Steve Coogan has agreed with comparisons between Richard Madeley and his fictional TV host Alan Partridge, and revealed another celebrity who he believes is like the comedy character.
Partridge is known for his lack of tact and social awkwardness, with Richard long being famed for his ‘Accidental Partridge’ moments.
And in an interview with BBC Breakfast on Thursday, Steve also said he reckoned another former Good Morning Britain presenter bared a likeness to Partridge.
“I suppose if you fused Richard Madeley with Piers Morgan, you might get close to who Partridge is at the moment,” he told hosts Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt.
“I think Alan likes to think of himself as cutting edge and edgy and relevant.”
Steve also revealed that many presenters now help inspire what his character gets up to.
“Almost every presenter has had a Partridge moment, and I sort of galvanise that and chuck it into a bucket marked ‘Partridge’ and regurgitate it,” he said.
Charlie noted how being compared to Alan Partridge had become “a badge of honour”, Steve said: “He started out as a buffoon and now there’s sort of a bit of affection for him. So although he’s misguided and ill-informed, he’s not nasty and he’s not wicked. He tries to do the right thing.
“When people laugh at Partridge, I think people see a slightly inept uncle or their parents’ generation getting things slightly wrong.”
Last year, Richard finally revealed what he makes of the constant Partridge comparisons.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, he said he thinks it is “actually quite funny”, but does sometimes think the things he says or does are “unfairly” taken out of context.
“I honestly don’t care at all – it’s actually quite funny. It’s part and parcel of the job I do,” he said.
“It’s so important that you don’t take yourself seriously, because you’re not gonna have a good time if you do.
“Judy and I started out on This Morning which isn’t really hard news. I don’t go to war zones, I do popular television, which on the whole is pretty pointless, it’s just entertainment. It doesn’t mean you’re remotely important or interesting.”
The I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! contestant added: “If people wanna take what I say – a quip or a comment – and compare me to Alan Partridge – good luck to them. I think some quotes are often taken so ludicrously out of context that it’s a bit unfair.”
In recent times, Richard has served up a number of so-called Accidental Partridges as a guest presenter on Good Morning Britain.
One such moment saw him trying to talk to a guest via video-link, not realising they were actually sitting next to him, while another saw him call daughter Chloe “an accident”.
BBC Breakfast airs daily from 6am on BBC One and BBC News.