On this Friday's Graham Norton Show (19th February) Graham welcomes Oscar-nominated British star Rosamund Pike, top TV chef Gordon Ramsay, Downton star Hugh Bonneville, Welsh rugby great Gareth Thomas, comedian and presenter Judi Love, and singer songwriters Ella Henderson and Tom Grennan.

Comedian Judi Love, talking about laughter and healing, says, “I went through a dark period when my mum died, and I broke up with my kids’ dad.  Growing up in West Indian culture means there is always a bit of comedy and laughter at the heart of things even at the hardest times and has always brought me through.”

Asked about her Instagram Quarantine Date Nights series, she says, “It started in lockdown.  Dating was a problem beforehand – you’d have great chats on apps and then you would meet them in person, and you’d think, ‘I don’t know who the hell you are!’  We’ve had a great response.  It’s been great and really opened up the conversation about dating.”  Adding jokingly, “I’ve seen some great eye-candy myself!”

Reminded that she’d had a flasher make an appearance, she joked, “Obviously as the host I had to deal with it appropriately and shut it down immediately… immediately after having a good look!” (updated to add - Judi Love told this story during the recording but it was not broadcast).

Talking about her new tv dating show Dating #NoFilter, she says, “It’s hilarious and crazy.  The things people do on a date – it’s really awkward I love it.  It’s just one of those really fun shows.” 

Rosamund Pike joins Graham from Prague to chat. Asked if she is now living in the city, she says, “It would seem so.  I’m working here so we decided instead of the constant back and forth we would all up sticks and move here.  It seems even further away now Brexit has happened.  We feel like we are in a very different country and it feels very far away suddenly.”

Talking about learning another language during lockdown, she says, “I’ve been trying.  My kids speak Mandarin, so they have been home-schooling me.  I should really be learning Czech and I am aware of the irony of living in the Czech Republic and learning Mandarin!” 

Asked about playing the villain in her new comedy thriller I Care a Lot, she says, “I think it lets the audience off the hook – because at no point does my character asks you to care about her and she gives you completely free rein to dislike her – she doesn’t give a damn.  She is dastardly but fun to watch.  All the characters in this film are deliciously unsavoury.”  

Revealing one traumatic scene, Rosamund says, “There is an amazing underwater sequence, and they teach you in a very relaxed way and you think, ‘This is great, I can do this,’ and you’ve just got comfortable with the idea when they say, ‘We are not going to do any of that.  We are going to take away your mask and your oxygen, we’re going to suspend the car in water and you’re going to struggle to get out.’  

“I had the two most intense filming days of my life.  As you are acting the panic, your sympathetic nervous system starts to react, and you get more and more adrenalized – it’s was exhilarating but also quite terrifying.”    Adding, about halfway through the afternoon I was allowed to come to the surface and because we were in England, across the tank came this inflatable tray with mugs of tea and digestive biscuits. It was the most welcome sight!”

Gordon Ramsay, talking about hosting the new BBC quiz show Bank Balance, says, “It was developed via Zoom during lockdown this time last year, with the team spread out all over the country – I was in Cornwall with my beloved neighbours – and we got this high-pressured game to an amazing place.  The set is really spectacular and intimidating and then you’ve got me asking the questions!  It’s really exciting.” 

Asked about the state and fate of the restaurant industry, he says, “It’s devastating.  When you think about breaking bread and having fun with friends and family, it’s just tragic not to have that.  When we reopened last July, the atmosphere was monumental and electrifying, we didn’t even need music, so to be shut backdown was tough.  In December, our most important month, we cancelled 22 and a half thousand reservations, but I have always been optimistic.  It is tough but we will come out of this – we’ve re-created, re-developed and researched new ideas so when we come out of this lockdown we will open up as new restaurants.  We are hoping we will re-open at Easter.  It would be a dream.”  

Hugh Bonneville joins Graham from home to chat about playing Roald Dahl in To Olivia. He says of the new film, “It’s about grief and the extraordinary pain of losing a child.  It doesn’t sound very chirpy to start with, but it is actually a very positive story.”

Asked about working with Keeley Hawes, who plays Dahl’s wife Patricia Neal, he says, “The great and very busy Keeley Hawes is in everything at the moment, so it was amazing she had time to whip in and join us!  She is remarkable in the film.”

Revealing his son’s language was made more colourful by Gordon, Hugh says, “He was obsessed with your programmes and when he was a bit younger, he would be in the back of the car shouting things like (said with Gordon’s accent), ‘Raw, f**king bass’ and ‘Raw, stone-cold langoustine.’  Out of the mouths of babes.  I have lived with these phrases for years and I am very grateful to you!” 

Asked if there will be another Downton movie, he says, “We’d love to do it and there is a great intent, but a little thing called Coronavirus keeps getting in the way.  It would be super to think that sometime this year the cameras would roll because a Downton-type cheery movie would be very welcome in cinemas when they reopen eventually.”  Adding, “There is a script, but not all the ducks are in a row yet – they are certainly not in the pond!”

Gareth Thomas, talking about his new book Stronger, says, “It is very much built around stigma and misunderstanding.  The narrative is around the pressure applied on me to reveal something that, even to this day, I feel I shouldn’t have had to, which was the fact I was living with HIV.  I felt out of control, so I decided to take control because people wanted to tell a story about me where I had no input to that story. I had to take control of the narrative to protect me and my family.”    

Asked if he is still angry at the people that revealed the story, he says, “I have learnt that me being angry with them is me still giving them energy, kind of like adding oxygen to the fact that they were ever in existence.”

Talking about taking part in the Ironman challenge just as the story was breaking, he says, “The night before I revealed that I was HIV positive and I had no idea what the reaction would be.  Halfway round I saw my husband and he said, ‘It’s all fine, Jeremy Corbyn has messaged you.’  Genuinely, I had messages from Prince William and Prince Harry, and he told me Jeremy Corbyn had said hello!  

“When I got to the end of the marathon, I turned the corner and the energy and support meant I couldn’t breathe.  I have led rugby teams out in the biggest games I ever dreamt of doing and never in my life have I experienced such a wave of support.”    

Ella Henderson and Tom Grennan perform Let's Go Home Together live in the studio before joining Graham for a chat.

And finally, Graham pulls the lever on Gareth Thomas who volunteer to sit in the Big Red Chair 

The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 19th February 10.45pm. Also  available on BBC iPlayer.

Graham Norton Image Credit: BBC/So Television/Christopher Baines

Next week (26th February) Graham’s guests include Kate Winslet, Stanley Tucci, Orlando Bloom, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Silk City & Ellie Goulding.