The Graham Norton Show. Graham Norton. Credit: So Television, Christopher Baines
The Graham Norton Show

The Graham Norton Show

  • TV chat show
  • BBC One / BBC Two
  • 2007 - 2024
  • 494 episodes (31 series)

Comic chat show presented by Graham Norton. The biggest names in showbiz join the host on his sofa.

Episode menu

Series 10, Episode 19 - Hugh Grant, Joanna Page, Jo Brand, David Guetta

Hugh Grant talks about his love of Leveson and fast cars, Joanna Page says David Cameron is a sweet man, while Jo Brand talks about her surprise acting success and David Guetta confirms he is not dead.

Further details

Talking about owning a Ferrari, Hugh Grant says "I have reached that stage in life where I need a flash car to keep my spirits up. I'm not proud of that, but I am very, very in love with it. It's blue and it is so beautiful and there is nothing I don't love about it and if I could get it into bed with me, I would."

Asked if he doesn't enjoy acting, Hugh says, "I am shy and I slightly lost my enthusiasm for most acting," adding, "I quite enjoy it when I am by myself, it's a bit like dancing, on my own I am marvellous! If I prepare a part on my own, I am hilarious and moving but then I get on a set and I tend to freeze and the older I get the more I freeze. And it affects everything. My voice comes out incredibly high and incredibly posh when I am uncomfortable."

On the phone hacking enquiry, Hugh says, "I am rather a fan of Lord Justice Leveson and I think he is doing a great job. And I find it unmissable television." Asked if he is surprised at how big the story has become, he says, "Not really. I have been ranting and raving for years about all this but no one really believed me. I now think it is becoming clearer and clearer that I wasn't completely mad."

Continuing on the subject, he says, "In PR terms it wasn't a classic move to take on the press, but luckily because I don't do many films any more it's not such a worry to me," adding, I am worried about other forms of revenge though - someone is leaving dog mess outside my door every day. I have become more obsessed about finding out who that is than smashing the worst parts of the press."

Asked what his ambitions are for the enquiry, Hugh says, "I hope Leveson recommends great things to protect great journalism, while identifying and doing something about the worst excesses. The next hurdle is to make the government put that into action but Conservatives have enjoyed a largely Conservative press for a long time so there's not much in it for them. That will be a hurdle. But, I have spoken to the Prime Minister and he said, 'If it's not bonkers, we will do it,' and we have to hold him to that."

On his upcoming movie, Cloud Atlas, Hugh says, "I was asked if I wanted a stunt man to do a scene, but I said 'I will do it.' I had to leap off a rock, do a forward roll and devour a person. But at 51 it's surprisingly difficult to do a forward roll, half way through I would tilt over and fall to the side. Take four, and they brought in the stunt man!" Describing the film as "mad," he says, "It's a long way from Sense and Sensibility."

Joanna Page, talking about her recent encounter with David Cameron, says, "He was very sweet, very nice and he was very flattering about the show (Gavin & Stacey) and asked if we were going to make some more. I was on my best behaviour. It was okay, but I did go to the bathroom and had an overwhelming desire to steal something as I would probably never go to Number 10 again, but there wasn't anything. I had to stop myself going through the bin."

Describing her award-winning acting success in Getting On as "weird and surprising," Jo Brand says, "It was fantastic, but I had always thought I was crap at acting because I once went for an audition for the part of a stand-up comedian based on me and I didn't get it! It led me to believe I wasn't very good."

Talking about the new series of the show, she says, "What I really like is it is anti glamour because there are three of us who are middle aged menopausal women. You would think we should ramp it up a bit with more glamorous people and we've got old ladies in the background."

Joining Graham for a chat, David Guetta dispels internet rumours that he is dead and reveals he would like to perform in space, before performing Titanium live in the studio with singer Justine Taton.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 16th March 2012
Time
10:35pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
45 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Monday 19th March 2012 11:45pm BBC1
Tuesday 20th March 2012 12:05am BBC1 Scot
Tuesday 20th March 2012 12:05am BBC1 Wales

Cast & crew

Cast
Graham Norton Host / Presenter
Guest cast
Jo Brand Guest
Hugh Grant Guest
Joanna Page Guest
David Guetta Guest
Writing team
Rob Colley Writer
Dan Gaster Writer
Production team
Steve Smith Director
Jon Magnusson Series Producer
Mike Altman Producer
Pete Snell Producer
Alan Thorpe Producer
Graham Stuart Executive Producer
Perry Widdowson Editor
Chris Webster Production Designer
Jonathan Whitehead (as Trellis) Composer

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