Ah, Graham Norton. He’s the Irish funny man we all know and love. However, there might be some facts about Graham Norton you didn’t know.
You might know him as Father Noel Furlong in Father Ted, or perhaps as the commentator of the Eurovision Song Contest. Or maybe it’s from his own talk show, The Graham Norton Show.
He’s an actor, comedian, presenter, commentator, and so much more. However, there might be some things that will shock you about this Irishman.
Buckle in for ten facts about Graham Norton you didn’t know.
10. He’s an author – he does it all
That’s right, our Graham isn’t just an actor, presenter, and talk show host; he’s an author, too. In fact, he’s a best-selling author.
He has written several books, from memoirs to fiction. Holding, a dark comedy he wrote in 2016, has been turned into a series starring Conleth Hill, Charlene McKenna, and Siobhan McSweeney.
9. His name isn’t Graham Norton – changed for professional purposes
Yes, you read that right. The name on our Graham’s birth certificate isn’t Graham Norton. It’s Graham Walker. Graham William Walker.
Norton was his great-grandmother’s maiden name, which he took for professional purposes when he joined the British actors’ union, Equity. In fact, another actor had already registered as Graham Walker!
8. He’s an Aries – born 4 April 1963
Aries, they’re bold, ambitious, and always up for a challenge. They are confident and passionate leaders. They are uncomplicated and direct.
This is no surprise. Have you seen The Graham Norton Show?!
7. He has won five BAFTAS – The Graham Norton Show
One of the nation’s favourites, The Graham Norton Show, has seen five BAFTA wins.
The show has seen some incredible guests. From Lady Gaga to Dot Cotton, the show has really seen them all.
6. He was once a sworn defender of discos – what’s the big deal?!
A video recently surfaced from Youngline shows a clip from an RTÉ show aimed at young people back in the day.
In this video, while the others in the audience condemn discos, a young man is heard exclaiming, “What’s the big deal?!”. That young man, just 17 years old, is Graham Norton.
5. He auditioned for Lord of the Rings – Grahamwise Norton
One of the facts about Graham Norton you didn’t know is that he auditioned for a part in Lord of the Rings.
He auditioned for the part of Samwise Gamgee, which eventually went to Sean Astin. Imagine Graham Norton in Lord of the Rings!
4. He has his own range of alcohol – gin, wine, and prosecco
The main man has his own line of wine, prosecco, and gin. In terms of gin, he has an Irish pink gin and a London dry gin.
The Irish gin is distilled in a small batch in West Cork, near Graham’s Cork home.
The wines include a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand Rose, and South Australian Shiraz. While the prosecco, of course, is Italian.
3. He survived a vicious mugging – lucky to be alive
While living in London during his drama school years, Graham Norton was attacked and mugged in northwest London. During the ordeal, the Irish comedian was stabbed and spent two weeks in hospital.
He said in 2004, “I nearly died, but in a way, being mugged liberated me.” Wow. What an outlook, what a guy.
2. He’s married! – *wedding march*
Another one of the facts about Graham Norton you didn’t know is that he and his partner were married just last month, July 2022, in his native West Cork.
They had a special ceremony where they were toasted by a performance from Lulu.
1. He had surgery when he didn’t need it – a white lie gone wrong
The chat show host told Mel Giedroyc on her show Unforgiveable that a lie when he was seven years old led to him having his appendix removed.
In a bid to bunk off school, he told his parents that he had a sore tummy. In turn, his mother took him to the doctors. The lie spiralled as the doctor told them he had appendicitis and needed an operation.
When it came to picking between telling the truth and avoiding surgery, or carrying the lie through to completion, guess which one he chose?
