Following the premiere of his Jimmy Savile drama series, Steve Coogan allegedly postponed a series of book signings for fear of causing a’stir’.
The BBC’s four-part programme The Reckoning premiered this week, detailing the narrative of how, following Savile’s death in 2011, it was revealed that he had been a persistent predator and sex criminal.
However, even before it aired, the series was criticised for repeating the tale and potentially retraumatizing Savile’s victims.
Following fears about public outrage after the episodes were broadcast, its actor Steve, 57, is claimed to have cancelled scheduled book signings for his latest Alan Partridge book, Big Beacon.
This week, he was scheduled to autograph copies of Alan Partridge’s memoirs while dressed as the fictitious broadcaster.
However, there were concerns that the humour might be too jarring so soon after he played the paedophile DJ and TV personality.
‘Steve’s team were aware of the highly sensitive nature of the BBC drama and how it could jar with him getting into character as Alan for his book,’ a source has told The Sun.
‘No one wants to cause a stir.’
He was scheduled to testify in London on Tuesday, but he will instead appear in two sessions on the same day in London and Manchester on October 28.
Waterstones acknowledged to the magazine that the signings had been cancelled.
However, Steve’s agents have stated that the modifications were due to a schedule conflict.
‘Due to a demanding rehearsal schedule for his next film, the book signings will now begin later this month in line with Steve’s availability,’ they said.
In a recent Q & A, Steve explained the series had been two years in the making due to ‘diligent forensic application about trying to make sure all the right decisions are made’.
When it came to portraying Savile’s offences, he said there was ‘no right or wrong answer’, but that he felt a responsibility to share his ‘opinion about what the right thing to do is’.
‘There’s a tension between showing too much of Savile’s offences, and it being grotesque, or sugar-coating them, which is also wrong [as we won’t] see the horror of what he did,’ he said, as reported by The Independent.
He added they had to ‘strike that balance’ of not ‘upsetting survivors’ and not wanting to ‘anesthetise the full effect’.
The Reckoning is streaming on BBC iPlayer.
