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Graham Norton Reveals His Favourite Ever Guest - And Who He Still Wants To Get On His Couch

There are still a few big names he's yet to secure for his long-running BBC chat show.

Graham Norton has interviewed the biggest names in showbiz, with everyone from Tom Cruise to Madonna appearing on his famous couch.

But the chat show king’s favourite ever guest isn’t a Hollywood A-lister or musical legend.

That accolade goes to Alan Sugar.

Guest Lord Alan Sugar during filming of The Graham Norton Show
PA Archive/PA Images
Guest Lord Alan Sugar during filming of The Graham Norton Show

Graham says the grumpy Apprentice star is top of his (very long) list of past guests because he “doesn’t care about being liked”.

“I think with most people in this industry, the ‘wanting to be liked’ gene is quite strong in them, so they’ll just fake it,” Graham explains.

“Occasionally, I’ll get a guest who doesn’t have that gene.

“They don’t care, but it’s so unusual it takes your breath away. Oh wow, you really don’t care, and I quite like it, like Lord Alan Sugar. I really like him — he’s really funny and great.”

Graham also cites Will Smith’s rendition of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme, along with former co-star Alfonso Ribeiro who played Carlton Banks and pal DJ Jazzy Jeff, as one of the stand-out moments in his show’s history.

“Will Smith produced that whole segment,” Graham explains. “He flew in Carlton, he got the DJ, he did it all, so it was an amazing moment.

“And to see an audience that happy over a sustained period of time, it was like a drug. It was like Oprah giving away a car to everybody. It was that atmospheric.”

Host Graham Norton during the filming for the Graham Norton Show at BBC Studioworks 6 Television Centre, Wood Lane, London, to be aired on BBC One on Friday evening.
PA Wire/PA Images
Host Graham Norton during the filming for the Graham Norton Show at BBC Studioworks 6 Television Centre, Wood Lane, London, to be aired on BBC One on Friday evening.

However, despite securing top notch names for his BBC One chat show, there are still a few people on his wish-list, namely Julia Roberts and a certain royal couple.

He says: “If I was looking after Harry and Meghan right now, I’d say, ‘Do that.’”

Graham has been on the promo trail in the US to promote his latest novel, A Keeper, where he also admitted he would rather forget about Mark Wahlberg’s infamous appearance on his show back in 2013.

Henry Cavill

Manspreading On 'The Graham Norton Show'

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