Lynn Anne Benfield was Alan Partridge's personal assistant.
Biography[]
Benfield had worked for Partridge since the 1990s. Despite her dedicated, efficient and often demeaning work, Alan treated Lynn with disdain and a lack of care, and paid her a paltry salary. At first this was £7,000 a year, later £8,000, and was eventually raised to £9,500 after her boyfriend Gordon threatened him. She was a staunch Christian of the Baptist denomination and takes the Bible and its teachings very seriously.
Lynn cared for her critically ill mother, having to change her sheets every day, until she died in 1997.
Personality and political beliefs[]
Lynn had a timid but well-meaning and friendly personality, but harboured certain outdated concepts and strong opinions, namely homophobia and a hint of xenophobia (when discussing the ethnicity of Jesus Christ). Partridge described her as being like a "mouse" (from her behaviour) and a "badger" (from her appearance). She was often submissive when told-off or insulted by Alan. Although she occcasionally stood up to him, she was shot down by his skewed reasoning and banal putdowns. Despite this, Lynn was personable and socially adept (unlike her client), and was clearly well-liked by the employees of Linton Travel Tavern. Lynn was very prudish with language, sex and non-Baptist activities or beliefs, but came across overall as an agreeable and pragmatic woman with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of patience and tact. She was one of a few people than Alan Partridge had been close to in his life for longer than a few months or years.