Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has been declared bankrupt
Michael Le Vell has been declared bankrupt after falling behind on his payments and having to pay out £200,000 in legal fees in a 2013 child abuse claim.
The actor, who has played the role of Kevin Webster on Coronation Street since 1983, has reportedly failed to keep on top of his tax payments, according to the Mirror.
GALLERY: The soap stars who tried to crack Hollywood
The soap stars who tried to crack Hollywood - slider
1 of 14Emmett J Scanlan
He played the infamous villain on Hollyoaks but Brendan Brady soon turned into the good guy following his relationship with Ste Hay.However in 2013 he left the Channel 4 show and has since appeared in Peaky Blinders, Gangs of London and Guardian's of the Galaxy as the head riot guard.
2 of 14Adele Silva
Adele left the role of Kelly Windsor in Emmerdale in 2007 in an attempt to crack America.But, instead of setting Hollywood alight, in 2010 she was pictured working in a Ted Baker store in LA. She then returned to Emmerdale as Kelly in 2011 but left shortly after.
3 of 14Nikki Sanderson
Everyone knows Nikki as mouthy hairdresser Candice from Coronation Street. After leaving the cobbles she tried her hand at success across the pond – to lukewarm reception. She managed to land a role in film Boogeyman 3, but sadly for Nikki it went straight to DVD.Fast forward to 2012 and she joined the cast of Hollyoaks as Maxine Minniver.
4 of 14Nathalie Emmanuel
She shot to fame in this country as Sasha Valentine on the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, but since her exit in 2010 she's managed to find fame stateside.As well as an appearance in the Fast and Furious franchise, Nathalie, landed a role in Game of Thrones as interpreter Missandei. She also features in the second film in the Maze Runner trilogy, The Scorch Trials.
5 of 14Ricky Whittle
Another Valentine sibling to swap Hollyoaks for Hollywood was Ricky who played Calvin from 2006 until 2011. Unfortunately he was shot dead on his wedding day by Theresa McQueen.He has since starred in The CW Network series The 100, playing Lincoln, and American God where he has taken on the role of Shadow Moon.
6 of 14Ben Hardy
This is one actor who has well and truly swapped Walford for Hollywood.After his shock departure from EastEnders, in which he played Peter Beale aka Ian Beale's son, Ben landed a role in X-Men: Apocalypse – an actual main, speaking part. He's also appeared in Bohemian Rhapsody, Mary Shelley and Netflix's movie 6 Underground.
7 of 14Sam Strike
Another EastEnders alumni, Sam quit his role as Johnny Carter in 2014 and went on to star in British drama film Bonded By Blood 2.He later made his Hollywood debut in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel Leatherface and has since played a serial rapist in the Netflix show Mindhunter.
8 of 14Robert Kazinsky
Rob played EastEnders favourite Sean Slater from 2006 until 2009, but got his big American break when he was cast in the hit vampire series True Blood, playing Macklyn Warlow. He then appeared in Pacific Rim, Warcraft and Captain Marvel.Rob returned to EastEnders for a brief stint in 2019 but viewers are yet to see him make another comeback.
9 of 14Patsy Palmer
We loved Patsy as Bianca in EastEnders, but she left the soap in 2014 to pursue her American dream.While she's yet to be cast in any major roles, Patsy did manage to land a job in a Best Buy advert. Well everyone's got to start somewhere, haven't they?And despite being an actress turned DJ, it's Patsy's children that have made it big in the US.
10 of 14Lacey Turner
She's well known for playing Stacey Slater in EastEnders but in 2010 Lacey bowed out of the show after her onscreen character fled the country after killing Archie Mitchell.Ahh throwback.Following her departure from the show, Lacey played the part of a witch in ITV2's show Switch but it wasn't long before she reprised her role as Stacey.In 2014 she headed back onto the square and finally confessed to the police that she killed Archie.
11 of 14Michelle Keegan
Coronation Street fans will remember where Michelle Keegan first started on TV and it was on the Cobbles.The actress played Tina McIntyre and during her time on the show she hid her abortion from David Platt, she tried to keep Gary and Izzy's baby after she was their surrogate and she was left devastated after her dad faked his own death but ended up actually dying.It's safe to say that she went out with a bang, after all Rob Donovan pushed her off a balcony.After leaving the ITV show, Michelle went on to star in Tina and Bobby, Our Girl and Brassic.
12 of 14Rachel Shenton
From 2010 to 2013 Rachel Shenton starred in Hollyoaks as Mitzeee Minniver. The feisty character left the show and moved to America upon discovering she's five months pregnant with Riley Costello's baby.After leaving the Oaks, Rachel went on to star in Switched at Birth and White Gold. However, it was in 2018 when she won an Oscar for her short movie The Silent Child, in which she wrote and starred in.
13 of 14Martine McCutcheon
She's well known for playing Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders but after Frank Butcher ran her over outside the Queen Vic she died.Fast forward a few years and Martine McCutcheon played Natalie in Love Actually. You know, the movie that everyone goes crazy about around Christmas time.She's also appeared in Agatha Christie's Marple, Midsomer Murders and as a panelist on Loose Women.
14 of 14Roxanne McKee
Roxanne first graced our screen as Louise Summer's in Hollyoaks. During her time in the village she cheated on Calvin Valentine with Warren Fox, had an abortion after not know who her baby daddy was and was murdered by her fiancé Warren Fox on their wedding night.Cute.After leaving the Channel 4 show, Roxanne went on appear in EastEnders: E20, Vendetta and Game of Thrones. In the popular HBO programme, she played Doreah; you know the woman who betrayed Daenerys with Xaro and was left to die in the vault with him.How charming?
The publication have reported that HMRC were named as the petitioner in the High Court, and a source told them that his outstanding tax bill was a "six-figure sum."
Le Vell, 53, also had to pay out £200,000 worth of legal fees in a child sex abuse trial five years ago.
He was found not guilty after the victim's claims that he'd abused her between the ages of six and 14 were dismissed as "inconsistent, incoherent and unbelievable," but the Ministry of Justice stipulates that people who can afford their own lawyer won't receive tax-funded paybacks.
This means Le Vell paid the legal fees himself.
He was apparently offered a £250,000-a-year contract by Corrie last year, but the Mirror discovered that he failed to settle his bills last year and the High Court declared him bankrupt under his real name, Michael Robert Turner, earlier this year.
They have reported that the bankruptcy order went unnoticed until the details of the case were changed to include his stage name and that his occupation was an actor.
He was also forced to sell his £750,000 home in Cheshire after his marriage to wife Janette Beverley of 25 years following his alcoholism and affairs.
He currently lives with his girlfriend, 42-year-old Louise Gibbons, at her home in Altrincham, Manchester.
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