Partridge and Farage would get on like a house on fire, says Coogan

Alan Partridge and former Ukip leader Nigel Farage would get on “like a house on fire”, the comedy character’s creator Steve Coogan has said.

Coogan is set to bring the radio DJ back to the BBC in new series This Time with Alan Partridge, which started filming this month.

He said the fictional broadcaster had evolved since he started playing him 25 years ago.

The 52-year-old said: “The world’s changed and he’s changed too because people do try and evolve and lots of people who perhaps were 0 Alan Partridge’s creator Steve Coogan less tolerant grow to be more tolerant.”

Coogan said Conservativevoting Partridge, who will host magazine show This Time on the new programme, may have been tempted to vote Ukip in recent elections.

He said: “I think if he had a pint with Nigel Farage, they’d get on like a house on fire.

“I think he would have struggled long and hard and I think he would probably have opted [to vote] for Conservatives.”

Coogan, who joined Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on the campaign trail before last year’s election, said: “Alan feels like on balance they’re the best choice, he doesn’t hate the Labour Party.”

The new series will see Partridge getting a big break when he takes over as a co-presenter on the current affairs programme after the usual host falls ill.