February 17, 2025 • 8 mins
Graham Norton is hopping off screens and onto the stage.
He’s embarking on a three-city tour of New Zealand this year, performing nine shows across Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland.
‘An Evening with Graham Norton’ will delve into some of his biggest TV highlights and memorable moments, Norton sharing tales from behind the scenes and legendary red sofa.
The original tour dates sold out fast - three new dates being added to ensure Kiwi audiences could get their fix.
Norton told Mike Hosking it’s always nerve wracking to organise live events and tours.
“Most of the stuff I do, it’s quite a passive thing to consume,” he said.
“This, you’ve got to actively, you know, go online, pick up a phone, you’ve got to reach into your wallet, you’ve got to get actual cash – it’s a much bigger commitment.”
“I’m really pleased that people have decided to come out.”
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Time for catch up with her. I will make Graham Norton,
who now does not a book or a television show,
it's a tour not has hited our wife for what
appears to be a growing number of shows in this country,
arrives next month anyway, Graham Norton, good morning, Hello sir,
how are you? I'm extremely well and happy New Year
to you. Quick question. I had been Elton on the
program last week and I asked him about Christmas New Year.
(00:20):
He said he cooked two turkeys, a roast pork, vegetable
options plural plus rose vidgeties for the family. Can you
beat that? Or is he a show off?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Elton John did that?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
No, not Elton John being Elton wrong.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Elton, Oh, Ben, I'm thinking I really can't imagine Ben
Alston or Elton John Brook two turkeys. No, we struggled
with one here and actually it was really my Christmas
dinner was very, very bad this year. I miss timed
and all the eduports were close to raw. But didn't
(00:56):
know it was quite polite because they didn't.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Matter to cook it.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I did, but yeah, it was not my finestality.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Fantastic you're back into it from my wife. By the way,
who's just finished Frankie two questions. One she can grete.
She said, this is your best yet and by some margin.
And I don't think she's a big fan of your
so she's not saying you were useless and now you're brilliant,
but she's just you've hit your stride. Do you feel
that way?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
It's my favorite one of them so far. I mean,
I suppose you're you know, you're young. It's always your favorite,
but I do it kind of it felts different writing it,
and and it has kind of landed differently with readers
and stuff. So yeah, I'm really I'm really people thank
your wife. That's very kind of her.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Not at all. And having said that, I mean I
read the books as well, but but she was particularly effusive,
she says. And here's I hadn't thought about this, she says,
Do you write in your voice? Because she can't read
it without hearing you say it.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
It's a weird thing, isn't it, Because normally when you
read a book, you don't know what the writer is
faund like, But of course when it says great Norton
on a cover, you do. So I don't know, I mean,
in mind, I don't. I mean, I'm writing it, and
I do do the audio book, and I'm able to
read it, so I suppose it feels comfortable for me
to read. But I'm not aware of my voice as
(02:17):
I as I write. But yeah, I'm sure it's in there.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
The next part. And can I congratulate you on these shows.
I don't think it started out nine shows you're bringing here,
but it has grown to nine shows and I think
they're I think they're all sellouts. That surely tells you
something about the love of New Zealanders towards you.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
It's listen because you know you put these things on
saying and you're kind of dear God, let me come
and see me. So when they.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Felt out so fast for they ask for ex today,
that's great.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
So I think they are all sort of I think
there's a couple of cis still left for the extra
one in christ Structure the Town Hall on Wednesday twenty
sixth and in Wellington at the micro Fowler Center on
the twenty eighth, being organized. So I think those are
the only ones that's still a ticket left if people
would like to come and see me, do you.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
I mean, you must have had enough success so far
to be comfortable within your own skin. But but do
you have that nervousness when you talk to an agent
or a manager or whoever's organizing the stuff going? How
many shows, how big a hole, how many tickets? What's
it gonna do? Am I popping?
Speaker 2 (03:23):
You know? All that stuff you do, you do because
this is a kind of you know, most of the
stuff I do, it's quite a passive thing to consume.
