S6 EP1: Steve Coogan on falling out of love with Alan Partridge, playing Jimmy Savile, and sobriety  

The Louis Theroux Podcast

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Tuesday, 7 October 2025 - 1 hour 14 minutes

Louis sits down with writer, actor and comedian Steve Coogan in the first episode of the new series. Steve discusses falling in and out of love with Alan Partridge, literally wearing Jimmy Savile’s shoes in ‘The Reckoning’, and being sober after his ‘delayed adolescence’. Warning: 1970s mother-in-law jokes are included. 

Warnings: Strong language and adult themes. If you’ve been affected by the topics discussed in this episode, Spotify have a website for information and resources. Visit spotify.com/resources  

Links/Attachments: 

TV Show: ‘On the Hour’ (1991 – 1992) - BBC Radio 4 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008pcbq  

TV Show: ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ (1994 - 1995) - BBC  

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108828/  

TV Show: ‘I’m Alan Partridge' (1997 – 2002) - BBC  

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129690/  

TV Show: ‘Alan Partridge’s Mid Morning Matters’ (2010 – 2016) 

https://tv.apple.com/gb/episode/episode-1/umc.cmc.6t24k6qmgn78pjfz5iueck40u?showId=umc.cmc.9x6rfy298smgramzarjelucq&action=playSmartEpisode  

Philomena (2013) 

https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/philomena/umc.cmc.65o05voqje46icxfetp55hwcb?action=play  

TV Show: ‘The Reckoning’ (2023) - BBC 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0g4swnr/the-reckoning  

TV Show: ‘How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge)’ (upcoming show) - BBC 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002hcbk  

Book: Easily Distracted, Steve Coogan (2015) 

https://www.waterstones.com/book/easily-distracted/steve-coogan/9780099585930  

TV show: ‘The Thick of It’ (2005 – 2012) - BBC 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b006qgrd/the-thick-of-it  

TV Show: ‘Veep’ (2012 – 2019) - HBO 

https://tv.apple.com/gb/episode/fundraiser/umc.cmc.ytcqma5k9ovyykhsnnm9asnk?showId=umc.cmc.5ir3dmyl42miy9h2gxvz551ql&action=playSmartEpisode  

TV Show: ‘Blankety Blank’ (1979 – 1990) - BBC 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m0010b7c/blankety-blank  

Les Dawson playing piano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nNGlaiVypU 

TV Show: ‘Spitting Image’ (1984 – 1996)  - ITV 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086807/  

TV Show: ‘Blackadder’ (1983 - 1989) - ITV  

https://www.itv.com/watch/blackadder/2a7295  

TV Show: ‘Not the Nine O’Clock News’ (1979 – 1982) - BBC   

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080253/  

TV Show: ‘The Trip’ (2010 - 2020) - BBC  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b04v5fy3/the-trip  

TV Show: ‘When Louis met...’ [Jimmy Savile Episode] (2000 – 2002) - BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0g3zjn9/when-louis-met-series-1-jimmy-savile  

Louis Theroux: Savile (2016) - BBC 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07yc9zh  

Jimmy Savile & Steve Coogan 1989 clip:  

https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/celebrity/steve-coogan-jimmy-savile-impression-201622-20231021  

Book: In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile, Dan Davies (2015) https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/in-plain-sight-book-dan-davies-9781782067467  

TV Show: Des (2020) - ITV 

https://www.itv.com/watch/des/2a7844  

TV Show: ‘Appropriate Adult’ (2011) - ITV 

https://www.itv.com/watch/appropriate-adult/1a6304  

TV Show: ‘Foyle’s War’ (2002 – 2015) 

https://www.itv.com/watch/foyles-war/25410  

A Beautiful Mind (2002) 

https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/a-beautiful-mind/umc.cmc.2iqk0c0jh9ocfk2jtv2yda0k1?action=play

Credits: 

Producer: Millie Chu  

Assistant Producer: Maan al-Yasiri 

Production Manager: Francesca Bassett  

Music: Miguel D’Oliveira  

Audio Mixer: Tom Guest 

Video Mixer: Scott Edwards  

Shownotes compiled by Elly Young 

Executive Producer: Arron Fellows  

A Mindhouse Production for Spotify  

www.mindhouse.co.uk  

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