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 17, Episode 5 - Miranda Hart, Greg Davies, Rupert Everett, Electro Velvet

Rupert Everett reveals all about his night out with Princess Margaret; Miranda Hart says she has no plans to move to America; Greg Davies says Rik Mayall is impossible to replace; and Eurovision hopefuls Electro Velvet perform live in the studio.

Preview clips

Further details

Rupert Everett, talking about his very early career as a pop singer, says, "It was a proper song that went straight in at 125 and climbed to 117 in the charts! It was just me on tour without a band. It was a lonely experience."

And, on working in Hollywood, he says, "It's a weird place and very lonely. Everyone is on the evolutionary ladder and it's very demoralising if you are not at the very top."

Asked if it's true that The Queen is angry about his new film A Royal Night Out are true, he says, "It's and embroidery of an historical moment, it's not factual. It was sent to Buckingham Palace when we started shooting and they green lit it. Apparently people think Princess Margaret is portrayed as a floozy, which she isn't. She's a very naïve girl who's in a cage and desperate to see the world."

Talking about his own royal night out with Princess Margaret in the 1980s, he says, "I went to the theatre with her once and I never got asked again. What she didn't realise was that there were two princesses there and one of them was me!

"There was one moment at Kensington Palace before we left for the theatre when Margaret got a cigarette out and just looked at me. I was just chatting, chatting, chatting. Then the lady in waiting was looking at me too. There was this Rolex lighter on the table and I just didn't realise I was expected to light her cigarette for her. Then I suddenly thought she was offering me one and said, 'Oh, I don't mind if I do!' I lit my own cigarette and they all looked at me horrified."

Revealing more about the night, Rupert says, "She was great. She was like the Red Queen in Alice In Wonderland - all big black hair and Hanoverian bosom. When we got in the car she said, 'You've got marvellous legs, do you mind if I grab you in the second act?' and then she called me 'Leggy' for the entire evening. In the interval we had a drink and the loo was just off the room and because I could hear all the chatter I was so nervous I couldn't pee. She then banged on the door and shouted, 'Come on Leggy!' And I had to sit through the whole second act without having had a pee!"

Miranda Hart explains how she may not have endeared herself to Prince Harry, "I hosted a bit of the Jubilee concert and at a party at Buckingham Palace afterwards I said to Harry, 'I am sorry about the silly flirting jokes I did about you.' He said, 'That's fine, but it's a shame there isn't music and dancing here because we could dance and start a rumour.' He was being really sweet and endearing and I said as a joke, but way too dryly so he thought I was being serious, 'I can hear music.' And he just went. He was gone before I could say it was a joke. It was so awful and so embarrassing."

Asked whether, now she has had a taste of Hollywood with her new film Spy, she will move to America, she says "Well the phone isn't ringing off the hook, but I'm not going to lie. I would love the opportunity to go out there for a few months and potter about on a film set and do the odd scene. That would be lovely and I'm yet to achieve my dream of doing a scene with Matthew Perry but I don't see myself moving there."

Talking about receiving more attention now she is in a film, she says, "You can't begrudge the fame thing, but it is weird and I don't love it. I get a variety of reactions like someone singing What Have You Done to Make Yourself Proud too loudly and for too long at me in a shop. I don't know how to respond and it creates some awkward moments."

Greg Davies, talking about meeting Princess Anne after performing at The Royal Variety Show, says "She had just seen my act but still clearly had no idea who I was. When I was introduced to her she said, 'A lot of ex-teachers become comedians. I can't see why."

Revealing the impact Rik Mayall's death had on him, he says, "I'd written most of the new series of Man Down and I was really excited to work with Rik again and see what he would do with the part but sadly it's not to be. I hadn't even thought he would say yes to being in it - he was fantasy casting. He was amazing - a force of nature."

Asked if he had thought of replacing Rik, he says, "I didn't even try. There was no point doing that because he was incredible." Adding, "He was wicked and great fun. When I rang him to tell him the first series had been commissioned he said, 'Why should I care about that?' I said, 'Well, I was hoping you would play my dad', and he said, 'In that case, congratulations!'"

Electro Velvet perform Still In Love With You live in the before joining Graham for a chat about their Eurovision hopes.

Notes

This episode was scheduled later than normal to make way for extended news coverage of the 2015 General Election results.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 8th May 2015
Time
11pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
60 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Monday 11th May 2015 11:25pm BBC1 Scot
Monday 11th May 2015 11:30pm BBC1

Cast & crew

Cast
Graham Norton Host / Presenter
Guest cast
Miranda Hart Guest
Greg Davies Guest
Rupert Everett Guest
Alex Larke (as Electro Velvet) Guest
Bianca Nicholas (as Electro Velvet) Guest
Writing team
Rob Colley Writer
Dan Gaster Writer
Production team
Steve Smith Director
Jon Magnusson Series Producer
Rina Dayalji Producer
Pete Snell Producer
Graham Stuart Executive Producer
Perry Widdowson Editor
Chris Webster Production Designer
Jonathan Whitehead (as Trellis) Composer

Videos

Miranda Hart's school nickname

Graham discovers the school nicknames of his guests and their friends.

Featuring: Graham Norton, Miranda Hart, Greg Davies & Rupert Everett.

Greg Davies' Teacher of the Year nomination

Graham chats to Greg Davies about being nominated for the Teacher of the Year award.

Featuring: Graham Norton & Greg Davies.

Rupert Everett on meeting the Royal Family

Graham chats to his guests about meeting members of the Royal Family.

Featuring: Graham Norton, Miranda Hart, Greg Davies & Rupert Everett.

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