Steve Coogan returning to TV screens as Alan Partridge in the 'next couple of months'

Steve Coogan has confirmed that he will be returning as Alan Partridge in a new BBC One show - which focuses on mental health - in the "next couple of months".

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Steve Coogan has confirmed that Alan Partridge will be back on TV screens soon
Steve Coogan has confirmed that Alan Partridge will be back on TV screens soon

Alan Partridge will be back on TV in the "next couple of months".

Fans last saw Steve Coogan's hapless broadcaster alter-ego on the BBC One series 'This Time with Alan Partridge' - which saw him step in as a guest presenter for a popular TV show - in 2021.

Now, the 59-year-old actor has revealed a series called 'How Are You? It's Alan Partridge' has finished filming and is about mental health.

He told Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett on the latest episode of their 'Dish from Waitrose' podcast: "We've done a TV series, it's called [in Alan Partridge's voice] 'How Are You? It's Alan Partridge'.

"But, it's about mental health, actually.

"Alan's trying to jump on the mental health bandwagon.

"He knows that he can get back on TV if he talks about something important.”

When asked when the show will air, he added: "Well, this year.

"I mean,[the] next couple of months, I think.

"We're editing it now, so…"

Steve admitted that he once felt "saddled" performing as the character but now does so through choice.

The comedian: "There was a time when I felt like saddled with it.

"So, when I do Partridge, I do it through choice. Not because I have to.

"I'm doing some stuff at the moment, and it does make me laugh, so … I make notes in my phone, I think, I have a funny idea.

"I'm on the train, and I'm chuckling to myself.

"I will laugh at myself as a Partridge comes into my head, and put it in my phone, on my own.

"Or I'll look in a shop window and think about, I might say, 'Oh, what would Alan say about that?'

"I'm still doing it now thirty years later, so it's like a condition now."

Last year, the BBC confirmed the six-part show will follow Alan as he settles back into life in the UK following a year living in Saudi Arabia.

An announcement from the BBC teased: "What begins as a documentary about homecoming soon morphs into something more personal, as Alan realises that the happiness he thought he’d feel at being back in Norwich just hasn’t materialised. Something’s missing."

Alan will then go "on a quest to understand his funk" exploring topics such as home life, work, relationships and nature and how they "play a part in keeping us funk-free".

The synopsis added: "And if he ends up being seen as a mental health champion for the middle-aged, who’s also a good fit to present other issues-led documentary strands, so be it."