Steve Coogan admits that he was considered for Top Gear hosting job

What could have been: Steve Coogan was in the running for the Top Gear job
Channel 4
Jennifer Ruby18 March 2016
The Weekender

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Steve Coogan has admitted that he was in the running to host Top Gear.

The comedian hinted that he was offered the job to front the show but didn’t think that he’d be ‘very good’ at it.

Coogan, who has appeared as a guest on the show a number of times, told Alan Carr that he’d been ‘mentioned’ by producers.

Speaking on this week’s Chatty Man, he said: “They mentioned me and I have been on three times.

Top Gear 2016: First Look

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“In fact, when I’m abroad I get recognised, not for Alan Partridge, but for having been on ‘Top Gear’ three times. That is my claim to fame.

The star added: “They did mention me but I’m not sure I would be very good at that.

“You know, they always say it’s better to say why wasn’t he a presenter on Top Gear than why was he a presenter on Top Gear. Think about that.”

After months of speculation, it was revealed that Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc would be fronting the brand new series of the BBC show.

Coogan has plenty in the pipeline, admitting that he is keen to make a real version of his Alan Partridge chat show Knowing Me, Knowing You.

“We might do a real one, with real guests. I don't know. We are having a think about it,” he said.

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