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.

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Series 16, Episode 20 - David Beckham, Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Hugh Jackman, Noel Gallagher

David Beckham talks about Fergie and says he misses playing for England, Will Smith says his wife insisted he got in shape, Hugh Jackman says playing a baddie is great, Margot Robbie says she lied to her parents and Noel Gallagher performs live in the studio.

Preview clips

Further details

Will Smith, talking about about his wife's reaction to Margot Robbie co-starring with him in his new movie Focus, reveals "When Jada heard Margot got hired she said, 'Boy, you'd better get in the gym, go and do a workout right now!' So I did. I got it together. I worked hard."

Asked if there is anywhere in the world he can go without being recognised, Will says, "I just haven't been there yet. It's really strange, Men In Black has been seen everywhere on earth and with these ears you can't hide!"

Revealing how she got into character and perfected an American accent for the film, Margot says, "My acting coach said to pretend I had just had acrylic nails put on and then the accent and attitude would come and it totally worked."

Margot reveals, to Will's surprise, that she once ate 4lbs of Spaghetti Bolognese in one sitting, "It's revolting but I did an eating competition to see who could eat the most in an hour. It was a bucket load. I was working on Neighbours at the time and they said, 'Lunch break's over, you've got to go to set,' and I couldn't move. The nurse had to be called and she gave me the stuff they give toddlers if they swallow poison. I projectile vomited 1.8 kilos of spaghetti and then skipped on to set - I felt fine." Presented by Graham with a huge bowl full of spaghetti, Margot says, "You know, it still looks good to me!"

Talking about lying to her parents about appearing nude in the movie, she says, "First they thought there was no nudity and then they heard there was some, so I told them my head had been CGI'd on to someone else's body! Eventually I told them it was me and they took it really well."

David Beckham and Hugh Jackman join Graham for a chat.

Hugh, asked about his new movie Chappie, says, "Playing the bad guy is great. I don't get asked to do it very often. I've spent all this time doing heroes and it sucks; you get beaten up a lot. The villain gets the best dialogue and wins every fight - until the last one."

On playing an Australian in the movie, Hugh admits, "It's so rare for me. Embarrassingly I had to go on Google and research Aussie slang because the director wanted me more Australian!"

Talking about the mullet hairstyle he has in the new movie, Hugh says, "When I met my wife I was sporting a mullet and if she could fall in love with me looking like that, she was a keeper so I thought this new role was going to go well with her. What I hadn't factored was that we went one step too far and got tips in the hair and Debs thinks men that colour their hair are very un-sexy. But she does like my different looks in movies and says it's like getting to have an affair every three months. I presume she meant with me!"

Asked if it is true that he once wet himself during a stage performance when he played Gaston in Beauty and the Beast in the 1990s, Hugh recalls, "It is true. It was my most embarrassing moment in life. I was getting these headaches so was told to drink three litres of water a day and me being me, I drank four. I'd just peed, but was waiting backstage and I was like, 'I really need to go again.' But it was my cue, so I walked on stage really needing to go again. That first number was very energetic and I was very exposed in red tights. As I am about to sing the last note I thought, 'If I sing this note I'm peeing my pants but if I don't, I'm going to be humiliated in front of two thousand people.'" Demonstrating the disaster that then ensued, he adds, "I was singing and peeing my pants!"

Incredibly relaxed and eloquent David talks about the various iconic hairstyles he has had over the years, "Some of them have been really bad - I hadn't thought them through. The topknot wasn't too bad but the cornbraids were a bad decision. It was bad timing as well as I was going to South Africa at the time with England and ended up meeting Nelson Mandela so that's why I regret that one."

Talking about his mohican, he says, "I don't know why I had that one. I was in the dressing room with an hour to go before kick off when Sir Alex Ferguson saw it and made me shave it off. I said no at first and then I saw his face change very quickly so I went and shaved it off in the toilet. He was very strict. It was the reputation of the club, he wanted all the players to look professional and he felt it wasn't the right look. We were playing at Wembley too, so he kind of had a point!"

