09 October 2023 , 18:30
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Steve Coogan returns to our screens tonight to play disgraced presenter Jimmy Savile - a role he did "not take lightly. The Reckoning, on BBC One, will detail Savile's grotesque crimes.
Coogan has come a long way from his stand-up shows and beloved Alan Partridge character, branching out into acting and appearing on screen alongside film legends, like Judi Dench. The father-of-one has been has been in the limelight for decades, and dated models, well-known actresses and even had a fling with a rock star.
Coogan has been pictured often at showbiz soirees with his arm around glamorous women, and his roles in Hollywood blockbusters alongside smaller projects has ensured he's worth millions. Born in Lancashire, Coogan rose to prominence in 1980s as a voice actor for the politician-blasting puppet show Spitting Image.
In the early 1990s he launched comedy character Alan Partridge on BBC Radio 4 comedy On The Hour, and later with his own spoof radio chat show Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge. Coogan has continued to portray Partridge over the years in radio shows, on TV and and even on the silver screen with movie Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, in 2013.
Steve Coogan and Daisy Lewis (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)
Steve Coogan and Caroline Hickman (Alan Davidson/REX/Shutterstock)He reprised the much-loved comedy character with This Time with Alan Partridge, which mocked topical TV shows such as The One Show. Alongside his role as Partridge, Coogan has also acted alongside Rob Brydon as a fictionalised version of himself in beloved sitcom The Trip.
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He has acted in a slew of successful films, both serious and comic, playing a Roman soldier in Night at the Museum and a journalist helping an Irish mother, played by Judy Dench, track down her son, in Philomena. In 2018, he won huge praise for his portrayal of Stanley Laurel against John C Reily's Oliver Hardy, in Stan & Ollie, a film about the iconic double act.
The following year, he played a billionaire fashion mogul, loosely modelled on Topshop mogul Philip Green, in the Michael Winterbottom film Greed. He has won and been nominated for a flurry of awards, including an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for Philomena, and winning Best Male Performance in a Comedy Role at BAFTAs, for The Trip.
Thanks to his long career, Coogan is, according to Celebrity Net Worth, worth $25million, which equates to around £19million. As well as his acting and writing credentials, Coogan has hit the headlines for his relationships with a bevvy of famous women. In 2002, Coogan married British socialite Caroline Hickman, but the pair divorced in 2005, with Hickman saying the marriage had irretrievably broken down.
Steve Coogan and Loretta Basey (Richard Young/REX/Shutterstock)
Laura Hajek and Steve Coogan (Richard Young/REX/Shutterstock)The same year Coogan's divorce was granted, he had a brief two-week fling with Hole singer Courtney Love, now 57, who was married to Nirvana rocker Kurt Cobain. In January 2022, Love called the rendezvous "one of my life's great shames" on social media. In the post the musician criticised her solo record America's Sweetheart, writing: "Like Steve Coogan, or crack, it’s one of my life’s great shames."
In 2008, it was revealed that Coogan was dating actress and restaurant heiress China Chow, who is nine years younger than him. Chow is the daughter of Michael Chow, known for the Mr Chow restaurant chain. A source told Mail Online that he was "absolutely smitten and hasn't even looked twice at another girl in months", but the pair ended their relationship after three years.
The unlikely lothario moved in with underwear model Elle Basey, 24 years his junior, after the pair met while he was guest editing Loaded magazine as Alan Partridge. Coogan posed with Elle in a photoshoot, while she wore black underwear, stockings and suspenders. The pair dated between 2011 and 2014, sharing Coogan's house in Brighton.
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In 2019, Coogan split with Let's Do Lunch presenter Melanie Sykes, 51, after 10 months, amid rumours of commitment issues. The pair were first linked after meeting at a launch party for his film Stan & Ollie, however Mel reportedly decided to pull the plug. In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, a source close to Mel said the former talk show host felt she had no option but to end the relationship as she saw her hopes of settling down fade away.
“Mel is gutted it didn’t work out - but although she is disappointed, she is not that surprised,” the source claimed. She was worried that he wasn’t committing and wasn’t keen on family stuff or getting too involved with her two teenage sons,” the source went on. Coogan has also dated actress Laura Hajek, Downtown Abbey cast member Daisy Lewis and Nancy Sorrell, before she married comedian Vic Reeves in 2003.
Coogan has a grown-up daughter, Claire, from a four year relationship with solicitor Anna Cole in the 1990s. The star looks unrecognisable when he has been spotted filming the Jimmy Savile drama. Last November, the award-winner was pictured with bleached blonde hair and a maroon tracksuit on a North Wales beach as filming commenced.
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The actor previously pictured filming in Bolton, greater Manchester, wearing a jester costume. The decision to chronicle Savile's crimes came under fire with many hitting out at the BBC, where the sick TV presenter spent many years of his career before his death ten years ago.
Coogan previously said about taking on the role: "To play Jimmy Savile was not a decision I took lightly. Neil McKay has written an intelligent script tackling sensitively a horrific story which, however harrowing, needs to be told." However, the BBC confirmed to viewers they have been working closely with the many people whose lives were impacted by Savile to ensure their stories are told with sensitivity and respect.
The BBC had defended their decision to create the series and said it was an important story to tell to "ensure such crimes never happen again". Executive producer Jeff Pope said: "Steve has a unique ability to inhabit complex characters and will approach this role with the greatest care and integrity."