Graham Norton reveals thoughts on hosting Strictly Come Dancing – and how his new show hopes to become “part of the conversation”

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What’s the view from your sofa, Graham?

My husband, Jono McLeod, and I recently moved, and our living room is pretty focused on the TV. It’s a huge screen, and that’s mostly what the room is for. We used to have a projector, but he’s much more tech-savvy than I am, and decided the new TV was good enough to replace it.

What have you enjoyed watching recently?

I’m actually really liking the UK version of Saturday Night Live. People are surprised, because everyone expected it to be terrible, but it’s been good! I just finished watching Pluribus and I’m hoping it gets renewed for a second season – I’d be pretty upset if it didn’t.

You’re the host of ‘The Neighbourhood,’ a new reality show where six families compete for a £250,000 prize. Does this mean people are tuning in to watch live TV again?

It’s great to see shows like ‘The Traitors’ and ‘I’m a Celebrity…’ really capturing people’s attention on regular TV and becoming talking points. We’re hoping our show, ‘The Neighbourhood,’ will do the same – get people discussing which characters they love and dislike. We think releasing the first three episodes over three nights is a smart approach. People don’t really watch TV in the traditional way anymore – waiting a week for the next episode is tough.

What skills do you need to be a good game-show presenter?

How does it differ from hosting The Graham Norton Show?

It gets tricky because you have to manage different personalities and keep everyone – both the audience and the people on set – satisfied. If a guest isn’t contributing much to the conversation, I can easily shift focus to someone else. That really simplifies things. You sometimes see American talk shows with just two people, and you immediately think it’s going to be a difficult watch.

Are you good at asking difficult questions?

I don’t ask tough questions because these guests are experts at handling interviews. They’re unlikely to admit anything unexpected – they’ll probably just avoid answering and become uncomfortable. That’s not my style, so if you prefer that kind of interview, you might enjoy watching Newsnight, which is on at the same time.

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Do you watch other chat shows?

I enjoy watching chat shows like the ones hosted by Jonathan Ross and Claudia Winkleman. But I also watch them from a professional perspective – I like to see how guests act differently depending on the show. Sometimes I’ll see someone I haven’t worked with before and think, ‘Would they be a good fit?’ Seth Meyers in America is excellent; he strikes a great balance. Some hosts prioritize jokes over interesting guests, while others focus on the guests themselves. Meyers manages to do both really well – he’s a complete package.

How did growing up in Ireland shape your sense of humour?

We had access to a lot more American television than people in Britain, so I used to watch classic shows like “That Girl” and “Executive Suite.” My mother has a great sense of humor, and I’ve noticed many Irish people are naturally funny. It seems like Irish folks often thrive when they move to the UK, so my advice is: if you’re Irish, consider leaving Ireland – the world will love what you have to offer.

Would you be interested in hosting Strictly Come Dancing?

Honestly, no one’s asked me to do it – not that I’m aware of, anyway. My manager is right over there, so you could ask him! I appear on television quite a bit already, so I’m doing alright in that department.

Authors

Laura Rutkowski

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2026-04-13 20:06