It's good to talk about things that are often seen as taboo...

Steve Coogan discusses how Alan Partridge becomes a mental health champion for the middle-aged in his

- 

Partners in crime: Alan with assistant Lynn, played

tation isn't really there. You've got people on air precisely because they might say something a bit daft - the kind of thing that becomes memeable content.

“So now, when we write Alan, we have to build jeopardy into the premise, put him on a sort of high wire. And mental health, of course, is a subject he knows very little about. That made it feel risky, even a bit frightening for us too, which gave it a strong engine to drive the comedy.”

Steve adds that they are constantly having to make judgment calls about where to draw the line.

“We're quite careful,” he says.

“I think it’s a judgment call, because it's good to talk about things that are often seen as taboo, not just to be provocative, but because you can actually shine a light on them and be more honest in some ways by using Alan. That feels worthwhile.