Michael Marlon Rodwell was 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 long-lost 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 to hide the truth from Michael as it was possible that the shock could kill him.
The couple married at the second time of asking in April 2015, with Michael oblivious to the fact that the real Gavin Rodwell had died only a few weeks earlier. 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 when conman Pat Phelan interfered. Believing that Gail wasn't interesting in wanting him back, Michael purchased an ice cream van and moved to Brighton. Michael returned a few months later in July 2016 where he ended up reconciling with Gail, however his feud with Phelan continued. Their feud came to a devastating conclusion when Michael was trying to pry on Phelan's property scam, but got caught by his enemy and suffered a heart attack on the building site. Phelan chose to leave Michael to succumb to it and he died.
Biography
Michael bumps into Gail when attempting to steal from No.8.
Michael broke into 8 Coronation Street in March 2014. He was caught in the living room by Gail McIntyre who was looking after her grandson Max Turner at the time. Michael was startled when Gail caught him and tried to claim he was looking 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 had a business; 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 his 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 would deal with the "bully boys" and that Michael should explain himself to Steve, the owner of Street Cars. Michael got his job back, Gail sorted out her family and started growing closer to Michael, eventually forming a romantic 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 impostor named Andy Carver posing as the real Gavin Rodwell, who was actually Gavin's flatmate.
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 and Gail wed on their second attempt.
Michael was stood up by Gail on their wedding day, unaware that she had been confronted by the real Gavin who'd returned to the UK from Thailand 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 affect his heart and kill him, and Michael was devastated and angry at her for being unable to open up to him. Unknown to Michael, the real Gavin died in a car crash (caused by the same hereditary heart condition Michael had) soon afterwards 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.
Michael discovers the truth about Gavin.
In June, Susan sent Michael a photo album so that he could look back over their son's pictures as he was growing up. Despite Gail and Andy's attempts to seize the album it fell into Michael's hands and as Michael scanned through the photographs he got to the pictures of when he was aged about 12 or 13, and noticed that the real Gavin looked different to the impostor 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 advised not to due to his condition. Distraught and angry over his wife's deceit, Michael left Gail.
Michael and Eileen begin their affair.
Michael moved in with Gail's arch-enemy, Eileen Grimshaw at No.11 and she offered support and a shoulder to cry on. However they began to develop feelings and the pair of them started to make out on her sofa, but Michael suffered complications with his heart and was rushed to hospital. After he made a full recovery he confessed his love for Eileen, which resulted in a fight breaking out between Eileen and Gail out on the street. Michael continued to live on at No.11 as Eileen's new partner, although Gail had hopes of a reconciliation.
Near the beginning of 2016, Michael began a feud with builder Pat Phelan whom Eileen's son Jason employed at his builder's yard, unaware that he was also a conman. Michael had suspicions that Phelan was wanting to take Eileen away from him, and Phelan wasted no time stirring up tension. When Michael went to confront Phelan at the builder's yard, he suffered yet more heart complications and fell down the stairs. He survived, however was required to use crutches. Trying to get in on what Phelan was up to, he hid in Phelan's van, however he was spotted and ordered by an angered and humiliated Eileen to get out. Having had enough of Michael's "jealousy", she broke up with him. Phelan wasted no time making his move on Eileen, and the pair ended up together. Michael planned to get back with Gail, however when she pretended she wasn't interested (due to advice from Mary Taylor to play "hard to get") a disappointed Michael bought a new ice-cream van, and after saying goodbye to Andy and Steph left for Brighton in March.
A few months later in July, Michael made an unexpected return when he visited the Rovers during a confrontation between Andy, Steph and Phelan over Phelan deciding to raise the cost of Andy and Steph's rent, as Phelan had taken over management of the builder's yard due to Jason leaving for Thailand the previous month. Detecting that Phelan was simply doing it out of maliciousness rather than thought for Jason, Michael offered to move back in with Andy and Steph to help them pay the rent.
Michael and Gail began to work at their marriage, and the pair of them eventually reconciled, however Gail was concerned that Michael still held a torch for Eileen due to his continued suspicions over Phelan, especially as he was taking part in a deal involving the development of luxury apartments, something which Michael suspected was a scam. He began to work with an injured Anna Windass (whose family was conned and harassed by Phelan a two years earlier) to expose him for his fraud. Although Anna initially warned Michael to stay well clear of Phelan, her mind was changed when her daughter Faye stole Phelan's mobilephone which held text messages from his partner-in-crime Vinny Ashford talking about how it would all be over, alluding to their plot to run away. Anna felt there wasn't enough evidence to use against Phelan so Michael decided to break into the office at the building site where the flats were supposed to be built, whilst Anna unsuccessfully tried to distract Phelan at her flat. Michael found a fake passport belonging to Phelan using an alias, but his success was cut short when Phelan unexpectedly arrived branding a crowbar.
As Michael had discovered Phelan and Vinny's evil plot, Phelan hinted that he was intending to murder Michael. Although Michael believed Phelan wouldn't stoop that low, he panicked and threw a chair at him. Michael attempted to make a run for it, but suffered a heart attack and collapsed. Despite him begging Phelan to get help, Phelan used the situation to his advantage and planned to leave Michael to die, and even told him a story of when Phelan himself had shot a hare with an air rifle when he was a boy, and couldn't bring himself to put the animal out of its misery, and left it to die in pain. He then said that he wouldn't feel the same guilt for Michael, and subsequently returned to the office to clean up.
Michael succumbs to his heart attack, as Pat Phelan wilfully watches on.
Shortly after, Gary arrived on the scene, as he was sent by Anna to find out what had happened to Michael, however he failed to spot a dying Michael on the floor. Michael attempted to call from help, but was unable to due to being in a state of pain and weakness. Gary left after Phelan denied knowing what happened to Michael. With no hope for help, Michael ended up succumbing to his heart attack, and Phelan later investigated the body to assure Michael was dead, before subsequently leaving the scene.
Michael is later mentioned by Pat Phelan, who states that he enjoyed watching Michael die to Andy Carver.
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Other information
- Michael was given his middle name after the actor Marlon Brando.
Background information
Promo photo of Les Dennis as Michael Rodwell.
- 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.[1]
- Michael departed in March 2016 as Les Dennis took a break in order to appear in the Alan Bleasdale play Down the Dock Road.[2] He returned on-screen in July that year
- The same month Michael returned after his hiatus it was revealed that Les Dennis was again leaving later in the year, and that it would be a "dramatic exit". Although Dennis had hoped the door would be left open for a return, the character was killed off later that year in November as part of a storyline involving Pat Phelan (Connor McIntyre), a character whom Michael had been having a feud with for the past year.
First and last lines
"Erm... afternoon." (First line, to Gail McIntyre)
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"Gary... Gary." (Final line)