Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell, 61, is set to marry his fiancée Louise Gibbons this weekend after a 12-year relationship marked by a 2018 split and subsequent reconciliation. According to an insider cited by The Sun, the wedding will be a small registry office affair with roughly 15 guests, followed by a private dinner rather than a party, owing to Le Vell's past issues with alcohol.

A 15-guest registry office ceremony dictated by past alcohol issues

The couple were seen the day before the wedding in casual attire — Le Vell in a brown T-shirt and beige shorts,Gibbons in an all-white 'bridal' tracksuit, as reported by the source. the insider told The Sun: 'There isn't going to be a party as such – just a private dinner because of his past issues with alcohol.' The low-key affair stands in stark contrast to many celebrity weddings, reflecting a deliberate chooice to keep the day focused on the couple rather than media spectacle. Le Vell's previous marriage to fellow Corrie star Janette Beverley lasted 25 years and ended in 2011.

The 2018 arrest and reconciliation that almost ended the romance

Le Vell and Gibbons first started dating in 2014 but split up in 2018 after a series of reported rows. That year, the actor was arrested on suspicion of assault after police were called to their shared home. According to a source quoted by the Sunday Mirror, Le Vell fell down a flight of stairs during the incident and was taken to hospital, then spent a night at a Manchester police station before being released without charge. The same source said at the time: 'Everyone is really worried about Michael. Things have hit an all-time low with Louise.' Despite those tensions, the couple reconciled and have now been together for five more years, culminating in this weekend's wedding.

The £200,000 legal costs that drove Michael Le Vell to bankruptcy

Gibbons has stood by Le Vell through his most trying periods. In 2013, Le Vell was acquitted of all 12 counts of child sex offences after a trial at Manchester Crown Court — a process that cost him £200,000 in legal fees, as the source reported. That financial burden contributed to his being declared bankrupt in 2019. The actor also battled drug addiction, though the specific timeline of that struggle is not detailed in the source. An earlier insider told the Daily Mail in 2017 that the couple had been engaged for about a year, but they kept it private. The wedding now marks a formal commitment after a decade of public and private turmoil.

Three lingering questions after a private wedding

Despite the happy news, several points remain unclear. The source does not indicate whether Le Vell's bankruptcy has been resolved, nor does it address the status of his relationship with the two children from his first marriage. additionnally, while he continues to appear on Coronation Street, the source offers no details about his future role on the show. The insider's mention of past alcohol issues leaves open the question of whether Le Vell has fully addressed his substance struggles — a factor that clearly shaped the wedding's design. What is certain is that Gibbons, described by the insider as 'his rock', has played a central role in his recovery and in bringing them to this milestone.