Steve Coogan

In Alan Partridge's Scissored Isle, Alan set out to make amends for calling someone a chav. He began in Manchester, "spiritual home of the needy", and so it was always going to get worse. Whether quizzing a freegan with relentless untact on what he would actually eat - "An egg in a sock? A condom full of grapes?" or pondering his recurring anxiety dream - "stuck in a lift with Diane Abbot" - he still represents flawed humanity at one of its most extreme ends, with an exuberant lack of self-awareness.

After being taken to task for offensive comments about a guest on his radio show, Alan is seeking redemption. To that end, he has embarked on this magnificently self-serving journey through divided Britain. Along the way, he gains the trust of a Manchester street gang by accidentally taking ecstasy, attempts some Roger Cook-style doorstepping and gets locked in a warehouse after a scavenging trip with a freegan goes wrong. Textbook Partridge; to quote his (sadly pulped) memoir, Alan keeps bouncing back.

Alan Partridge - Scissored Isle, Sky Atlantic, review

There were shades of Bill Grundy with the Sex Pistols as the pompous Partridge struggled to control a studio full of lippy youths.

Preview: Alan Partridge's Scissored Isle

Produced by regular Baby Cow collaborators Dave Lambert and Ted Dowd, the special sees Alan tackle Broken Britain in a bid to fix his broken career. But given the high calibre of Past Partridge, does this live up to the rest? TVO took a sneaky peek to find out...

Pictures: Steve Coogan has blazing row with girlfriend

Pictures of Steve Coogan, 50, and Downton Abbey star Daisy Lewis, 30, have now emerged showing the pair having the emotional argument in Soho.

Comics with spectacular ha-ha homes

There are turrets and timbers, thatched roofs, private moorings and even an island. One home even has a secret garage, another boasts a 400-year-old walled garden. Yes, the titans of the comedy world have done rather nicely out of making people laugh.

Scissored Isle: Partridge's funny journey of redemption

Steve Coogan's new offering takes Alan into the hip new world of documentarymaking - but he's just as wonderfully awkward as ever, says Kasia Delgado.

Steve Coogan lashes out at Top Gear trio

"We're very careful not to do that sort of bullying comedy." he said. "Which is picking on people who are weak, those who are genuinely weak, genuinely dispossessed or are genuinely victims. That's important, otherwise that would be bullying, and we'll leave that to the old presenters of Top Gear."

Steve Coogan: my family values

The actor and comedian talks about growing up in a happy, boisterous family and becoming a father at a difficult time in his life.