Michael Le Vell trial: Coronation Street actor admits to heavy drinking as he takes to witness stand Michael Le Vell said he was 'devastated and lost' following accusations Actor flatly denied any wrong-doing when questioned by officers He told police his 'legs turned to jelly' when he was accused of offences He said he went to the pub 'most nights' and would drink up to nine pints The 48-year-old has started to give evidence on the fourth day of the trial By James Rush, Louise Eccles and Jaya Narain Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell told police 'my legs went to jelly' after he was accused of child sex abuse Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell today told a jury 'I'm fighting for my life' as he defended himself against child sex allegations. Le Vell admitted to the jury at Manchester Crown Court that he was 'an alcoholic', but said he had been left 'devastated and lost' after being accused of the rape and sexual abuse of a young girl. The 48-year-old actor said he had never been arrested or cautioned before as he took to the witness stand on the fourth day of his trial. He spoke in front of a hushed courtroom packed with reporters as family members and supporters watched from the public gallery. Earlier, the court heard how the star, who plays car mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV soap, had told officers 'my legs went to jelly' after he was accused of the offences. Prosecution barrister Eleanor Laws QC accused Le Vell of 'acting' as he gave evidence in court, saying: 'It's never been more important for you to be persuasive than it is today, has it? 'It's never been more important that the people watching you believe it has it?' He replied: 'I'm just here to tell the truth. I don't know know what you're trying to say'. Mrs Laws asked him if it was 'like an acting job?', pointing out he had 'been an actor for 30 years?'. Le Vell's voice rose slightly as he said: 'I have indeed but never put in a position like this. ' (They) never teach you how to stand up and be here and face something like I'm being faced with for the last two years - no one can teach you that. 'And I'm just here, yes, I'm fighting for my life.' Mrs Laws put it to him that he was nothing like his Coronation Street character, Kevin Webster, to which he replied: 'I don't pretend to be like my screen character in real life.' Le Vell told the court that he believed his alleged victim had told a lie 'that escalated and she couldn't stop it'. Questioned about his drinking, he admitted: 'I would say I am an alcoholic.' When asked whether he had 'demons', he said it depended on the definition of demons, saying: 'If it's called the demon drink, then yes.' Le Vell stood with his arms clasped behind his back, spoke in a strong voice and looked directly at the jury as he swore on the Bible and confirmed his name and date of birth. When invited to sit by the judge, he said: 'I'm okay to stand for now if that's okay.' The trial heard how Le Vell (centre) had told police that he drank 'too much' and had 'tried going to AA once or twice' He told the court his first jobs were as a plasterer's labourer and at a 'gentleman's boutique'. Asked how long he had played Kevin Webster in Coronation Street, he took a deep breath and said: 'About 30 years now.' 'I would go to the pub most nights of the week': Actor is questioned about his drinking habits Le Vell said there was no routine to his working hours and he would 'turn up, pick the scripts up, learn it'. He said actors 'got a week's notice' of the scenes they were required to film the next week. Le Vell flatly denied any wrong-doing when questioned by officers who arrested him, Manchester Crown Court heard The actor was quizzed at length by his barrister about his drinking habits. He said he would go to the pub 'most nights of the week, especially if I had been working'. Claiming he had a 'working-class mentality', he said: 'I'm a bloke, after work I'm going to go and wind down for an hour or two. I know it sounds chauvinistic - that's the way I was brought up unfortunately.' Asked how long he would stay in the pub, he said he would stay an hour or two if there was no one he knew in there but, 'if there were a few of the lads to talk to I would stay most of the night, yeah, until it shut.' He said he would drink up to nine pints in the pub 'depending on the length of time I stayed in there'. He sought help for his drinking twice through Alcoholics Anonymous about six and three years ago, saying: 'I lasted two weeks each attempt.' Denying the allegations, Le Vell said: 'Never in a million years would I do anything like that, never.' Asked how he felt about the accusations, he said: 'I'm devastated, I'm lost, I don't understand where it's come from. It's left such a big hole in my life because of these allegations. 'I still want to get to the bottom of why this is happening to me and why this has happened and why I'm being accused of these things. I know none of it happened. Mr Williamson said Le Vell had never been in trouble and was, he added: 'What we lawyers call a man of good character.' Earlier today, Detective constable Neil Rothwell told the jury about how Le Vell was arrested on suspicion of rape at his home in Hale, Cheshire, at 7.45am on September 30, 2011. Le Vell (centre) told the court he was 'devastated and lost' following the accusations What was his response? Miss Laws asked the officer. 'He did not make any reply,' Mr Rothwell said. Le Vell was taken into custody and interviewed with his solicitor present and told by officers this was his 'opportunity' to give his side of the story. Le Vell told the court he had never been arrested or cautioned before as he began his defence against the child sex allegations 'There is no account and no story,' Le Vell told the officer. Mr Rothwell said he asked Le Vell if he was responsible for raping the girl. 'No, not at all,' he replied. Le Vell was then asked about being confronted by the girl's mother with the allegations. 'I don't know where these allegations have come from,' Le Vell told the officer. 'When she told me you could've just blew me over. My legs turned to jelly. Le Vell continued: 'I just said to the girl's mother, "Please tell me you are f****** joking. Please, this has got to be a joke. Later in the police interview the officer said Le Vell said: 'This is a life-changing thing. It will cost me my job. In his police interview, the actor confirmed he had no medical issues and was not aware of any memory problems. When asked how much he drank, he replied: 'Too much. I tried going to AA once or twice, it's not worked out for me.' Around the time of his arrest he said he was drinking five or six pints a night in his local pub. He had cut down his pub drinking from seven to eight pints which he said he had done for the 'best part of 30 years'. 'These habits sort of creep in,' he told the officer. 'Having a crack with people, winding down, it's not a hanging offence.' Describing himself when he had been drinking alcohol, he said: 'I would describe myself as okay. I think I'm funny when I'm drunk. I never get violent, no, never. Argumentative maybe, violent, no. The officer put to Le Vell the specific allegations that he raped the girl on three occasions. Le Vell's trial, which is expected to last for two weeks, is now into its fourth day 'No, it didn't happen,' Le Vell replied. Not one chance, never in a million years. No chance man. Mr Rothwell asked the suspect: 'Why would she say you have?' Le Vell replied: 'I have not got a clue. I have not got a clue why she's doing it. I honestly have not got a clue why she's making these allegations. I just can't fathom where it's come from. I could not do it. It's not in me at all.' Le Vell said he was 'more or less struck dumb' by the allegations. He later said: 'That girl is seriously deluded. What can I say, she's telling a pack of lies. It's all nonsense.' When asked by police if he wanted to add anything, he said: 'I'm shocked and stunned at the allegations. I don't know why she's said them. I'm absolutely mortified by them.' Le Vell told police he denied saying he wanted to 'get rid of the evil' as he allegedly raped the girl, or that he placed a teddy bear over her mouth. 'I did not rape her,' he said, 'and I certainly did not try to smother her.' The actor is accused of 12 charges in all - five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. He is alleged to have raped the girl while she clutched a teddy bear during one attack. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, wept as she told the court Le Vell told her it was their 'little secret'.