Stars turn out for Alan Partridge's return | Celebs get a sneak preview of character's comedback © BBC

Stars turn out for Alan Partridge's return

Celebs get a sneak preview of character's comedback

Stars including Ben Elton – above – Noel Gallagher and Alan Yentob turned out to the official launch of This Time with Alan Partridge at BBC Broadcasting House tonight.

Invited guests were treated to two episodes of the new series, which has Norfolk's most embarrassing export co-hosting an early evening magazine show that sounds suspiciously similar to The One Show.

Chortle was there – and we've been sworn to secrecy as to the content of the shows, for now. But Partridge fans will not be disappointed.

Tim Key – above with star Steve Coogan –  returns to Partridge's side as Simon Denton (formerly Sidekick Simon) while  Felicity Montagu reprises her role as personal assistant Lynn.

And The Great Indoors actress Susannah Fielding joins Partridge as his co-host Jennie Gresham.

The new show is written by Coogan and his recent collaborators Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons who co-wrote Mid Morning Matters, the film Alpha Papa and Alan Partridge’s autobiographies.

Here are some of tonight's guests snapped on their arrival:


Noel Gallagher


Greg Davies


Monty Don


The cast of People Just Do Nothing


Miles Jupp

Lucy Pearman and Spencer Jones


Hugh Skinner


Lolly Adefope


Nathan Fielder (from Nathan For You)


Jim Howick, Mathew Baynton (Horrible Histories and more)


Tim Downie (Upstart Crow, Toast Of London)


Tim Renkow

Published: 30 Jan 2019

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