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The Graham Norton Show has screened almost 1000 episodes over the years, with the 952nd airing last Friday – and producer Graham Stuart has peeled back the stage curtain to give Express.co.uk a glimpse at life behind the scenes of the show. He revealed that one of the talk show host’s top highlights during the 16-year history of the current show was securing Madonna – even if, and perhaps especially if, she turned out to be a “diva”.
“One of Graham’s dreams was to get Madonna on the show. She’s been on several times and she does not let you down – she is Madonna 24 hours a day,” the producer enthused. He added that divas are “celebrated” on the show if they embody the quality in a positive way, and that as “a major superstar who goes their own way and has attitude and style”, the Material Girl definitely fit the bill.
What’s more, she’s far from the only one. “Have we had any divas on the show? We’ve had them all. You name a diva and he or she has been on the show and been celebrated and we have enjoyed every minute,” he exclaimed.
“They work on the Graham show because Graham understands them and is able to get the best from them.” Meanwhile, he vowed that everything guests see on the show is authentic – no matter how outrageous they might sound.
Past shockers have included Miriam Margolyes revealing that she once propositioned a soldier, inviting the total stranger to follow her back to her college so she could perform a sex act on him, years before she came out as a lesbian. Graham looked open-mouthed by the story and glued to his seat, while Stanley Tucci pretended to walk out in shock.
On another occasion, Carrie Fisher seemingly revealed the entire plot of the film she was advance-promoting, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, despite being sworn to secrecy – and in another twist, Graham went on to suggest that he’d known the details for a year.
No matter how shocking, outlandish or just plain bizarre on-screen stories might seem, his producer vowed: “There’s no fakery there. It’s the real thing. We want real stories.
“You can always tell that there are lots of urban myths that people will go on and tell, and we know it’s not true, so we won’t use them – but 99 percent of the stories we hear are clearly real and have happened to the person.
“And if they’re willing to tell them, and they tell them in a funny way, and it’s got a beginning, a middle and an end, then it can work!”
He also opened up on the qualities Graham has as a host which inspire guests to trust him with some of their innermost secrets, even when other hosts have failed.
“You can’t teach somebody that quality – that has to be innate, and I think it’s to do with honesty,” he mused, explaining that he’s worked with the star for 26 years.
“Graham has never made a secret of who he is or what he is or how he is. He’s an open person, and I do feel that people respond to that.
“Whether you’re a Hollywood superstar [or] a lesser known British comedian, Graham will appear to be as interested in both of you the same way and give you equal time.”
He added: “In showbusiness, the word trust is a dangerous one, but I think [guests] trust him because they know that they’re going to come out looking the best they can if they’ve got a good story… People feel comfortable in his presence.”
Graham Norton Show Channel launches exclusively on Samsung TV Plus 14 February.
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Source: NewsFinale
