BACK OF THE NET – Orion has acquired a second book by Alan Partridge, the former BBC chat show host, sometime sports correspondent, current North Norfolk Digital DJ and wholly fictional comic creation of Steve Coogan named ‘man of the moment’ by TV Quick Magazine in 1994. The as yet untitled book will be, according to The Bookseller, ‘a collection of diary entries, letters, “think pieces” and programme and business ideas.’ PARTRIDGE THINK PIECES. If we’re lucky there might even be some hot takes. As was the case with Partridge’s earlier memoir – I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan – the book will be, uh, co-written with Coogan, Rob Gibbons and Neil Gibbons. It is scheduled for publication in October 2016.

Partridge’s first big break came in 1991 as sports reporter on Radio 4’s On The Hour. He followed that show’s host, Chris Morris, to BBC Two’s The Day Today in 1992 in the same capacity. His subsequent ABBA-inspired chat show, Knowing Me, Knowing You, came to an ignominious early end when he accidentally shot dead a guest with a duelling pistol previously owned by Lord Byron.

He soon bounced back, however, finding a semi-permanent home at the Linton Travel Tavern and the third best slot on Radio Norwich. There followed in short order a mental breakdown culminating in a despondent, barefoot, automotive Toblerone binge, a move into a static caravan and the love of a 33 year old Ukrainian named Sonja who found nothing funnier than a fake egg in a bap. Most recently he was seen in the 2013 film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa dealing with a hostage situation at North Norfolk Digital. He remains a fan of soft rock cocaine enthusiasts Fleetwood Mac.

I, Partridge was published by HarperCollins in 2011, with assistance from the aforementioned Coogan, Gibbonses and Armando Iannucci. It is also available as an essential audiobook read by the author, and contains such scandalous revelations as the time Partridge got drunk on sake with Sally Gunnell and she dared him to chuck a bin through a shop window.