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When you’ve got as many celebrity interviews under your belt as Graham Norton does, you’d be forgiven for forgetting a few names… but this particular story is painfully embarrassing.
The TV legend, 62, has had just about everyone on his famous sofa since his late-night talk show began on BBC in 2007. From A-list actors to TV chefs, from comedians to pop stars, you name it, he’s spoken to them.
And while he’s on very friendly terms with plenty of stars, even Graham has admitted that, sometimes, he just forgets meeting people at all.
Appearing on tonight’s One Show ahead of his next series, the broadcaster recalled the excruciating encounter he had with an American star.
‘Over the years, you’ve had so many incredible guests,’ host Roman Kemp began. ‘But am I right in thinking sometimes, when you see those people outside of the show, you don’t know if you’ve met them before?’
‘Oh, don’t!’, Graham squirmed immediately in response, putting his head in his hands. ‘This is a terrible story.’
‘Basically, I went to a musical, & Juliet, and I was sitting there, and the woman playing the nurse, I was thinking, “She’s very familiar. I’m sure I know here.” And she was so familiar, I thought, “Have I worked with you? Was I in something with you? I can’t think.”
‘And then afterwards, we went back to meet the cast, this woman’s walking towards me, and her face is all (smiley), and I’m going, “How do I- I do know you, don’t I?” Her face, not so smiley now.’
So, who was the woman in question?
‘It was Keala Settle from The Greatest Showman,’ Graham revealed.
‘She’d not only been on my chat show, I think twice, she’d been on my radio show to promote & Juliet the musical.’
As the presenter dropped the bombshell, gasps could be heard around the studio, while hosts Lauren Laverne and Roman covered their faces in second-hand embarrassment.
‘I had every advantage here,’ Graham admitted. ‘And I still messed up.’
It’s clearly something that still haunts him, as he added: ‘I was mortified. It was so embarrassing.
‘She couldn’t hide her initial disappointment, and then was very gracious.
‘But I still owe her a massive apology.’
Indeed, actress and singer Keala, 49, is no stranger to Graham. Well, at least she shouldn’t have been.
She first appeared on his programme in 2018 to belt out the anthem This is Me, which propelled her to global stardom as she took on the role of bearded lady Lettie Lutz in The Greatest Showman (2017), starring alongside Hugh Jackman.
And she didn’t dip out after the performance, as Keala went for a chat on the red sofa next to Saoirse Ronan, Eric McCormack, and Debra Messing.
In the years since her Greatest Showman fame, the star has appeared on the UK edition of The Masked Singer, been in the blockbuster adaptation of Wicked, and performed on both Broadway and the West End in productions such as Waitress and Sister Act.
Meanwhile, Eurovision commentator Graham returns for more hilarity and red chair stories this Friday when his talk show launches a new series.
His first round of guests will include Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Matthew McConaughey, James Norton, and RAYE—let’s just hope he can remember them should they meet again outside the studio.
In the coming weeks, the comedian will also welcome Lewis Capaldi, Taylor Swift, Cillian Murphy, and more.
The One Show airs weeknights at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The Graham Norton Show returns to BBC One this Friday at 10:40pm.
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