You know, you turn on a radio, or you turn
on a TV, or there's you know, a clip from
the show just pops up in your Instagram. This you've
got to actively, you know, go online, pick up a phone,
(03:45):
You've got to reach into your wallet.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
You've got to get actual cash, you know.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
So it's a much bigger commitment. You know, you could
quite like me without thinking I need to leave my
house and spend two hours with him. So yeah, yeah,
you're always nervous when you do something that requires people
to take action. So I'm really pleased that people have
decided to come out. And you know, I did some
(04:11):
shows this show before Christmas in the UK and it
is it.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
I did have a good time doing I'm looking forward
to bringing it down there.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Good the business of leaving your television program to do
this tour strikes me as a large one.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Was it?
Speaker 1 (04:28):
No?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
No, because in fact I'm only missing one week? Is
that it the Yeah, the press of the Press of
slightly overestimates my abandonment of the TV show. No, I'm
just missing one week and the lovely Claudia Winkleman is
sitting in for for the for the week I'm missing.
But no, then then we were off anyway. So yeah,
(04:49):
it's not it's not so dramatic. I think the BBC
would not be very pleased by just said, Oh, by
the way, I'm traveling around Australia and New Zealand while
my show's supposed to be on.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
I'm so glad you explained that, because I literally, because
I know what I know love I put into my
show and I'm assuming it's yours. And your show is
not just a show. I mean, you know, it's people
on a couch and you talk to people, but it's
what you bring. And therefore, if I was employing you,
I'd be thinking, well, hold on, mate, the show is
not really the same if you're not there, And I thought,
(05:20):
what a big call to make. So it is just one,
and I take it she's done it because that's been done,
isn't it. Because I was looking at the list yesterday.
There's a couple of shows we haven't seen here in
the country yet. But she's done the show that you're missing.
Is that correct.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
No, she's been on the show earlier this year and
she'll be recording the show. So I'm doing my final
show coming Thursday, about the Friday, and then she does
the one after that when I'm getting on a jet face.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Okay, got that. So I was looking at the lineup.
Have you done the Nero yet?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yes, that has happened, And as advertised, he's lovely, very
nice man, but not a chassis. You know. He's even nominated.
He's been nominated for eight Oscars and he's won two.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
As far as the the Neighborhood, I've got to talk
to you about as well. Have you done that yet
or not? No?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
God, you're good, Mike. You're keeping up following my career
with interest. Yeah, we're doing that in June and it
won't actually be on Telly till twenty twenty six. Wow,
because it'll be it'll be a.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Huge editing job.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
It's all these families and Households living in houses and
are filmed twenty four to seven a Lah Big Brother,
and then it's a bit like I know it must
be a New Zealand version of goggle Box.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Yes, well there's not a New Zealand version. We see Google.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Bots like oh okay, so there's a bit of goggle Box
about it. And then they do these challenges but one
of the households will win a quarter of a million
British pounds wow, which is you know that's a prize
worth getting. So you have a filming that in June,
but like I say, it'll mostly kind of be put
together in the edit and then it'll all be on
(07:05):
TV in twenty six.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Do you have a seat that it's going places in
terms of reality television? Does this a format you think
there's a bit of magic here?
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Well this listen, I went, I don't like working. I
know it seems like I do, but I don't. And
so I went to this meeting where they're going to
tell me about this new show, thinking oh, final ruse
to the super meeting, but I'm going to say no,
And actually that does sound quite good. So I thought
I'll be annoyed if I'm sat at home watching someone
else hose that, so I said, yeah, and you know
(07:36):
it's and also it's that weird thing. You know, I'm
sixty one, about to be sixty two, so the idea
that someone's offering me a kind of a hot ticket,
big job in TV is kind of amazing. So it
would seem churlish to turn it down. So yeah, I've
got another job.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Fantastic. Well, listen, we're looking forward obviously, we're looking forward
to seeing you because you have virtually your shows are
all solved out. But if you get time, pop by
and say hi to us. As always a thrill to
catch up with you.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
All right, take care, sir, bye bye.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Nice to talk to Sir Graham Norton in the country.
