THE DIARY
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Susanna Reid will be thrilled when she learns her “straight-faced indignations” inspired a new Alan Partridge series.
Piers Morgan – and, indeed, this week’s Good Morning Britain stand-in Richard Madeley – probably less so.
Actress Susannah Fielding stars as Alan Partridge’s co-presenter Jennie Gresham on a spoof of
The One Show in an episode of This Time With Alan Partridge.
During the broadcast Jennie struggles to cope with Alan’s style of presenting. And Susannah says she modelled her weary mannerisms on the GMB host.
The 33-year-old actress explains: “Susanna Reid is a God in terms of her patience levels.
“But it’s that fine balance between keeping the smile on, but also controlling him – but not being able to say anything and actually being able to shut him down. That was fun to play. I did quite a lot of research and there were quite a lot of women trying to not let on how disappointed they are with their on-screen partner.
“Quite a few, amazingly. That was quite helpful.
“I did study quite a lot of Susanna Reid’s straight-faced indignations.”
In the new BBC series, which starts on February 25, Alan, played by 53-year-old comedian Steve Coogan, appears to return to the BBC as a stand-in to appeal to the “disenfranchised” people of Britain.
Susannah reveals that there is “some sort of sexual tension between them”.
But she adds that Jennie is “way, way cleverer than him…
“And she does have a lot of control over him.”