The Graham Norton Show host said one Hollywood star “was hell” when he interviewed him during one episode of his iconic BBC show, suggesting there was something “in his system”
Christopher Sharp Trendswatch Reporter
11:12, 02 Apr 2026Updated 08:35, 03 Apr 2026
Graham Norton once said which guest was the worst one he’d interviewed on his show(Image: Getty)
Graham Norton boasts decades of experience chatting to prominent figures from all different walks of life. After so many years conducting interviews, however, Graham, who celebrates his 63rd birthday tomorrow (Saturday, April 4), has confessed that some interviews have been considerably more enjoyable than others.
The Dublin-born comedian is most known in recent years for his chat show in the UK on the BBC, which has ran for nearly 20 years. Speaking at the Henley Literary Festival last year, Graham revealed that interviewing one particular Hollywood star proved especially challenging.
The subject in question was Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg, who appeared on the show in 2013 to promote the film Broken City. Reflecting on the interview, Graham noted that there was something “in his system” and that the experience “was hell”.
Mark Wahlberg(Image: Getty)
Graham explained: “[Mark] 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.”
The presenter also recalled how Mark would cut across other guests whenever they attempted to join the conversation, but that matters improved when fellow interviewee and actor Michael Fassbender managed to complete a story without being interrupted.
However, Graham suggested the reason for the lack of interruption may have been another factor entirely. He said: “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.”
This isn’t the first time Graham has opened up about his experience hosting guests on his programme, admitting that he occasionally ‘zones out’ when certain guests tell tedious stories.
Graham Norton(Image: Getty)
Graham made the remark at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. He explained: “Because the show is edited, you know, there’s always that kind of bit of insurance.
“So, you know, I don’t interact. If somebody’s droning on for a very long time with a very boring story, I don’t have to stop them. I can just zone out knowing no one will see this on television. And the chances of them watching the show are quite slim, so they’ll never know that their moving story wasn’t in.”
Graham’s remarks about Mark Wahlberg, however, came just a matter of months before it was revealed he would be stepping back from hosting his television show, with a similarly formatted programme set to fill its slot – The Claudia Winkleman Show.
Speaking on the podcast Wanging On with Graham Norton and Maria McErlane, Graham shed light on why the scheduling had changed. He said: “I used to do a thing where we’d end in February and then we’d have a few weeks off, and then we’d come back for eight weeks in April, May. And about five or six years ago I got rid of that bit.”
Graham confessed the decision was made to prevent him from “getting bored” with the show, and this adjustment created an eight-week window in the filming schedule, giving Claudia’s programme the opportunity to fill the gap.