Steve Coogan

Video: Alan Partridge does Comic Relief sketch

Steve Coogan's spoof DJ character releases preview clip of sketch to be shown on Red Nose Day, BBC One.

The build-up has been going on for weeks with everything from a "rude road trip" by the stars of The Inbetweeners to Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton's daring Battersea Power Station highwire act, and a gruelling challenge that saw nine stars trek for five days across the Kaisut desert in Kenya. So, what can top that as the bi-annual charity fundraiser takes over the airwaves tonight?

Well, with a presentation team that includes Michael McIntyre, Lenny Henry, Graham Norton, Fearne Cotton, Jack Whitehall, Kevin Bridges, Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, James Corden and Jack Dee there are certainly lots of laughs in prospect. There's a host of one-off sketches to look forward to from Miranda Hart, Harry Hill, Steve Coogan, Armstrong & Miller and the cast of Outnumbered. There are also Comic Relief spin-offs of MasterChef and The Choir, and special outings for Doctor Who and EastEnders.

As well as all that, there are performances from some of the biggest names in the music industry, including George Michael and Boyzone, and reminders why it's all happening, with reports on how the money raised in previous years has benefited the underprivileged in Africa and here in the UK. Of course, amid all the chaos, everybody's eyes will be fixed on the cash counter clocking up every pound raised by volunteers and fundraisers. In 2009 Comic Relief raised £80 million.

Alan Partridge set for Comic Relief appearance

Steve Coogan's comic creation Alan Partridge is coming back to BBC television, in a one-off special for Comic Relief.

Steve Coogan: Hackers targeted treasure trove of info

The comedian Steve Coogan kept a "treasure trove" of information on a mobile phone which he alleges was targeted by a private investigator working for Rupert Murdoch's News International, a court heard yesterday.

Feud of the Week: Steve Coogan v Jeremy Clarkson

Coogan says that a lot of comedy is about judgment calls and clearly thinks that Clarkson's comic satnav has lost its direction.

Tim Key: Deadpan poet's society

Steve Coogan is a big fan, but Tim Key doesn't do sold-out arenas and TV stand-up - and he loves it when no one laughs at his verse.

Coogan: Top Gear's offensive stereotyping went too far

Comedy can't always be safe, and sometimes entertainers need to challenge social orthodoxies. But 'saying the unsayable' is different from simply recycling offensive cliches about Mexicans.

Steve Coogan attacks Top Gear's 'ignorant' stars

Show's presenters are 'three rich, middle-aged men laughing at poor Mexicans'.

Judge backs Coogan on phone hacking plea

Police have been ordered by a High Court judge to hand over seized documents relating to the alleged hacking of comedian Steve Coogan's mobile phone.

Three episodes in, and this comedy about how American studios set about adapting British TV series isn't getting any better. Matt LeBlanc is actually rather charming as an exaggerated version of himself, although unlike Steve Coogan in The Trip or the brilliantly excruciating guest cameos in Extras, he hasn't been asked to venture very near the knuckle when sending himself up. However, the main problem is that Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig, who play the two British scriptwriters out of their depth in Hollywood, are just plain annoying. All their jokes at the expense of the vain, insincere Americans fall flat because their smug reserve is equally unlikeable. Tonight, LeBlanc and Sean (Mangan) try to bond in Las Vegas.