Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge returns to screens tonight in brand new show This Time with Alan Partridge. The actor has starred in major films like Philomena and Stan & Ollie but has returned to his award-winning character for six 30-minute episodes. But is Steve Coogan dating presenter Melanie Sykes?
According to The Sun, friends of Mel, 48, said she is “mad keen” on the Alan Partridge comic, 53.
The pair has reportedly spent a weekend at his country home.
The Sun reports the duo started dating after they met at a launch party for his film Stan & Ollie and immediately hit it off.
A source told The Sun: “She found him utterly charming — and, of course, really funny.
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“People who know them have been joking about how well Steve has done — and even using DJ Alan Partridge’s catchphrase ‘Back of the net!’
“They have been taking it slowly but last weekend they spent the whole weekend together.
She went down to his place in Sussex and came back saying it had gone really well.
“The weekend together was a bit of a test of whether the relationship has legs — and it seems it has.
“Mel seems pretty smitten and head over heels with him. She’s been talking about him a lot to her friends.
“They are both from similar backgrounds and originally come from the Manchester area, so have a lot in common.”
Melanie is best known for co-hosting Today with Des and Mel alongside Des O’Connor on ITV and Let’s Do Lunch with Gino D’Acampo.
The source said: “Mel has been totally won over by his charm.
“She is a Partridge fan and has said that Steve is a heck of a lot more suave and charming than his character — and a lot better with the ladies.
“And it’s not hard to see why he would be keen on Mel.
“She is really bubbly and good fun — and is drop-dead gorgeous in the flesh.”
This Time with Alan Partridge is on BBC One tonight at 9.30pm.