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Steve Coogan secretly dating Melanie Sykes as they spend romantic weekend at his country home
The pair have been secretly dating since they met at a launch party for Coogan's film Stan & Ollie and immediately hit it off
ALAN Partridge star Steve Coogan is dating model and TV presenter Melanie Sykes.
Friends of Mel, 48, say she is “mad keen” on the Alan Partridge comic, 53, after spending a weekend at his country home.
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The pair started dating after they met at a launch party for his film Stan & Ollie and immediately hit it off.
A source said: “She found him utterly charming — and, of course, really funny.
“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.
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“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.”
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And Mel has been delighted to discover Coogan is nothing like the hapless Partridge — who returns on BBC1 tomorrow night.
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.
BAFTAs 2019: Steve Coogan star of Stan & Ollie speaks ahead of film awards do at London's Royal Albert Hall
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“She is really bubbly and good fun — and is drop-dead gorgeous in the flesh.”
Mini-skirted Mel certainly looked dazzling at the Stan & Ollie party at London’s Soho Hotel on January 8, attended by other stars including Les Dennis, John Thomson and Frank Skinner.
She posed for a picture alongside Coogan, smiling with her hand on his shoulder.
The source said: “Mel and Steve really hit it off.
“She looked absolutely stunning and really caught his eye. I don’t think anything happened that night.
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“They got together later. But there was a real connection when they chatted at the event.”
Coogan’s career is on the up in Hollywood. He produced and starred in 2013 film Philomena which won numerous awards including a Bafta.
Stan & Ollie, also Bafta- nominated, tells of an ageing Laurel and Hardy’s attempt to restart their film careers in post-war Britain.
Coogan has won plaudits for his role as Stan Laurel beside American actor John C. Reilly as sidekick Oliver Hardy.
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Partridge, his most famous character — famous for bizarre catchphrases like “Aha!” and “Smell my cheese!” — returns to our screens tomorrow.
In the new show, called This Time With Alan Partridge, the Norwich radio DJ is offered a career break to present a weekday BBC magazine programme based on the One Show.
The source added: “Steve has a lot going on at the moment and his career is going from strength to strength. That is one of the things Mel likes about him.
“Mel is also busy, with a Radio 2 show and fitness and charity work. But they have found time in their schedules to see each other and everything is going brilliantly.”
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Coogan has previously been linked to Canadian model Jacqui de Padoin Goodman, who is 26 years his junior.
He was married to Caroline Hickman from 2002 to 2005, and has a daughter Clare from a previous four-year relationship with solicitor Anna Cole.
The comic’s exes are also said to include US singer Courtney Love and actress Daisy Lewis.
Model Mel shot to fame in the 1997 Boddingtons Cream of Manchester TV advert.
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Since then she has co-hosted ITV’s Today With Des And Mel alongside veteran entertainer Des O’Connor and Let’s Do Lunch with Gino D’Acampo.
She’s also co-hosted comic Alan Carr’s Radio 2 show and had her own show on Capital Radio.
The Sun on Sunday told in August how Mel had secretly dated ex-Big Brother star Ziggy Lichman.
Previous boyfriends include German golfer Martin Kaymer, 34, and singer Olly Murs, who is 14 years her junior.
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Mel was married to actor Daniel Caltagirone from 2001 to 2009 and they have two teenage sons.
She wed second husband Jack Cockings in May 2013 after a whirlwind Twitter romance.
But Mel was arrested in November 2013 and cautioned by police over claims she assaulted him. She later filed for divorce — after less than a year of marriage.
The added: “Mel has certainly not gone for her usual type by getting into a relationship with Steve — and that could help it work.
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“It may well be good for her to be with a more mature and sophisticated bloke.”
In the past Mel has lashed out at critics and gossips who had labelled her “a man-eater.”
In August she told The Sun on Sunday’s Fabulous magazine: “I’m vilified for being some kind of sexual predator, which is laughable.
“I can’t even be seen with a man without somebody asking, ‘Oh, are you f****** him?’.
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“I read a lot, I’m interested in art and films and I love to cook.”
Mel also said she feels she is unfairly criticised for having a social life when her boys are with their dad.
She said: “I miss them when I’m away. But there’s no point twiddling my thumbs. So I go out and have a life.”
Melanie Sykes talks about quality time with family, time to yourself and catching up with pals to make us most content
His route to the top
STEVE developed working-class Mancunian character Paul Calf before finding fame portraying inept TV and radio presenter Alan Partridge.
He then made hit BBC2 sitcom The Trip with Rob Brydon before producing and starring in film Philomena with Dame Judi Dench in 2013.
Her route to the top
MEL’S career also started in Manchester — starring in a 1990s Boddingtons bitter ad, before co-hosting a daytime ITV show with Des O’Connor.
Her many TV appearances since include a stint on I’m A Celebrity in 2014, but she also presented a BBC Radio2 show with Alan Carr.
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