On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: A Partridge in a Pear Tree.
But on the eighteen day of December, Channel 4 are sending to us: A Partridge in a TV studio.
It has been announced that Alan Partridge is to co-host a Christmas special edition of TFI Friday. After being narrowly beaten to the post as the new host of Top Gear by Chris Evans (see his showreel below), the Norwich-based presenter has clearly buried the hatchet with the ginger one, and will appear on the 18 December festive special of the recently-revived Channel 4 show.
Guests on the night will be James Corden, Jack Whitehall, Lee Mack, Bryan Adams, Lianne La Havas, Elle King and Tom Jones. What's the betting that Coogan's good friend, and co-star of The Trip, Rob Brydon pops out for a festive duet with the Welshman?
Evans said: "Having staggered through nearly 200 TFI rehearsals and live shows, it’ll be a relief to see how it should be done by Norfolk’s master of broadcasting."
Meanwhile, Partridge stated, "I was honoured to receive the invitation to co-present Thank Frig It’s Friday. The fee was more than generous, and as soon as I received photographic evidence my dressing room had its own shower, I signed on the dotted line."
It was recently confirmed that a new series of Mid Morning Matters would begin on 8 February, so this is yet more great news for Partridge fans everywhere.
But will it go as smoothly as his last festive outing, on Knowing Me, Knowing Yule, when a giant cracker caught on fire and the Chief Commissioning Editor of BBC TV got hit in the face with a turkey?
We can only hope.
