After more than four decades as one of Coronation Street’s most recognisable faces, Michael Le Vell has admitted to a profound sense of relief after securing his latest contract with

the long-running soap — a reminder that even the show’s most enduring stars never take their place on the cobbles for granted. The 61-year-old actor, who has portrayed Weatherfield mechanic Kevin Webster since 1983,

recently confirmed that he has been offered a new year-long contract, easing months of quiet uncertainty about his future on the ITV juggernaut. Speaking candidly,

Le Vell revealed that longevity offers no guarantees in the ever-changing world of soap drama.

Michael Le Vell as Kevin Webster with Sally Carman as Abi Webster

“You can never take the job for granted,” he explained. “My contract was due in January and I’ve just been offered a new one, so I can breathe a sigh of relief for another year. But you can never look beyond that. They might say, ‘We can’t write for you anymore. Thank you and goodbye.’ That’s the nature of the beast.”

Those words will resonate deeply with Corrie fans, many of whom have grown up watching Kevin Webster evolve from a teenage lad into one of the Street’s most battle-scarred residents. In recent years alone, Kevin has endured a testicular cancer diagnosis, the emotional devastation of losing Abi to his manipulative brother Carl, and ongoing family turmoil that has kept him firmly at the centre of Weatherfield drama.

Unsurprisingly, speculation has been rife over where Kevin’s story might head next — particularly when it comes to romance. With Kevin now estranged from Abi, fans have repeatedly floated the idea of a reunion with his ex-wife Sally, played by Sally Dynevor. But Le Vell is quick to shut that theory down.

Michael has been in Coronation Street for four decades

“People ask me all the time if I’d like Kevin to get back with Sally and I always say no,” he said firmly. “I love Sally and Tim together. I think they’re a great couple, so I wouldn’t want them splitting up just so Kevin can get back with her.”

Instead, Le Vell admits his heart lies with a potential reconciliation between Kevin and Abi — not least because of his close working relationship with actress Sally Carman. “I’d get back with Abi because I love working with Sally Carman. I hope they find a way to reconcile them in 2026, but at the moment, that’s not on the cards either.”

While Kevin’s romantic future remains uncertain, one thing is guaranteed: a dramatic year ahead. The action kicks off with Corriedale, the highly anticipated crossover episode airing on January 5, marking the first-ever storyline to unite Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

Le Vell describes the experience as a career highlight. “It was an honour to be part of Corriedale because these things don’t come around too often,” he said. “I was in scenes with Jeff Hordley and Danny Miller as we tried to move a crashed car. There were lots of night shoots out on location, and our trailers were next to each other. We were always having a cup of tea and a chat — it was great fun.”

The episode centres on a catastrophic motorway collision on a rural road linking the two soap worlds, following Debbie Webster’s wedding — and Kevin and his family are right in the thick of the chaos. Though tight-lipped on specifics, Le Vell promises viewers a spectacle unlike anything Corrie has delivered before.

As the second longest-serving cast member after Bill Roache, Le Vell is now something of an institution. Yet despite 42 years of experience, he admits the nerves have never gone away.

Michael doesn’t want Kevin and Sally to get back together

“Not a day goes by where I don’t get nervous,” he confessed. “I get a churning stomach, especially if I’m in every scene. It’s even worse if I’m working with someone like Bill Roache or Barbara Knox — out of respect. And if you’re in a big scene in the Rovers, with loads of people watching, you’re thinking, ‘Don’t mess up.’ Otherwise everyone has to go back and do their lines again.”

Rather than seeing those nerves as a weakness, Le Vell views them as proof that he still cares deeply about the craft. In fact, he openly hopes to follow in Bill Roache’s footsteps, continuing to perform well into old age.

“I’ll be in the show in my 70s, 80s and 90s if they still want me,” he said. “I’ve never been tempted to leave. As far as I’m concerned, I’m in the number one show. It’s the best job in television. If it’s not broke, why change it?”

Kevin Webster’s history is woven into the very fabric of Coronation Street. Within three years of joining the show, Kevin married Sally, bought No.13 from Hilda Ogden, and went on to raise daughters Rosie and Sophie. Le Vell still laughs at memories of working alongside legends such as Jean Alexander.

“She once told me off for getting oil on a get-well card for Bernard Youens,” he recalled fondly. “She went mad at me!”

Over the decades, Kevin’s life has been far from simple. Infidelity shattered his marriage to Sally, affairs led to the birth of son Jack, and tragedy struck when his wife Alison took her own life following the death of their son. More recently, his volatile relationship with Abi has left him bruised, angry, and emotionally raw.

With Sally Dynevor and Denise Welch in an old episode of Coronation Street

That anger, Le Vell admits, has become something of a character trademark. “Alan Halsall calls him ‘Angry Kev’,” he laughed. “He reacts first and thinks later. He’s hit everyone — Tyrone, Terry Duckworth, Carl… and I’m going to hit Carl again next year!”

Away from the cobbles, Le Vell lives a very different life in Cheshire with his fiancée Louise Gibbons, their dogs, cats, and horses. A devoted animal lover, he credits country life with keeping him grounded. “When I’m not working, I’m shovelling horse muck,” he joked. “The animals give me unconditional love — and I give it right back.”

As Coronation Street moves into another era, Michael Le Vell remains both a pillar of its past and a vital part of its future. His relief at securing another contract is a reminder that soap stardom, no matter how enduring, is never guaranteed. But for now, Kevin Webster’s journey continues — fists flying, heart breaking, and engines roaring — exactly where he belongs, on the cobbles of Weatherfield.