Brian and Maggie star Steve Coogan's surprising fling with rock star who branded it 'my great shame'

Steve Coogan may have not had the greatest success in love as his hugely popular character Alan Partridge, but off screen he has had high profile relationships with models, actresses, and even a rock star. The Channel 4 Brian and Maggie actor, 59, has only been married once.

He tied the knot with British socialite Caroline Hickman in 2002 but they were divorced three years later. Hickman reportedly declared the marriage had irretrievably broken down.

That same year, following his divorce, Coogan had a fleeting two-week encounter with Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, now 60, who was previously married to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain. In 2021, Love took to social media to express regret over the fling.

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She branded it "one of my life's great shames" alongside her criticism of her solo record 'America's Sweetheart'. When quizzed about the romantic whispers, Coogan once remarked: "Some of it was true, most of it was b*******.

"To borrow the title of the film, it was 20 per cent c***, and 80 per cent bull."

In 2008, Coogan was romantically linked with actress and restaurant heiress China Chow, who is nine years his junior. Chow, daughter of Michael Chow of the Mr Chow restaurant empire, was said to have completely captivated Coogan according to a source speaking to Mail Online, who claimed he hadn't glanced at another woman for months. However, their romance concluded after three years.

He later dated lingerie model Elle Basey, who is 24 years younger than him, following their meeting during his stint as guest editor for Loaded magazine in character as Alan Partridge. The duo shared a romance from 2011 to 2014, and lived together in Coogan's Brighton abode.

Fast forward to 2019, and Coogan parted ways with TV chef Melanie Sykes, 51, after a brief 10-month fling. A confidant of Mel divulged to The Sun on Sunday that the TV personality felt compelled to terminate the affair as her dreams of a settled future seemed to slip away.

"Mel is gutted it didn't work out - but although she is disappointed, she is not that surprised," the insider revealed. "She was worried that he wasn't committing and wasn't keen on family stuff or getting too involved with her two teenage sons."

Coogan's romantic history includes relationships with actress Laura Hajek, 'Downtown Abbey' star Daisy Lewis, and Nancy Sorrell prior to her marriage to comedian Vic Reeves in 2003. He also has an adult daughter, Claire, from a past four-year relationship with solicitor Anna Cole during the '90s.

Presently, Coogan's relationship status remains a mystery, as he has maintained a discreet profile regarding his personal life in recent years.

Brian and Maggie airs tonight (Wednesday, January 29) on Channel 4 at 9pm.