Steve Mitchell
Embassy Security Guard — played by Ben Keenan
| Born | c. 1988 |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Security guard |
| Employer | Foreign and Commonwealth Office |
| Former occupation | Rugby Sevens referee (international level) |
| Known for | Charm; a famously outdated grasp of embassy procedure |
Early Life
Little is documented about Mitchell's upbringing beyond an athletic career that saw him referee Rugby Sevens at international level.
Career
After his refereeing career wound down, Mitchell charmed his way into an entry-level post in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Security Guard programme — a role that plays to his genuine gift for handling people, and not at all to his handling of firearms, from which he is kept strictly away. He is known to lean heavily on an embassy procedures manual last updated in 1997.
Personal Life
Mitchell is well liked by colleagues, particularly his guard partner Janelle Sampson, and is generally regarded as easygoing to the point of laziness on procedure — a trait offset, so far, by genuine charm and humour that has smoothed over more embassy crises than he is typically given credit for.
Role in Rank
Mitchell's laid-back competence is put directly to the test by Dr Rashid's arrival, forcing a running question over whether charisma alone is still enough once the stakes stop being trivial.