Editing Mark Corrigan (section)

=== Background ===
According to the class reunion invite in "Handyman," Mark was born in 1973. He attended Exbourne School in Shropshire until his father's British Aerospace shares crashed, forcing him to transfer to the state-run Fitzalan Comprehensive School. This abrupt shift from public to state school is believed to have left him somewhat socially damaged. He later attended the University of Dartmouth, where, despite his desire to study ancient history, his family compelled him to pursue business studies. His middle name, Hugh, is subtly revealed in the last episode of series four, "Wedding," spoken nearly inaudibly by the priest beneath a voiceover.

==== Family ====
Mark has a sister, [[Sarah Corrigan|Sarah]], a solicitor who shares many of his social shortcomings. He often thinks fearfully of his parents, particularly his controlling and bullying father. Mark has at least once deceased grandparent ("grandad," mentioned in Dance Class) and an uncle Lance (mentioned in Seasonal Beatings) but it is not clear if they are Corrigans or from his mother's side.

==== Friends ====
Mark lives with his best friend Jeremy, and together they call themselves the "El Dude Brothers," a name dating back to their university days. This nickname is now typically invoked when one of them seeks the other's support, often against better judgment.

In the second series, Mark briefly befriends a colleague named Daryl, who turns out to be a racist. Mark claims Daryl is the first friend he made since Nick Bickford in 1996. Around this time, he and Jeremy were also friends with Pej.

Mark's boss at JLB Credit is [[Alan Johnson]], a charismatic yet domineering figure who seems to view Mark as a protégé. Sophie Chapman, whom Mark met at JLB Credit, transitions from being the object of his neurotic affections to his brief, reluctant wife. After a long falling out, they become friends and co-parents to their son, Ian. Mark also befriends [[Dobby (Peep Show)|Dobby]] and [[Gerrard Matthew|Gerrard]], forming a love triangle. He has a relationship with Dobby, but they split when she gets a job in New York.

Mark is very much a social reject; he is paranoid about nearly everything, overthinks situations (usually to the worst conclusion), and endlessly worries about wanting to seem normal—a goal he never quite achieves. His constant anxiety about this suggests he has accepted that he is not normal. Throughout the first two series, he obsesses over Sophie, and in the third and fourth series, he worries about their deteriorating relationship. Much of the fifth series is spent fretting over the stigma of being a 'jilter.'

==== Sexuality ====
In Series 1, Episode 4, Mark ponders whether he has developed a homosexual crush on Alan Johnson, then only a visiting speaker at JLB. To explore this side of his personality, Mark rents gay pornography but ultimately concludes that he is "possibly bi, but basically un-curious." Alan eventually becomes Mark's boss, and Mark remains paranoid about his potential feelings for him.

Mark is highly sexually frustrated and somewhat repressed. He is disgusted by Jeremy's licentious views (if not always practices) on casual sex and kinky behavior. Initially, his sexual anxiety was partly due to a testicular hydrocele, which made him paranoid. Although the swelling was reduced by surgery, his fear that women will be unimpressed with his genitals persists.

==== Beliefs ====
Mark's political stance is somewhat unclear. He is a socially conservative individual who critiques political correctness and feels uneasy about drug culture and open discussions about sexuality. He supports the idea of "consumer capitalism." In the second series, he suggests a fondness for Tony Blair, but by the fourth series, he is doubtful about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. By the fifth series, he comments that "nobody wanted New Labour" and shows admiration for Liberal Democrat Paddy Ashdown.

Despite often criticizing religious believers, he has been observed praying during moments of extreme distress.

A recurring joke is Mark's habit of thinking that each woman he dates is "the one," only to later find out he has no true feelings for her. This is particularly noticeable in Series 5, where he describes almost every love interest (most of whom appear for only one episode) as "the one." Mark also tends to believe that minor details and objects will either ruin or enhance his life. Another running joke is his tendency to use relationships with women as a means to get back at others or to convince himself that he can maintain a relationship. It is not clear who is older between him and Jeremy, as no details about their ages or birthdates are provided

==== Relationships ====
Mark's infatuation and relationship with Sophie is a central focus of the first four series. After their disastrous wedding and subsequent divorce, he dates several other women during Series 5, each time wondering if she might be "the one." Following a one-night stand with Sophie after their breakup, she becomes pregnant and later gives birth to Mark's son, Ian James.

Mark's next significant relationship is with Dobby, whom he meets at JLB. Similar to his experience with Sophie, Mark gradually grows closer to Dobby and eventually starts a relationship with her. However, Dobby eventually leaves him for a job in New York. She returns in Series 9 with a new boyfriend and a more positive outlook, but Mark finds himself uninterested in her new persona.

In Series 9, Mark tries to rekindle a connection with [[April Danecroft|April]], whom he briefly knew years earlier, and nearly succeeds in starting an affair with her. However, he ultimately fails in the series finale when she discovers that he allowed Jeremy and [[Super Hans]] to hold her husband captive in their flat.

==== Interests ====
Mark's primary passion is history, particularly ancient history and World War II. He has a fascination with Nazism, participating in Nazi soldier reenactments, watching films like ''Das Boot'', and playing WWII-themed computer games. It is implied that his grandfather died during World War II. He has also read the book ''Stalingrad''.

As an avid amateur historian, Mark has always regretted not studying ancient history at university, having pursued business studies instead. He enjoys playing chess and has an interest in pop-philosophy, claiming he gets his "brain training from Sudoku and Alain de Botton's weekly podcast."

Mark authored the book ''Business Secrets of the Pharaohs'', which was published by the vanity press British London, who misspelled his name as "Mark Crorigan" on the cover. While Mark threatens to sue for damages, he also expresses a desire to write his next book on "Napoleon and the internet."

Mark and Jeremy share an interest in many mainstream TV shows and films. Mark enjoys ''The Apprentice'' and ''Grand Designs'', though he often pretends to be interested in more highbrow subjects, like the Victorian Arts and Crafts movement.