THE man behind Facebook phenomenon Jonathan Pie has told how his irate news anchor was heavily influenced by Steve Coogan#s chat show host creation Alan Partridge.

Former actor Tom Walker, who is currently touring Australia and will take his new live show to Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall this weekend, said he had also drawn inspiration from the satirical stand-up of Ben Elton and Alexi Sayle in the 1980s, despite a belief from younger fans that his brand of comedy is “new.”

His latest show delves into political correctness and social media and the changing ways in which the public consume news which many believe has led to an ‘echo chamber,’ shrinkage of ideas and belief systems.

He says the Blair era didn’t particularly lend itself to satire as well as previous Tory governments, particularly the Thatcher years, but said Trump and Brexit was providing rich source material.

Walker says the character was borne as a result of his acting career taking a nose-dive rather than any latent journalistic ambition and says he was, “amazed” at how well it was received online. His video on the Trump election result went viral, receiving 120million views.

He said: “No one was giving me any parts so I thought, I’ll create my own and that’s how Pie was born.

“The politics was secondary really but it was more about people having a public and private persona including newsreaders and it’s a quick way of telling that.

“I just wanted to create some work and get a few hundred views. I didn’t think for a second that it would take off the way it did.

“But once I did, I knew it was an opportunity and some doors opened for me that weekend I had the viral hit. It was probably the most viewed commentary on Trump anywhere.

“I think it would have worked 25 years ago during the Thatcher years but I don’t think it would have worked quite as well during the Blair era. I think satire died a bit then.

“Most of the older generation remember Ben Elton and Alexi Sayle, screaming at the Tories.

“I was very much influence by Alan Partridge.....Steve Coogan. You can’t not say (the characters) are comparable. I’ve grown up with Partridge since I was a teenage boy and Ricky Gervais, I think he’s wonderful.

“I don’t know if he bleeds into Pie but there is also Tony Hancock and I guess the older generation might pick up on that.

“The younger generation think what I’m doing is brand new, which it’s not. Things come round.

“With Brexit and Trump people want answers."

Walker has been in Sydney for the last month staging his live show and says its been well received. He is now in talks to take Pie to the States and also hopes to land a UK TV series, "If a friendly TV producer will take it on."

He said: "I don't appear to be able to get onto UK TV for love nor money.

"I think it would work in America so fingers crossed.

"The last show was very much about austerity and the Tories. This one is more universal and more about political correctness culture and the way we all consume the news via social media.

“We only really read stuff that we agree with and we are never really challenged.

"You never know whether it will translate but it’s gone down really well in Australia. They’ve been lovely to me.

“They Australians are a bit less sensitive than the UK audience. They are a bit more willing to have their world view challenged.

”I wrote a five to ten minute set piece for my Australian shows so I’m sure I’ll be getting some Scottish-centric stuff into my shows."

Jonathan Pie, Back to the Studio, is at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on Sunday, June 10, Edinburgh Queens Hall, June 11/12 and

Inverness Eden Court Theatre, June 13.