Renowned for his Friday night BBC chat show where he rubs shoulders with the crème de la crème of the entertainment world, Graham Norton will be notably absent from his usual spot this week. His famous chair will instead be filled by another well-known personality.
On Friday, February 28, during the series' second-to-last episode, Claudia Winkleman of The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing fame will take the reins for the first time ever, playing host to a slew of big names.
Among those joining Claudia on the sofa are Hollywood's Chris Pratt, who'll be discussing his new sci-fi comedy drama The Electric State, Derry Girls' Saoirse-Monica Jackson, set to appear in the upcoming BBC drama This City is Ours, and comedian Rob Beckett, returning for a fresh series of panel game Rob Beckett's Smart TV.
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British actor Toby Jones, known for his role as Mr Bates in the real-life ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office and currently portraying Richard Burton's inspirational teacher in Mr Burton, will also make an appearance, along with singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri performing her single All I Ever Asked.
The final episode on Friday, March 7, will showcase a compilation of highlights from the recent series, featuring a star-studded lineup including Demi Moore, Timothée Chalamet, Cher, Denzel Washington, Nicole Kidman, Dwayne Johnson, Zoe Saldaña and Hugh Grant, reports the Mirror.
Why is Graham Norton missing?
During the January 10 instalment of The Graham Norton Show, the eponymous host, Graham Norton, announced to viewers that he'd be absent for the show's grand finale. At 61, Graham is all set for a trip Down Under in February as he embarks on his first-ever Australian live tour.
His itinerary includes Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, and Melbourne throughout March, where he will present his live extravaganza, An Evening with Graham Norton, sharing entertaining anecdotes and highlights from his career, followed by a Q&A session with the audience.
When announcing his departure, Graham expressed his gratitude to Claudia Winkleman for stepping in to fill his shoes, to which she humorously responded: "I apologise in advance!" Claudia was among the guests that evening which also included Myles Smith, Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, and Billy Porter.
She also took the opportunity to discuss the then-current third series of The Traitors UK.
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