Drunk Mark Wahlberg raised ‘hell’ on Graham Norton talk show, scarred host recalls

Talk show host Graham Norton has lifted the lid on a chaotic episode where a major Hollywood star turned his interview into “hell”.

Graham Norton recalled Mark Wahlberg raising “hell” on his show because he was so “drunk.”

“If you ever see a drunk person on the show, it’s because they’ve arrived drunk — we have not made that happen,” the five-time BAFTA TV Award winner said at the 2025 Henley Literary Festival over the weekend, per The Independent.

Norton, 62, went on to say that “Mark Wahlberg was a weird one because when he arrived, he didn’t seem drunk.”

Graham Norton recalled Mark Wahlberg being so “drunk” on his talk show alongside fellow guests Sarah Silverman and Michael Fassbender in 2013.

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“He told me about his film, told me a couple of stories about stunts going wrong or whatever, and then it was only 15 minutes into the show when whatever the hell was in his system really took hold — and it was hell,” he explained.

Norton was referring to a February 2013 episode where Wahlberg, who was promoting Broken City at the time, continuously spoke over fellow guests Sarah Silverman and Michael Fassbender. During the episode, he also sat on Norton’s lap and played with his nipples.

Norton said the actor was “hell to interview. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images

Wahlberg and comedian Silverman both had something to drink during the interview. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images

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The Irish actor noted that “no one could tell a story” because “he’d just interrupt.”

“At one stage, Michael Fassbender was telling a story … he was really getting into the heart of the anecdote. I thought, ‘This one is going well – I wonder why,’ and I looked over at Mark Wahlberg and he was asleep. So yeah, we don’t encourage that,” he remarked.

Norton also debunked the rumour that producers get The Graham Norton Show guests drunk, stating, “We really don’t.”

However, Norton said Wahlberg “arrived drunk” to the interview as they don’t give guests enough alcohol to reach that state.

Wahlberg would not let his fellow guests finish talking with his antics getting in the way.

“There’ll be a drink waiting for you if you want one and then, while we’re showing a clip or getting the music ready, they might be able to rush in and top you up, but the most you can have is two, three tops. So if anyone does want to appear on the show and be drunk, my tip to you would be pre-load.”

The Departed actor addressed the controversial episode in an interview with Digital Spy a few months later.

“I tried to do a bit, and some people took it a little too seriously,” Wahlberg claimed.

Following the initial episode, Norton also spoke about the awkward interview, telling the outlet that the Daddy’s Home star is a “really lovely guy.”

“We’ve all done that thing where you suddenly realise, ‘I’m by far the drunkest person at this dinner party’ and you don’t know how that happened,” he told Digital Spy.

“It was a bit like that, so I don’t judge him harshly at all. It was just a thing.”

This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission