alex harkinson, played by ben nealon, is the estranged son of derek harkinson (ian lavender). he has not seen his father since he walked out on his mother, cynthia, to live with another man, robert (paul antony-barber), when alex was eight years old. when derek's friend pauline fowler (wendy richard) goes to alex's house to speak to him. alex, not knowing that his father is gay, assumes that pauline is the woman for whom derek had left cynthia, and tells her to leave. alex's sister mary (mary woodvine) later visits derek on boxing day 2003, and is followed by alex, who berates her and argues with derek, but later relents and introduces him to his son, danny (josh alexander).