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 29, Episode 21 - Benedict Cumberbatch, RuPaul, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Diane Morgan, Regard x Years & Years

Benedict Cumberbatch says the Oscars will be great no matter what happens; RuPaul says it's gut wrenching for drag queens slashed from his show; Daisy Edgar-Jones believes her new film isn't for the faint-hearted; Diane Morgan talks about the terrible jobs she's had; and Regard and Years & Years perform live in the studio.

Further details

Benedict Cumberbatch, talking about his and the other 11 Oscar-nominations received for Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog, says, "Whatever happens on the night the whole raft of those nominations are so richly deserved and obviously I am thrilled that the four of us as a cast are nominated. We are going to be awesome on that dancefloor - it's going to be great no matter what happens."

Asked about the film itself, he says, "Jane encouraged me to stay in character. She was very secure about all the things I was insecure about and said, 'Do whatever you have to do to feel ownership of this very different lived experience.' So, I went off to Montana for two months to find out what it is like to live on a ranch and to experience all those things you see in the film. It was incredible and so far from anything I have ever done."

Putting his new-found cattle wrangling skills to use, he reveals, "I came back from shooting the film in August and we were off to the beach. To get there we had to cross a field and in the field was a petrified family who just couldn't move, they were frozen because of a herd of cows with calves. I thought, 'I can do this,' and I just sort of parted the waves of cattle. The family was like, 'That was incredible. Hey, aren't you Sherlock?' It was very un-Sherlock activity!"

Talking about the huge success of Spiderman: No Way Home, Benedict says, "It is incredible - there was a lot riding on it, so they threw everything at it, and it's been a phenomenal success."

RuPaul, talking about RuPaul's Drag Race UK Vs The World, which he describes as the 'Olympics of drag,' and asked about the surprise elimination of Pangina, he says, "I remember the crying - it was tragic because the girls have their hopes up real high. It is gut wrenching when it happens - they have made it this far only to be slashed (from the show) by one of their sisters."

Talking about the international versions of the show, he says, "We have just come back from New Zealand. Down Under queens are different - a bit more (nurse) Ratched, which is great, and they have a great sense of humour. That is what it is all about and we have so much fun."

Asked if he ever does drag for fun, he says, "No. When I started my friends, and I would go out and party all night long - New York City in the 80s was crazy. Then when I got famous all that ended, and it became a job."

Daisy Edgar-Jones, talking about her new twisted thriller Fresh, says, "It's a hard film to talk about because the joy of it is watching it having no idea what is coming - I would say it wasn't for the faint-hearted or the easily queasy. I really hate horrors and am spooked easily but making the film was such a fun job - we were very giggly. The film is dark but it's funny too and very outrageous."

Asked about the upcoming Where The Crawdads Sing, and whether there was added pressure because, like Normal People, the book is so well loved, she says, "There is so much joy bringing a literary character to life, but you know everyone has already fallen in love with the character. When I did Normal People, I had no idea what was going to happen and thank goodness as I would have been too terrified to do anything. So maybe there is a wee bit more pressure this time."

Diane Morgan, talking about the second series of her BBC Two series Mandy, in which her character is job seeking, she says, "I've had tonnes of terrible jobs. The worst one was packing worming tablets for 10 hours a day. It was awful. The best one was being a dental nurse - it was a great job, but I did knock someone's tooth out!"

Recalling filming an episode of Inside No. 9 she says, "The entire thing was filmed on a pedalo in the middle of a lake and the crew said, 'Before we go out there make sure you've been to the toilet because you're not coming back for hours.' I was terrified because my bladder is the size of a walnut, so I ordered some adult nappies because I was so scared of being that one person that needed the loo. I thought I was getting a pack of 12 but in fact I got a box of 500 - they are still in the garage. I have to say, I never deployed them!"

Regard x Years & Years perform their new single Hallucination live in the studio before Olly Alexander joins Graham for a chat about the single and his upcoming tour."

Notes

This episode was delayed from its 10:35pm scheduled time for extended news coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 25th February 2022
Time
10:50pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
50 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Wednesday 2nd March 2022 11:20pm BBC1
Wednesday 2nd March 2022 11:50pm BBC1 Wales

Cast & crew

Cast
Graham Norton Host / Presenter
Guest cast
Benedict Cumberbatch Guest
RuPaul Charles Guest
Daisy Edgar-Jones Guest
Diane Morgan Guest

Videos

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Featuring: Graham Norton & Benedict Cumberbatch.

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RuPaul plays Dirty Charades, with audiences guessing what it is.

Featuring: Graham Norton, Benedict Cumberbatch & RuPaul Charles.

What is Benedict Cumberbatch's real name?

RuPaul and Benedict Cumberbatch share their experiences of being around Madonna. Madonna asked Cumberbatch if that was his real name.

Featuring: Graham Norton & Benedict Cumberbatch.

Diane Morgan stockpiled 500 adult nappies

Diane Morgan on why she ordered so many adult nappies.

Featuring: Graham Norton & Diane Morgan.

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