Michael

From Alan Partridge Wiki

Michael seems to play a pivotal role in Alan Partridge's life; originally working at the Travel Tavern Alan stays in, hethen gets a job at a petrol station. Throughout, he displays an unusual friendliness and objectivity towards Alan, presumably due to his dimwittedness and general loneliness.

Michael has a strong Geordie accent, a source of much comedy and confusion for Alan. Despite appearing relatively harmless and kind-hearted, Michael is a former military man who is prone to well-meaning but highly inappropriate displays of machismo, and appears to suffer from numerous deep-seated neuroses. Reduced to menial jobs, he is chipper and eager to fulfill his employment duties. In private, and when inebriated, Michael is angry and despairing of his life. Arguably, he is acutely aware of his deficient intellect.

Alan is simultaneously patronising towards him and in awkward awe of his hard-as-nails, working class background and military experiences.

His ex-wife later moved in with his brother.

AHA!