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Alan Partridge is a Trojan horse for taboo subjects, says Coogan
The Guardian
|September 23, 2025
Alan Partridge has become a Trojan horse to talk about taboo subjects that make people feel anxious, Steve Coogan has said.
The hapless TV presenter is returning to the BBC in How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge) - a new series featuring his return to the UK after doing promotional work in Saudi Arabia and attempting to rebuild his career via a documentary about mental health.
It has been four years since Partridge last appeared on the BBC.
Coogan said he and his co-writers brought the character back when there was something to say about British culture and society.
The actor said Partridge was a "good conduit" to discuss popular culture and difficult topics, or to say things that were "perhaps taboo or would be difficult to talk about" as a private person.
This story is from the September 23, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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