Eurovision legend Graham Norton reveals secret surgery for ‘crippling’ condition ahead of song contest final

GRAHAM Norton revealed why he was spotted with his arm in a sling after undergoing a secret surgery.

The Irish TV presenter, 61, is serving as the host for the BBC’s Eurovision Song Contest this weekend.

Graham, who hosts an eponymous talk show on the Beeb, was a guest on Scott Mills’ BBC Radio 2 show on Friday.

He appeared alongside former Eurovision winner, Concnita Wurst, on the radio show when Scott asked them to reveal something they had not spoken about in interviews previously.

Graham announced, “I have a good one,” before revealing he’d undergone major surgery on his shoulder.

“This is my left shoulder’s first appearance on radio, (it’s) a brand new shoulder. It’s less than two weeks old,” he told Scott and Conchita.

When asked how he was feeling after the operation, Graham replied: “It feels a bit new, it’s a little owie (sore), but forgive me, I’m on many, many medications right now, so if I say anything bad, it’s not my fault.”

He was then seen at the recent Bafta Television Awards show sporting a black sling for his arm.

The TV star has not divulged the reason for his surgery, but appears to be on the mend.

Graham is in Basel, Switzerland for this year’s Eurovision contest and has served as a long-time host of the BBC’s production of the singing spectacle.

The UK will be represented by Remember Monday, who is the first girl group to represent the UK at Eurovision since Precious in 1999.

The first semi-final of Eurovison 2025 took place on Tuesday, May 13, and the second was held on Thursday, May 15.

Eurovision’s showpiece, the Grand Final, follows on Saturday, May 17.

In honor of this year’s competition, Eurovision fans were asked to vote for their favourite British Eurovision entries of all time.

Bucks Fizz’s Making Your Mind Up, Sam Ryder’s Space Man and Brotherhood of Man’s Save Your Kisses for Me came top of the pile.

Cliff Richard’s first Eurovision entry in 1968, Congratulations, and Katrina and the Waves’ Love Shine a Light, the last Eurovision win for the UK in 1997, make up the remainder of the top five, in a study of 2,000 adults.

Others to feature in the top UK Eurovision songs include Lulu with Boom Bang-a-Bang from 1969, and Sonia’s Better the Devil You Know, which finished an agonising second place in 1993.

Graham Norton's career to date

Graham Norton is one of the U.K. most beloved presenters. Take a closer look at his career to date...

Graham Norton got his start at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the 1990s performing a stand-up comedy drag act as a tea-towel-clad Mother Teresa of Calcutta before he moved into the world of broadcasting. He hosted short-lived TV shows like Carnal Knowledge and Bring Me the Head of Light Entertainment before he landed his a gig hosting his own chat show, So Graham Norton, for five series. Graham also ventured into the world of acting appearing in three episodes of Father Ted, playing himself in an episode of Absolutely Fabulous and starring in films like Another Gay Movie and I Could Never Be Your Woman. Most of Graham’s career has been dedicated to presenting. When So Graham Norton ended he hosted five more series of V Graham Norton, along with 13 episodes of the panel show, Graham Norton’s Bigger Picture. In 2007 he bagged himself another 13 episode series which would simply be titled The Graham Norton Show. However, the show proved to be so popular that it has gone on to air 30 series. He also hosted a BBC Radio 2 show from 2010 to 2020. Alongside this, Graham has hosted a number of star-studded events such as the BAFTAs and Eurovision. He has also appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race as a judge.