Alan Partridge turns his back on Norwich

He has been blamed for making Norwich a laughing stock, but it has emerged that cult comedy character Alan Partridge will be turning his back on the city he helped put on the map in a new film.

HE has been blamed for making Norwich a laughing stock, but it has emerged that cult comedy character Alan Partridge will be turning his back on the city he helped put on the map in a new film.

Creator Steve Coogan has revealed that the cringeworthy character and fictional Radio Norwich presenter, renowned for his Aha! catchphrase, will be swapping Holkham for Hollywood as he heads to the United States for the film.

Although the movie is yet to be written, a deal is being done and an official announcement expected in the next couple of months, with shooting expected to start at the end of next year.

Coogan said: “We're doing it in the States, but I'm not going to try to Americanise it. I wouldn't try to do the same observational stuff here that I do in Britain.

“I'm not going to come over here and go 'right, now I'm going to try to invent five different characters who are all American', because I'm not steeped in American culture. It wouldn't work. I'm so ingrained in British culture that for me to observe the minutiae of being British in all its different ways is very easy. I couldn't claim to do that here, and if I did they'd end up being caricatures. It'll be a British fool/idiot character in a movie that should appeal to everybody.”

The as-yet-untitled film will be Partridge's first big-screen outing and signals a return to the limelight for Coogan's comic creation.

Steve Morphew, leader of Norwich City Council, said he was “disappointed” Coogan had opted to choose the United States over Norwich as a filming location.