On the first show of 2025 (10th January), Graham welcomes Night Manager star Tom Hiddleston, Oscar-winner Brie Larson, actor and singer Billy Porter, Strictly host Claudia Winkleman, and singer-songwriter Myles Smith.
Tom, talking about playing Benedick in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and asked why he wanted to do it, says, “I love this play. It is one of the great comedies – the original romcom. It is gorgeous and the most beautiful play so full of warmth, light and wit. It has a big heart, and, in our production, we have dancing. It is the loveliest thing to do.”
Tom demonstrates his signature moves.
Asked about his other Shakespearian roles, he says, “Being in Othello so early in my career was such a happy time despite the heaviness of the play. Kenneth Branagh saw me in it and invited me to do a Chekov play with him. And then he ends up directing Thor and I got to play Loki so Othello literally changed the whole course of my life.”
Brie, talking about her West End debut in Elektra, says, “It is a huge opportunity for me. It is stunningly beautiful told with a lot of love. It is my first time in a play and the whole process has been fresh and new. I am so used to learning things in the moment for films, but this is every day coming back to the same thing. It is very exciting and I am happy to report I have learnt my lines. The whole thing is very different, but I can do it, and it is going to be great.”
Asked about her first big movie – The Room – for which she won an Oscar, she says, “I found the awards’ season so unsettling, but I thought after winning that I might at least get another job!”
Billy, talking about playing Emcee in Cabaret and his fight to get there, says, “I was turned down for an audition for the 1998 revival with a swift and unequivocal ‘No’ and the reason they gave was, ‘That is not the story we are telling.’ So, they were telling a story of racism and oppression with no black actors.
“As an activist I searched for historical evidence and found the book, ‘Destined to Witness: Growing up Black in Nazi Germany’ so I sent it to everyone in the creative team and wrote inside, ‘We were there, we were always there.’ I didn’t hear anything but fast forward to this year and there are three black people in lead roles in this commercial production – it’s changing history, and it matters.”
Claudia Winkleman, talking about the new series of The Traitors, says, “I am always very nervous that people aren’t watching and then incredibly grateful that they are. I feel about Traitors like people feel about an offspring – you’re so glad when people love it. I can’t say much but the producers are so clever and there are lots of twists and turns coming.”
Asked about her fashion styles for the series, she says, “We always like to have a muse – for Strictly it has been Anita Dobson and this year it was Demis Roussos. For Traitors it’s Princess Anne meets Sarah Brightman. We’ve already decided on next year’s – I’ll be dressing as Gerald from Clarkson’s Farm!”
Revealing what happened when she needed a massage during filming, Claudia says, “I did my back in so asked if I could see a physio. We are in the middle of nowhere so that wasn’t easy. When this chap turned up the producer asked me not to be chatty with him – I thought she meant I was not to talk about what was going on in the production, so I asked him who else he had treated and he said, ‘Two shire horses and a miniature Dachshund’ – it turns out they didn’t want me to know he was a vet!”
When Graham thanks Claudia for agreeing to step into his shoes to host the show on the 28th of February while he is on tour in Australia, she jokes, “I apologise in advance!”
Myles performs Nice to Meet You live in the studio before joining Graham for a chat about his new album and world tour.
And finally, Graham pulls the lever on more foolhardy audience members brave enough sit in the world-famous Big Red Chair to tell their funniest stories.
The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 10th January 10.40pm.
Next week (17th January) Graham’s guests include Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, and Griff.
Graham Norton Picture credit: BBC/So Television/Christopher Baines
