Graham Norton has cleared up a huge misconception about how his chat show, The Graham Norton Show, is run and called out stars who ‘clearly don’t watch the show’
Graham Norton has cleared up a major myth about his show and how guests are arranged on his infamous red sofa. The presenter, who hosts The Graham Norton Show on the BBC, has addressed rumours that his celebrity guests are sat in order of fame on the show.
Speaking on a the Capital Breakfast Show about his series, he was asked by Sian Welby if the sofa placement was deliberate. Graham responded that it was but not necessarily in the way that some people think. He said: “It’s a bit thought out. Mostly it is about product. If you’ve got a big shiny Hollywood film then you’re probably up first because that’s the product of the week. Sometimes we will mix it up.”
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He added: “A lot of these people have been on before and we go ‘oh, actually they will be better in the middle there and they’ll like having people either side of them.’ They’ll feel safer there. And then the comic is always down the end.”
It has been rumoured that Graham’s guests are always ordered so that the top star is in the first seat on the sofa. The one closest to Graham has been referred to as the “golden spot” with agents reportedly fighting it out to get their clients sitting there. But Graham says that is not true. “If that’s what they think…” he joked.
He then took a dig at Richard Osman after the Thursday Murder Club author suggested that the rumour was true on his podcast The Rest Is Entertainment. Graham commented that Richard must not have seen the show.
“The Rest Is Entertainment did a whole thing about it and at the end of it they were going to do a bit about Timothee Chalamet. And Richard Osman is going ‘Oh, Timothee Chalamet he’d be number one.’
“And I was like ‘You clearly don’t watch the show’ because two weeks ago he wasn’t. Emma Thompson was number one and then Timothee Chalamet and then someone else. And that was just the way it worked out that week.”
Sian also asked if comedians were sometimes placed next to dull A-Listers deliberatley. Her co-star Jordan North commented that it might “bring it to life” if so. Graham good naturedly suggested that comedians were brought on because it was fascinating to see what made an A-lister laugh.
He said: “I always think that having a British comedian down the end and seeing what makes a Hollywood A lister laugh or not laugh tells you more about them than any question I could ask them.
“Because, you know, they’re media trained and they know what they’re doing. But to see them in situations like that and there’s a clip of Ryan Gosling really laughing.
“And I love it because Ryan Gosling isn’t being funny or saying anything. But you’re finding out more about Ryan Gosling in that clip than you ever will in an interview.”
Elsewhere, Jordan asked Graham if he ever regretted turning down a gig. Graham then dispelled another myth – that he turned down The Traitors. “Claudia [Winkleman] says I turned down The Traitors, but I have no recollection of turning down The Traitors. I would have because I’d have heard ‘castle in Scotland for a month’ and I’d of been like ‘no’.”
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