List of The Brittas Empire Characters - Carol Parkinson

Carol Parkinson is Brittas's unfortunate and often tearful receptionist.

She is a loving mother to her three children, whom she keeps in the drawers and cupboards in the reception area, where she also lives. She is unfortunate in the sense nothing ever seems to go right for her, and despite having creative talents, her ambitions as a pianist and author never work out, nor does she ever have any happy romantic relationships. Early in the series, and her husband (who appears once briefly in series one) ran off to Spain with her best friend.

Brittas tries to help Carol, however his tactless advice only ever manages to upset her further. Brittas also inexplicably sees Carol as aging and unattractive, and commonly makes remarks along these lines. Unbeknownst to Brittas, however, he is the father to two Carol's children. This is hinted at several times in the second series and finally confirmed to the characters and viewers in the final episode of that series. Carol's parenting standards are a humorous subplot in the series - for example, she often stores her young children in desk drawers or cupboards to either hide them or keep them well-behaved.

It is thought that Carol finally finds happiness in series five when she moves away with an Austrian man named Von Trapp, however he also has an affair; the excuse given to return Carole to Whitbury Leisure Centre for an unexpected sixth series.

Carol appears in all episodes of the series. Her questionable methods of looking after her children and her frazzled and tearful nature are her most memorable characteristics. She is fired by Brittas in series 3 after repeated warnings not to keep her children in the reception desk, but after Laura puts a word in, is accepted back into the Centre with a new job title, "Manageress of the Creche."