graham norton

7 Graham Norton interviews that went dramatically wrong: Miriam Margolyes, Mark Wahlberg and more

See some of the chat show host's most awkward interview moments

TV & Film Editor
September 30, 2022

The Graham Norton Show is one of our all-time favourite chat shows, and while we love settling down on the sofa with Graham and the stars on his sofa, sometimes the interviews can take quite a turn for the worst! From tipsy guests to awkward moments, here are some of the funniest interviews that went horribly wrong... 

MORE: Who is Graham Norton's partner? Inside the TV star's love life

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg appearing on the show, clearly very drunk and having a great time, is one of the most unintentionally funny Graham Norton interviews of all time.

WATCH: Mark was a little tipsy on the show

During the episode, he didn't let fellow guests Sarah Silverman or Michael Fassbender finish any of their stories, repeatedly booted a storyteller off the Red Chair segment as he continued to get the wrong end of the stick about what she was trying to say, and eventually fell asleep while on screen. 

Speaking about what happened on This Morning, Graham said: "I think it's that sort of thing when you finish drinking, that isn't the drunkest you're going to be. You realise when you get home, 'Ooh, I'm drunker than when I left the pub'. I think maybe there was a bit of a timelapse and he did get very drunk.

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"We couldn't get any stories going. Michael Fassbender was on, he was getting this story away and I was like, 'Wow, this must be a good story because Mark Wahlberg is letting him tell it' and he was asleep. We didn't wake him, we were delighted."

Miriam Margolyes 

Miriam, Miriam, Miriam. The actress regularly appears on The Graham Norton Show, and every time she is on we know we are in for a front with her hysterical, sometimes extremely X-rated stories, which shocks her fellow guests and endlessly amuses Graham.

However, part of Miriam's charm is that she tends to say exactly what she thinks - which means occasionally offending her fellow guests! One of the funniest moments was when she told Mamma Mia star Dominic Cooper how much she hated the musical film. After Graham asked if she'd seen it, she replied: "Oh, it's a dreadful film!" 

Miriam had the audience in hysterics

She also told Matthew Perry how much she disliked one of the co-creators of Friends, explaining: "I really liked David Crane and I couldn't stand Marta Kauffman. I thought she was a monster and they wrote Friends!" Matthew replied: "She's actually quite a lovely woman!" 

Sinead O'Connor 

Sinead joined Daniel Radcliffe, Cuba Gooding Jr and Omid Djalili on the show, and she wasn't taking any prisoners! When Graham brought out a copy of her new album to show the audience, she quickly pointed out that it wasn't the right cover.

Taking it from Graham, she ripped it open to reveal it was an empty CD which the production team must have made instead of her real one. Sinead had a good sense of humour and laughed about the situation, while Graham shouted: "I must have left it in the car!" 

WATCH: Sinead catches Graham out

David Cassidy 

Graham previously opened up about having the late actor on the show, describing it as "one of the worst experiences of [his] life". Chatting to Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford about his worst guests, he explained: "I loved him when I was a teenager and then you meet him and he's so bitter and weird... not a happy time... I think David hates that he was David Cassidy." Eek! 

Graham was left disappointed after meeting idol David Cassidy

Cara Delevingne 

During an interview on Graham Norton's Big Chat Live, Graham tried to have Cara recount a saucy anecdote. The model and actress looked somewhat awkward as she said: "My father is here by the way, sorry dad!" Luckily, the chat soon got back on track when Cara showed off a party trick by balancing a bottle of water on her head - but it was a little uncomfortable there for a moment! 

WATCH: Cara has awkward moment 

Noel Gallagher 

Noel famously is in a longterm feud with his brother, Liam, and so it was certainly uncomfortable when Graham pointed out that he and his fellow guest Jack Black had actually met before, with Jack pointing out that he realised that he had made a mistake and that he had actually met Noel's brother.

Noel Gallagher was mistaken for his brother, Liam

Fortunately, Noel has a hilarious sense of humour and turned the awkward moment into a funny one by having his fellow stars wave to his brother, who he said would certainly be watching. 

Elizabeth McGovern

After almost 15 years on air, it seems likely that Graham would eventually mess up someone's name and that's exactly what happened when he had Downton Abbey actress Elizabeth McGovern on the show. During her interview, Graham kept accidentally mixing her up with Elizabeth Montgomery, the late Bewitched actress, who passed away in 1995. However, the TV star "didn't say anything" after he repeatedly referred to her by the wrong name, meaning Graham had no idea about his faux pas until after the episode had ended! 

Graham has named his interview with Elizabeth McGovern as one of his most embarrassing

Speaking about the embarrassing moment, the talk show host said: "The first time I said her name, a funny look went across her face, and bless her, this makes me like her so much, she didn't say anything. She let me call her the wrong name."

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