Kevin Kennedy on Michael Le Vell trial outcome
Kevin Kennedy has spoken to This Morning about his friend and former Coronation Street colleague Michael Le Vell.
Kevin Kennedy as Curly Watts in Corrie
Le Vell was acquitted of child sex offences at Manchester Crown Court yesterday.
Read More: Michael Le Vell cleared of child sex offences
The pair worked together on the ITV soap between 1983 and 2003 when Kennedy played the role of hapless Norman ‘Curly’ Watts. Le Vell joined the soap in the same year as mechanic Kevin Webster and remains a present cast member.
Kevin told Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that he was “absolutely not surprised” at the verdict, adding:
I’m delighted for Michael but this whole thing is a tragedy I think. No one benefits from this – I think it should never have got to this stage in the first place.
It doesn’t help anyone… for future, the people that are being abused – this is not going to make them come forward and say that they are being abused.
Michael Le Vell has played Kevin Webster since 1983.
Kevin went on to explain how he reacted when he first heard about the charges that had been brought against Michael:
I’ve known Michael for thirty years and there were concerns because people have done something silly in these circumstances, so I got in touch with Michael to ask if he was alright and that he knew where we were if he needed us.
I later saw him at the funeral of Bill Tarmey, and I’ve sent messages before, during and after the trials. I will be speaking to him at some point after the dust has settled.
Kevin thinks that it will take time for his friend to recover from recent events:
I think the damage is immeasurable. It’s going to take time… Once he’s got over the elation of his liberty given back to him, there’s going to be a time where he’s going to sit down and he’s going to have to heal.
The actor adds that anonymity should be afforded to the accused as well as their alleged victim. Speculating as to what the future may hold for Michael, Kevin says:
Michael will want to go back to work because that’s where his support network is. Coronation Street are very close and I cannot help but be impressed with the way they have stood by Michael.
Click to watch the interview in full
