Coronation Street’s Michael Le Vell offered another £250,000 a year contract after impressing bosses with his hard work six years after arrest on child sex charges
The actor has worked hard to battle his drug and alcohol demons after a tumultuous few years. Now Corrie bosses are ensuring he can stay on the soap.
CORONATION Street star Michael Le Vell has been offered another new 12-month contract on the soap – six years after he was first arrested on child sex charges.
And execs didn’t leave the popular actor who plays Kevin Webster sweating on whether he had a future in the show by opening negotiations early.
His current deal was due to expire in November but producers moved to tell relieved Michael that there was another £250,000-a-year deal on the table.
A source exclusively told The Sun Online: “Michael is so pleased because he has worked really hard over the last few years to tackle his problems and just concentrate on being Kevin Webster.”
His problems began in September 2011 when he was first arrested after allegations of sex attacks on a girl.
Michael, 52, was later told there was no case to answer only for him to be re-arrested and charged with a string of offences, including rape.
He went on trial at Manchester Crown Court in 2013 but was cleared by a jury and took several months off work to recover from the ordeal.
But his triumphant return to Weatherfield in January 2014 descended into a shambles with him having to take more time off to deal with drink and drug problems including the stint in rehab.
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He did little to curb his 12-pints a day booze habit after clocking back on at the studios and then admitted to taking cocaine before his trial.
Next ex-lover Blanca Fouche revealed that he was a frequent cocaine user and who indulged in group sex and bosses asked self-confessed alcoholic Michael to take a break from the show and seek professional help.
He was admitted to a drying out clinic near his home in Hale, Greater Manchester, to undergo treatment.
Michael flourished in treatment and has put his drink problems behind him, leaving Corrie bosses delighted with his hard work and keen to cement him as a regular face on the cobbles.
A Coronation Street spokesperson told The Sun Online: “We do not comment on contractual matters.”
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