“I do think, though, that Tim will be more willing to forgive Kevin than Sally. So the bromance might end up being stronger than the romance."
All will be revealed when that pivotal live episodes airs on Wednesday 23 September, but is it beyond the realms of possibility that we get to see Kevin joining Sally and Tim on their honeymoon?
“Well it depends on where they’re going,” he says with a final smile. “And whether Sally’s paying!”
You can watch a brand-new interview with Michael Le Vell and co-star Brooke Vincent (Sophie) below.
And beneath that, there's a 60-second rundown of all next week's drama on Coronation Street.
And visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.