Top 10 Sitcom Characters We Can All Relate To

Although Jim Royle is someone many of us feel like we know, he's not exactly someone we want to see reflected in ourselves. Instead, it’s typically his son, Antony which we feel we can best relate to. Bossed around and called all manner of insults by his family, including jabs like “Lurch” and “lazy sod”, he regularly gets the mick taken out of him, something that the youngest in any family can sympathise with. Despite all this, he always makes the tea, he always answers the door and – understandably – he’s always fed up.

Many among us have at some point, felt out of our depth in a political conversation, no more so than this guy! A self-proclaimed “people’s poet” who thinks he is super intellectual when it comes to social issues, Rick is really little more than an attention-seeking diva and Cliff Richard super fan. He puts on a hardcore socialist front although it eventually transpires that he comes from a wealthy conservative background. He basically just wants to fit in with his group of friends and puts on a huge facade to do so.

An utter moaner but with his heart in the right place, Richard Wilson’s Victor seems, on the surface, like someone you wouldn’t want to cross paths with on a bad day... or any other day for that matter. But who doesn’t love a good rant about anything from incompetent repair works to the weather? He is, ultimately, a good-hearted guy and throughout the series he puts the world to rights, whether it’s liberating mistreated OAPs or standing up to snobby members of the upper classes. And then there’s his catchphrase!

She’s awkward, she’s bumbling, she falls over a lot, but most importantly, Miranda is all of us. The loveable main character of this slapstick BBC sitcom is desperate to fit in with society but her natural uncomfortable nature, that's just not going to happen. When it comes to finding love, Miranda’s just as unlucky, often massively embarrassing herself in the most cringeworthy of ways; and as for her work ethic, it’s barely existent, but she remains positive and fun loving. She's far from a perfect specimen, but she's nonetheless all too human.

An everyman and Essex boy, Gav is every bit the guy next door, the lad down the pub, a regular Joe or Nigel. Many people will certainly relate to him and his kind, loyal and fun nature. It’s also because of his close friendship with best mate, Smithy, played by a pre-Hollywood James Corden, that we can identify with him. Gav still sticks by him despite Smithy growing neediness after meeting Stacey, and has to find that balance between keeping both his partner and best pal happy.

Next up is one of British comedy’s most recognizable and likeable characters. This geezer, a working-class hero of sorts, is loyal and street smart with a happy-go-lucky attitude to life, and his confidence and optimism often leads others to believe in him. Like many of us, Del Boy just wants to live comfortably, and many of his tricky situations arise as a result of his attempts to get rich quick. Through all of his schemes and ideas, however, he simply just wants to provide for his family.

You know everything you need to know about the “situation” of this brilliantly written and brilliantly true to life comedy from the title alone. As a couple, Pete and Sue have their ups and downs, but they also clearly love each other, and their family. But on an individual level, they are both dog tired, overworked, and unhappy with the career paths they've taken. Busy, frantic, and contributing to more than a few grey hairs, the life of the Brockmans is something we can all relate to whether we have little ones or not.

The most “inbetween” of the in-between gang, this awkward and eager-to-please character is similar to so many of us. When it’s not his embarrassing parents and banterous buddies causing him some sort of plight, it’s Simon's undying love and subsequent misfortune with Carli D’Amato. Like his nerdy, briefcase-carrying mate, Will, Simon is considerably more level-headed than Jay and Neil, but he is much more relatable due to his self-consciousness, his proneness to going on profanity-filled tirades. And somehow, that crumby first car of his only adds to his relatability.

We could be discussing David Brent, but he's someone we're more likely to know, than be. Thankfully. We're really spoiled for choice with the staff of Wernham Hogg, but Tim Canterbury is particularly worthy of examination. It's just his laid-back demeanour, expressions of bewilderment and keen eye for finding ways to annoy Gareth that make him more like us than his, let’s say, unique, boss. Although he dropped out of Uni, he shares the struggle for many modern-day graduates – still living with his parents and feeling unfulfilled in his job.

One of the greatest and most realistic comedy characters of all time, this 30-something is haunted by his struggles with women and his hopeless roommate, Jez. On the surface, Mark is bitter, two-faced and angry, but he has an unspoken devotion for his best mate. As well as this, he tries his hardest to fit in and look cool when it suits him — more often than not failing miserably — and has a rebellious side that comes out in wonderful bursts. Like it or not, we are all a bit Corrigan.