Biography

Born in Clondalkin, Dublin, in 1963, Graham Norton's ancestors hail from Yorkshire - a fact he discovered after participating in the BBC genealogy documentary series Who Do You Think You Are?. He went on to study English and French at University College, Cork, but dropped out after two years, at which point he decided to study acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama. After joining the actor's union Equity, he discovered that there was already an actor registered under the name Graham Walker (his birth name). It was here that the figure of Graham Norton was born, taking his great-grandmother's maiden name.

After presenting Comic Relief in 1988, Norton brought a stand-up set to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, memorably dressing as Mother Teresa for one show in 1992. This led to appearance on BBC Radio 4 programme Loose Ends, and Norton went on to feature as Feather Noel Furlong in two episodes in series 2 of well-loved sitcom Father Ted, broadcast in 1996. Throughout the 90s, he would appear in many shows including The Jack Doherty Show and Bring Me The Head Of Light Entertainment, firmly establishing himself as a popular and successful comedy figure in the minds of the nation.

These initial triumphs earned him the opportunity to host two of his own shows, So Graham Norton and V Graham Norton, on Channel 4. The former, which ran from 1998-2002, won Norton a BAFTA for Best Entertainment Performance. After honing his craft with the first chat-show iterations The Graham Norton Effect (2004) and Graham Norton's Bigger Picture (2005-2006), he would follow these TV achievements with his greatest TV success, which began in 2007.

This saw the start of what would later become one of the most successful chat shows in British TV history, The Graham Norton Show. Each episode follows the same format: a short monologue by Norton himself, followed by an intimate and fast-paced interview with at least 3 guests (featuring strong adult humour and innuendo, as per Norton's hallmark style), and lastly a musical guest to play out over the credits.

Several other gimmicks have come and gone during the history of the show, from rude objects in 'Graham's drawer' and phone-calls through to hidden camera surprises and the 'Big Red Chair', a segment towards the end in which members of the public tell their funniest stories to the assembled celebrities, who decide whether to 'eject' them from the chair or allow them to 'walk' free. Having begun on BBC Two, in 2009 it shifted to BBC One with a one-hour slot, and has won 5 BAFTA awards.

Alongside this landmark show, Norton has also presented a series of reality TV musical shows on the BBC, including 'Any Dream Will Do', 'How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?', and 'I'd Do Anything'. In 2007 he began hosting the Eurovision Dance Contest on the BBC, alongside Claudia Winkleman, and has become a regular, annual mainstay for many due to his warm, infectious wit, and glorious descriptions of the participants. In 2009 he replaced Terry Wogan as the presenter of the main show, which was hosted that year at the Olympic Stadium, Moscow.

Openly gay, Norton frequently speaks about his homosexuality, and supports the LGBTQIA+ community on a regular and active basis. On multiple occasions he has been named one of the most influential public figures in popular entertainment.

Gender

Male

Nationality

Ireland

Born

Thursday 4th April 1963 (56 years-old)