Michael Rodwell

Michael Marlon Rodwell is a former convict who befriended Gail McIntyre in 2014 through a Restorative Justice scheme, much to the disapproval of her family.

Michael and Gail entered into a relationship following his release from prison and he moved into 8 Coronation Street a few months later. A more settled Michael decided it was the right time to trace his family, but was shaken to learn that he could be suffering from a hereditary heart condition. With his diagnosis confirmed he decided to contact his son Gavin, and slowly built up a relationship - unaware that it was actually Gavin's former flatmate Andy Carver who'd turned up using Gavin's identity, but the longer the pretence continued, it was decided not to tell Michael the truth as it was possible that the shock could kill him.

The couple married at the second time of asking in April 2015, with Michael still oblivious to the fact that the real Gavin had died a few weeks earlier. Gail, David Platt, Steph Britton and her brother Luke now all know the truth about Andy. When he found out the truth he left Gail, but came to forgive Andy. Michael later entered a relationship with Gail's nemesis Eileen Grimshaw, however this ended up falling apart. Believing that Gail wasn't interesting in wanting him back, Michael purchased an ice cream van and moved to Brighton.

Biography
Michael broke into 8 Coronation Street in March 2014. He was caught in the living room by tenant Gail McIntyre who was looking after her step-grandson Max Turner at the time. Michael was startled when Gail caught him and tried to claim he was checking for a gas leak. Realising that Gail had seen through him, Michael made a quick getaway and was chased by Max's mother Kylie Platt but he managed to escape in his van. He was later arrested and Gail picked out a mugshot to PC Stanlow. Michael appeared in court the following month and was sentenced to twelve months in prison.

Gail was hit hard by the incident to the point that she found it difficult being in her own home. In June, she decided to meet Michael in prison and put her mind at rest. The pair had a face-to-face meeting for the first time in almost three months, with Gail speaking candidly about how she had been affected. Full of guilt, Michael apologised for his actions. He also revealed that he had a son, and was a businessman but had lost everything due to the recession and was made homeless. At the end of the meeting the pair shook hands, both feeling an amount of comfort. Michael was released from prison two weeks after his visit from Gail and was given a job at Weatherfield Garden Centre.

Kylie and David were fed up of Michael's pleas, so they visited him at work. Max accidentally locked himself in a shed, so Kylie broke the door down and framed Michael - he lost his job over the incident, but Gail got him a job on the switch at Street Cars. But when David and his older brother Nick Tilsley called round to Michael's bedsit to warn him off, he didn't turn up for work. Concerned, Gail visited Michael and was shocked to learn what Nick and David had done to him and assured him she will deal with the "bully boys" and that Michael should explain himself to Steve. Michael got his job back, Gail sorted out her family and started growing closer to Michael, eventually forming a relationship. The likes of David and Kylie began to accept Michael.

In September, Michael decided to try and trace his long lost family. Tracking down his cousin Bob in Swinton through social media, Michael was devastated to learn that his father Keith had died twenty years previously. Michael met up with his aunt Barbara Deakin and learned that his father had always loved him. Michael was unnerved though to learn his father had died from a heart condition at the same age as himself, and the condition was genetic.

Michael "reunited" with his "son" Gavin at Just Nick's in November. Although the first meeting hadn't gone well, "Gavin" showed that he was keen to give his dad a chance. Michael and others around him however, were unaware that he was actually an imposter posing as the real Gavin Rodwell.

In January 2015, Michael proposed to Gail, however she was taken aback by the proposal and Michael was scared that he had rushed into things and that she would leave him. However that evening at the bistro, Gail turned the tables and proposed to Michael. The celebrations were cut short when Michael collapsed and was rushed to Weatherfield General. He later discovered he would require open heart surgery and underwent a successful operation the following month. After being discharged from hospital, Michael was eager to marry Gail as soon as possible so they booked their wedding for March at Weatherfield Register Office. Michael was stood up by Gail on their wedding day, unaware that she had been confronted by his real son Gavin who'd returned to the UK and blackmailed her, Andy and his girlfriend Steph Britton over Andy's deceit. Gail was unable to tell Michael the truth fearing the stress would kill him, and Michael was devastated and angry at her for being unable to open up to him. Unknown to Michael, Gavin passed away and Gail and Andy went to great lengths to keep it a secret from him - Gail even told his Aunt Barbara and ex-wife Susan Meldrum that Michael was still in hospital and not up to receiving visitors.

Michael and Gail decided to go through with a second attempt at their marriage in April. Although both arrived at the altar, the guilt of lying to Michael caused Gail to tell him she couldn't marry him. Michael got upset and left, but Gail fetched him back and the pair finally tied the knot.

In June, Susan sent Michael a photograph album so that he could look back over their son's pictures as he grew older. Despite Gail and Andy's attempts to seize the album it fell into Michael's hands and as Michael scanned through the photographs he noticed that the real Gavin looked different to the one in the room. After Andy confessed that he wasn't Michael's son, the trio argued just as David, Audrey and Bethany walked into the house with court officer Joanne Newman. Michael then started to drink heavily despite being asked not to.

Other information

 * Michael was given his middle name after the actor Marlon Brando.

Background information

 * The character originally made a two-episode appearance in March 2014 in which he was credited as "Intruder". Upon his return in June that year, he was credited with his full name "Michael Rodwell". The character became a permanent fixture from then on, becoming a new love interest for Gail McIntyre (Helen Worth).
 * Les Dennis signed a new six-month contract in April 2015.
 * Michael departed in March 2016 as Les Dennis took a break in order to appear in the Alan Bleasdale play Down the Dock Road.

Quotes
"Erm... afternoon." (First line, to Gail McIntyre)

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"Yeah, but people like Roy" (to Norris Cole)