David Mitchell says he ‘cleared the air’ with Steve Coogan on Greed set after public spat

Back in 2013, Coogan called Mitchell’s writing ‘ill-informed and superficial dross’

David Mitchell has said he “cleared the air” with Steve Coogan after a public spat they had back in 2013.

The rift began back in 2013 when Mitchell wrote a column saying he opposed proposals that the government regulate the press. Coogan responded calling Mitchell’s argument “ill-informed and superficial dross.”

In response to Mitchell stating that “press freedom is essential for us”, Coogan wrote: “Wow, you’re really going out on a limb! No one disagrees: it’s like saying you’re anti-cancer.”

Coogan continued: “David, if your article were a schoolboy’s essay, it would score highly for style. But it would be covered in red ink with frequent use of the word ‘sloppy’, finishing with: ‘See me’”

Mitchell has now told The Guardian that the pair have since resolved their issues.

““We’d met and cleared the air previously,” he explained. “But we cleared the air on it again. He was incredibly supportive, and looked after me on set. And I’m a huge fan – he can go really big with a character and it still seems real.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Mitchell brought up his disdain of capitalism: “People probably don’t realise how boldly unfair it is”.

He also said that the state of the world has made him find the idea of nuclear war “quite comforting”.