Graham Norton

After Jonathan Ross announced he was leaving the BBC, there was a frenzy of torrid speculation about his possible Friday Night with Jonathan Ross replacement. Which was ridiculous for two reasons: (a) it was only a chat show and (b) it had to be Graham Norton. Every half-baked pop star, every failing, narcissistic actor thinks that hosting a chat show is the easy route to riches because, surely, there's nothing to it. But Norton, more than anyone, shows all these no-hopers it needs consummate skill and an almost frightening ability to think on your feet. Norton is brilliant and so much better than Ross because he is able to spark and then sustain a proper conversation. And he's flipping funny. Tonight's opener features fiery songstrel Charlotte Church, Hollwood actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and comedian Russell Howard, without whom no panel game or chat show is complete. Or so it seems.

'BBC can trust me', says Graham Norton

Graham Norton has assured the BBC he can be trusted not to ignite any scandals after stepping into Jonathan Ross's shoes on radio and TV.

Graham Norton: agony uncle

What qualifies me, Graham Norton, to be an agony uncle, you may have wondered way back at the beginning?

We do love a bit of camp, we Brits. Frankie Howerd, Larry Grayson, Dick Emery, Mr Humphries aka John Inman all perpetuated the non-threatening camp stereotype in the sixties and seventies - unlimited innuendo but no sex please, we're British.

That all changed in the eighties with the coming of alternative comedy and the black leather-clad Julian Clary. Camp's hidden agenda was well and truly outed, paving the way for Rhona Cameron, Graham Norton, Simon Fanshawe and others to do full-frontal gay comedy, warts and all.

In The Archive Hour, Simon Fanshawe traced the history of gay comedy over the past 30 years, from the double standards of Howerd and Grayson, always fearful of alienating the audience by appearing openly homosexual, through the overtly gay material of Clary and Cameron to today's more androgynous approach, where the quality of the material counts for more than any concerns about sexuality.

You got the impression Julian Clary quite missed the shock and awe days of the eighties - "I enjoyed the sharp intake of breath when I crossed the line" - though Fanshawe was in no doubt that today's open-minded audiences were much to be preferred.

Graham Norton said he soon got bored with doing gay jokes, having traded on his gayness at first, and consciously started to introduce other subjects. "I was lucky in that I could do Irish jokes as well as gay jokes," he said.

I'd never heard of the Australian Brendan Burns, a straight stand-up who does a funny line in anti-homophobic material, nor the Anglo-Bengali gay stand-up Paul Sinha, but their contributions sent me scurrying off to YouTube to see further exposure.

Graham Norton show to replace Friday Night with Ross

Graham Norton's chat show is to replace Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, the controller of BBC One has said.

Rhod Gilbert is still looking over his shoulder

Grumpy comic Rhod Gilbert should be on top of the world. His new radio series is about to start, he's lined up for the 70,000-seater Help for Heroes concert and is in the frame to replace Graham Norton on BBC1. But the glass-all-empty funny man is adamant there's still time for things to go wrong.

Invented by Ian Messiter in 1967, now starting its 57th season, still brilliantly chaired by resourceful Nicholas Parsons (who got the gig when Jimmy Edwards, the original choice for chairman, said he'd rather play polo than turn up on a Sunday to record the pilot episode). Messiter, who also invented Many a Slip and other fondly remembered amusements, used to wear red socks at recordings, for luck. Perhaps "red socks" could be a subject for tonight's panel, Graham Norton, Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth and Jenny Eclair, as they strive to fill their 60 seconds.

Jonathan Ross: 2001 - 2010

The media world and a legion of adoring fans were last night mourning the loss of former chat show host and Radio 2 DJ Jonathan Ross. Ross was 49-years-old and is survived by Graham Norton.

Norton to take over from Ross on Friday night chat show

Graham Norton is set to step in to take over the Friday night BBC1 chat-show slot soon to be vacated by Jonathan Ross.

Jongleurs plans to raise curtain on six comedy venues

Jongleurs, the chain of comedy clubs that gave a host of comedians including Graham Norton and Ben Elton their big break, is to open six venues after its founders regained control of the brand.