Asked about his current relationship with Alex Ferguson, he says, "We get on. It was made worse than it actually was. He was a father figure for me for so many years. He brought me to the club that I loved as a kid and I was successful at the club, so he gave me everything in my career. He will always be a man that I look up to, because he gave me the dream of playing for Man United."

Talking more about Sir Alex, and asked if one of them had held out an olive branch, he says, "The was no olive branch. We just bumped into each other at certain occasions after I left Manchester United. There were things that upset me and there were definitely things that upset him about me, but I have so much respect for him as a manager and as a man and he gave me my dream. We never discussed the falling out."

Asked if Victoria has a big say in what he looks like, he says rather unconvincingly, "No she doesn't. Obviously she's my wife so I ask her opinion and sometimes I listen - well most of the time I listen - and sometimes I don't."

Talking about being a UNICEF ambassador, David says, "It's something I am very proud of. We have raised a lot of money over the last 10 years and I hope my '7' initiative will raise more over the coming 10 years. I'm very lucky that football has given me the power to help people and to be able to speak to prime ministers asking for help."

Asked if he misses the game after leaving football two years ago, he says, "I was very lucky to have a career that lasted for 22 years with some of the best clubs, with some of the best players and under the best managers in the world. I wouldn't say it was a relief to stop but I knew it was the right time to finish. I thought about retirement after LA but I felt I had just a little bit left and then Paris Saint-Germain came in and asked if I would like to help them win the championship and luckily I ended my career as a champion for the last time as a football player. It was a dream to finish like that."

Responding to Hugh who asks if injuries played a factor, David says, "That last six months was tough on my body - you get certain aches you weren't getting when you were 21 years-old and I was waking up every morning really sore. That's when I realised it was the right time to stop. I didn't want to be one of these players that continue and people start saying, 'Maybe he's getting a bit old'. I was honoured to end my career on a high, but the one thing I do miss is playing for England. Every time they play it really gets to me."

Revealing he now only goes to the gym occasionally and that his daughter has an opinion on his level of fitness, he says, "I got out of the bath the other day and Harper said, 'You're so chubby, but I still love you!'"

Noel Gallagher performs Ballad of the Mighty I with his band live in the studio before joining Graham for a chat.

Talking about the name of this new album - Chasing Yesterday - he says, "I hate it. I can't stand it. I had been out the night before and had to come up with something quickly." And on the new video, he says, "I hate that too," before asking David to appear in the next one. David, agreeing to the request, says, "Of course I will."

Notes

Will Smith and Margot Robbie were filmed on a separate night to the appearance of the other guests in this episode.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 27th February 2015
Time
10:35pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
60 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Monday 2nd March 2015 11:45pm BBC1 Scot
Monday 2nd March 2015 11:50pm BBC1

Cast & crew

Cast
Graham Norton Host / Presenter
Guest cast
Noel Gallagher (as Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds) Guest
Will Smith Guest
Hugh Jackman Guest
David Beckham Guest
Margot Robbie Guest
Writing team
Rob Colley Writer
Dan Gaster Writer
Production team
Steve Smith Director
Jon Magnusson Series Producer
Rina Dayalji Producer
Pete Snell Producer
Adam Read Producer
Graham Stuart Executive Producer
Perry Widdowson Editor
Chris Webster Production Designer
Jonathan Whitehead (as Trellis) Composer

Videos

David Beckham the referee

David Beckham talks about refereeing a children's football match.

Featuring: Graham Norton & David Beckham.

David Beckham's hairstyles

Graham asks David Beckham about his many hairstyles.

Featuring: Graham Norton & David Beckham.

Will Smith's group selfie

Graham asks Will Smith about his preferred poses for photographs.

Featuring: Graham Norton, Will Smith & Margot Robbie.

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