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 new series.

- By LYNN RUSK

Partners in crime: Alan with assistant Lynn, played Felicity Montagu

IT’S been 34 years since Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci created Alan Partridge, a parody of British television personalities.

Since his debut in 1991 on the Radio 4 series On the Hour, Partridge has appeared in television series, books, podcasts, and on film.

Now, after a four-year hiatus, Steve and his co-writers Neil and Rob Gibbons have brought the veteran presenter back in a new series, How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge).

The BBC show follows Partridge returning to the UK after doing promotional work in Saudi Arabia, as he attempts to rebuild his career through a documentary about mental health.

Steve, 59, says he enjoys reinventing and playing the character, as it offers a way to explore taboo topics.

“I like doing it,” says the actor and comedian, who was born in Middleton in Greater Manchester.

“It's quite a good conduit to talk about popular culture and things that are difficult, or to say things that are perhaps taboo or would be difficult to talk about as a private person.

“Through the character, you can say things or explore issues that might otherwise be problematic. There was an appetite for that, and we felt like doing it.

“We tend to return to it when we want to, really. Obviously, we're happy if the BBC or anyone else wants it, but generally, it’s on our terms. And this time, we just felt like being funny with Alan again.”

The Cheshire-born Gibbons brothers, who also co-directed the series, say they decided to explore the theme of mental health to help Partridge make his comeback in British media.