10 October 2023 , 19:00
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He is most famously known for playing politically incorrect and socially inept TV presenter Alan Partridge, and now actor Steve Coogan has taken his career down a different path, portraying one of the most notorious paedophiles and sex offenders in British criminal history, Jimmy Savile. In BBC's new drama The Reckoning, which started last night, Coogan put his "overwhelming sense of revulsion" to one side to take on the serious role.
The 57-year-old comedian has been in the spotlight for decades and as well as his acting and writing credentials, Coogan has hit the headlines for his relationships with models, well-known actresses and singers. The father-of-one has been pictured at events and showbiz soirees with his arm around glamorous women, and he's even had a fling with a famous rock star.
Coogan with his then-wife Caroline Hickman in 2004 before their marriage broke down (Alan Davidson/REX/Shutterstock)
He dated underwear model Elle Basey in 2014, who was more than 20 years younger (Richard Young/REX/Shutterstock)In 2002, Coogan married British socialite Caroline Hickman, but the pair divorced in 2005, with Hickman saying the marriage had irretrievably broken down. 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 2021, 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." Asked about the romance claims, Coogan once said: "Some of it was true, most of it was b*****ks. To borrow the title of the film, it was 20 per cent c***, and 80 per cent bull."
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.
Singer Courtney Love called her fling with Coogan 'one of my life's great shames' in 2021 (Getty)
Melanie Sykes and Coogan dated for less than a year and split over rumoured commitment issues (Dave Benett/Getty Images)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. 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.
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness
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."
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. It is unknown if the British comic is currently in a relationship or married, as he has kept his love life largely private in the last couple of years.
The Reckoning is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer.