Alan Partridge is a BBC comedy character played by Steve Coogan, first seen on radio and television in the 1990s before the sitcom I'm Alan Partridge ran from 1997 to 2002. Michael, played by Simon Greenall, was Alan's Geordie friend and handyman at the Linton Travel Tavern, known for his rambling stories and blunt way of speaking. Short lines from the show have circulated for years on British comedy soundboards and in quote threads, and this shout survives because fans still use Michael's voice as a shorthand for laddish banter.