Graham Norton spills on the view from the couch of The Graham Norton Show

GRAHAM Norton has had a glass of wine on every episode of his comedy chat show since its inception in 2007. But have you seen him take a sip?

GRAHAM Norton has been the host of The Graham Norton Show since February 2007 when Elijah Wood and Kim Cattrall took to the lounge and Heloise and the Savoir Faire played their music.

The multi-millionaire Irish comedian’s comedy chat show is now in its 17th series and Norton calls Australia, where his show is shown on the Ten Network, his ‘second-hand audience’.

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EMMA STONE PRANKED BY GRAHAM NORTON

The 52-year-old Norton has the ‘Last Word’.

“I like when you don’t know anything about somebody and they just come out and they’re a great surprise.

I’ve never really learned (interviewing technique) in that it’s more like talking to people than interviewing someone.

Like a conversation at a party, it can suddenly go south quite quickly — where you realise ‘God, why did I start talking about this? I forgot that her son’s in jail’. That kind of thing.

In a way what’s helped is that the show has been on so long I think guests understand the show and know nothing bad is going to happen to them. We want them to be funny; we want them to shine.

There’s always those weird moments backstage where you see people talking to each other who would never normally do so. Really early we had Grace Jones and Judith Chalmers on the same show, which was already a very good combination of guests.

It was the first time my parents had come to the show and they’d flown in from Ireland. They were in the green room and of course my mother and father were delighted to meet Judith Chalmers. They couldn’t be happier.

Thanks, but no thanks: Graham Norton’s dad declined the chance to meet Grace Jones. Picture: Joseph Okpako / WireImage

I remember Grace Jones was stood over there with some sort of Philip Treacy (an outrageous hat designer) thing on her head and I said to my father ‘Ooh, would you like to meet Grace Jones?’

My father looked over and he went ‘No!’”

Most people, once they’re in the room, they’re just another person. But there are a few people where that kind of movie star bubble doesn’t go away.

With Tom Cruise it doesn’t go away. I’d say with Madonna it doesn’t really go away.

Then there are people like Jennifer Lopez — really beautiful people like her or Charlize Theron — where they’re just otherworldly. They’re like angels.

If George Clooney walks into a room, that’s a big deal, but there aren’t that many of those old fashioned movie stars.

I used to get very nervous before shows. When I did stand-up I used to get nervous.

Then I was doing a thing, funnily enough for the New Zealand tourism board. It was an awful gig. I went to drama school and they were very strict about not drinking, but I was at a drinks party so I was standing there with a glass of wine.

I took a couple of sips and because you’re in a kind of heightened state you can really feel the alcohol in your system. It didn’t blur anything; it just took the edge off.

Since then — and that must have been 25 years ago — I’ve always had a glass of wine. I often don’t finish it; I just hold it, like a little prop. That’s the glass of wine you still see me with on the show.”

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Originally published as Graham Norton spills on the view from the couch of The Graham Norton Show