Michael Le Vell will remain on ‘Coronation Street’ for at least another year.
The 52-year-old actor’s current contract – worth an estimated £250,000 – isn’t due to expire for another two months, but he can breathe a sigh of relief now as bosses have decided to extend it by another 12 months as they’d like to involve his character Kevin Webster in some forthcoming storylines they’re working on over the next year or so.
A source told The Sun Online: "Michael is so pleased because he has worked really hard over the last few years to tackle his problems and concentrate on being Kevin Webster."
Michael first joined the programme as the awkward mechanic in 1983 but was suspended in 2011 when he was arrested over allegations of sex attacks on a girl.
He vehemently denied the accusations and was later told there was no case to answer as there was insufficient evidence, but he was re-arrested in 2013 and charged with 19 offences – including rape – after Alison Levitt QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, decided to review the decision not to prosecute him in 2011.
Michael – who was temporarily written out of the show – went on trial at Manchester Crown Court in September 2013 but he was cleared by a jury after he pleaded not guilty.
He then made a triumphant return to the show in January 2014 but was ordered to take some more time off after he began to hit the bottle as a result of the gruelling court case.
Michael decided to seek treatment for his addiction and vowed not to go back to his old ways after he signed a new contract with the ITV soap at the beginning of 2015.
A source said at the time: "He really does now feel that the worst of his problems are behind him. Sure, he had a drink to toast New Year but there is no way he will return to the bad old days. He knows he has too much to lose."
Michael Le Vell has Coronation Street contract extended