Let me give you the date. Apparently you're telling me
there was a goggle box google Box here a local
version obviously not a raging success for probably went for
the one season twenty six and twenty eighth to March
of year two. Left that everything else is sold out,
So christ Church at the town Hall at the Littlebourn Auditorium,
(08:29):
so there's a couple of tickets available there. The twenty
eighth at the Fowlers Center, small number there, so you'll
need to be fairly quick. So Graham Norton always good
to have him on the program, and all the people
who've read the book and texted and obviously very very popular, which.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Is great for more from the Mic Asking Breakfast. Listen
live to news talks. It'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Time for catch up with her. I will make Graham Norton,
who now does not a book or a television show,
it's a tour not has hited our wife for what
appears to be a growing number of shows in this country,
arrives next month anyway, Graham Norton, good morning, Hello sir,
how are you? I'm extremely well and happy New Year
to you. Quick question. I had been Elton on the
program last week and I asked him about Christmas New Year.
(00:20):
He said he cooked two turkeys, a roast pork, vegetable
options plural plus rose vidgeties for the family. Can you
beat that? Or is he a show off?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Elton John did that?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
No, not Elton John being Elton wrong.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Elton, Oh, Ben, I'm thinking I really can't imagine Ben
Alston or Elton John Brook two turkeys. No, we struggled
with one here and actually it was really my Christmas
dinner was very, very bad this year. I miss timed
and all the eduports were close to raw. But didn't
(00:56):
know it was quite polite because they didn't.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Matter to cook it.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I did, but yeah, it was not my finestality.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Fantastic you're back into it from my wife. By the way,
who's just finished Frankie two questions. One she can grete.
She said, this is your best yet and by some margin.
And I don't think she's a big fan of your
so she's not saying you were useless and now you're brilliant,
but she's just you've hit your stride. Do you feel
that way?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
It's my favorite one of them so far. I mean,
I suppose you're you know, you're young. It's always your favorite,
but I do it kind of it felts different writing it,
and and it has kind of landed differently with readers
and stuff. So yeah, I'm really I'm really people thank
your wife. That's very kind of her.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Not at all. And having said that, I mean I
read the books as well, but but she was particularly effusive,
she says. And here's I hadn't thought about this, she says,
Do you write in your voice? Because she can't read
it without hearing you say it.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
It's a weird thing, isn't it, Because normally when you
read a book, you don't know what the writer is
faund like, But of course when it says great Norton
on a cover, you do. So I don't know, I mean,
in mind, I don't. I mean, I'm writing it, and
I do do the audio book, and I'm able to
read it, so I suppose it feels comfortable for me
to read. But I'm not aware of my voice as
(02:17):
I as I write. But yeah, I'm sure it's in there.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
The next part. And can I congratulate you on these shows.
I don't think it started out nine shows you're bringing here,
but it has grown to nine shows and I think
they're I think they're all sellouts. That surely tells you
something about the love of New Zealanders towards you.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
It's listen because you know you put these things on
saying and you're kind of dear God, let me come
and see me. So when they.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Felt out so fast for they ask for ex today,
that's great.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
So I think they are all sort of I think
there's a couple of cis still left for the extra
one in christ Structure the Town Hall on Wednesday twenty
sixth and in Wellington at the micro Fowler Center on
the twenty eighth, being organized. So I think those are
the only ones that's still a ticket left if people
would like to come and see me, do you.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
I mean, you must have had enough success so far
to be comfortable within your own skin. But but do
you have that nervousness when you talk to an agent
or a manager or whoever's organizing the stuff going? How
many shows, how big a hole, how many tickets? What's
it gonna do? Am I popping?
Speaker 2 (03:23):
You know? All that stuff you do, you do because
this is a kind of you know, most of the
stuff I do, it's quite a passive thing to consume.
You know, you turn on a radio, or you turn
on a TV, or there's you know, a clip from
the show just pops up in your Instagram. This you've
got to actively, you know, go online, pick up a phone,
(03:45):
You've got to reach into your wallet.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
You've got to get actual cash, you know.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
So it's a much bigger commitment. You know, you could
quite like me without thinking I need to leave my
house and spend two hours with him. So yeah, yeah,
you're always nervous when you do something that requires people
to take action. So I'm really pleased that people have
decided to come out. And you know, I did some
(04:11):
shows this show before Christmas in the UK and it
is it.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
I did have a good time doing I'm looking forward
to bringing it down there.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Good the business of leaving your television program to do
this tour strikes me as a large one.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Was it?
Speaker 1 (04:28):
No?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
No, because in fact I'm only missing one week? Is
that it the Yeah, the press of the Press of
slightly overestimates my abandonment of the TV show. No, I'm
just missing one week and the lovely Claudia Winkleman is
sitting in for for the for the week I'm missing.
But no, then then we were off anyway. So yeah,
(04:49):
it's not it's not so dramatic. I think the BBC
would not be very pleased by just said, Oh, by
the way, I'm traveling around Australia and New Zealand while
my show's supposed to be on.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
I'm so glad you explained that, because I literally, because
I know what I know love I put into my
show and I'm assuming it's yours. And your show is
not just a show. I mean, you know, it's people
on a couch and you talk to people, but it's
what you bring. And therefore, if I was employing you,
I'd be thinking, well, hold on, mate, the show is
not really the same if you're not there, And I thought,
(05:20):
what a big call to make. So it is just one,
and I take it she's done it because that's been done,
isn't it. Because I was looking at the list yesterday.
There's a couple of shows we haven't seen here in
the country yet. But she's done the show that you're missing.
Is that correct.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
No, she's been on the show earlier this year and
she'll be recording the show. So I'm doing my final
show coming Thursday, about the Friday, and then she does
the one after that when I'm getting on a jet face.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Okay, got that. So I was looking at the lineup.
Have you done the Nero yet?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yes, that has happened, And as advertised, he's lovely, very
nice man, but not a chassis. You know. He's even nominated.
He's been nominated for eight Oscars and he's won two.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
As far as the the Neighborhood, I've got to talk
to you about as well. Have you done that yet
or not? No?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
God, you're good, Mike. You're keeping up following my career
with interest. Yeah, we're doing that in June and it
won't actually be on Telly till twenty twenty six. Wow,
because it'll be it'll be a.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Huge editing job.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
It's all these families and Households living in houses and
are filmed twenty four to seven a Lah Big Brother,
and then it's a bit like I know it must
be a New Zealand version of goggle Box.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Yes, well there's not a New Zealand version. We see Google.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Bots like oh okay, so there's a bit of goggle Box
about it. And then they do these challenges but one
of the households will win a quarter of a million
British pounds wow, which is you know that's a prize
worth getting. So you have a filming that in June,
but like I say, it'll mostly kind of be put
together in the edit and then it'll all be on
(07:05):
TV in twenty six.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Do you have a seat that it's going places in
terms of reality television? Does this a format you think
there's a bit of magic here?
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Well this listen, I went, I don't like working. I
know it seems like I do, but I don't. And
so I went to this meeting where they're going to
tell me about this new show, thinking oh, final ruse
to the super meeting, but I'm going to say no,
And actually that does sound quite good. So I thought
I'll be annoyed if I'm sat at home watching someone
else hose that, so I said, yeah, and you know
(07:36):
it's and also it's that weird thing. You know, I'm
sixty one, about to be sixty two, so the idea
that someone's offering me a kind of a hot ticket,
big job in TV is kind of amazing. So it
would seem churlish to turn it down. So yeah, I've
got another job.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Fantastic. Well, listen, we're looking forward obviously, we're looking forward
to seeing you because you have virtually your shows are
all solved out. But if you get time, pop by
and say hi to us. As always a thrill to
catch up with you.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
All right, take care, sir, bye bye.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Nice to talk to Sir Graham Norton in the country.
Let me give you the date. Apparently you're telling me
there was a goggle box google Box here a local
version obviously not a raging success for probably went for
the one season twenty six and twenty eighth to March
of year two. Left that everything else is sold out,
So christ Church at the town Hall at the Littlebourn Auditorium,
(08:29):
so there's a couple of tickets available there. The twenty
eighth at the Fowlers Center, small number there, so you'll
need to be fairly quick. So Graham Norton always good
to have him on the program, and all the people
who've read the book and texted and obviously very very popular, which.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Is great for more from the Mic Asking Breakfast. Listen
live to news talks. It'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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