Born:
April 04, 1963
in
Dublin
Best Known For:
His double entendres and cheeky chat show.
Early-life:
Born Graham William Walker on 4 April, 1963, in Dublin. Studied English and French at Cork University and came top in his exams before dropping out after his second year to join a commune in San Francisco. Later arrived in Britain to study at the Central School of Drama in London. Initially wanted to play serious parts, but realised he was better at making people laugh and concentrated on comedy.
Career:
Started as a stand-up comedian, presented short-lived game show Carnal Knowledge and appeared on Father Ted. Got his big break in 1997 presenting The Jack Docherty Show while the regular host was on holiday. Norton won Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards, beating Docherty who had been nominated for the same plaudit. In 1998, he landed his own chat show, So Graham Norton, and started the production company, So Television. He signed a multi-million-dollar contract to host an American version of his chat show, The Graham Norton Effect, before moving to the BBC in 2004, presenting programmes including Strictly Dance Fever and The Bigger Picture. Since then, his star has gone into orbit, fronting endless musical reality shows, resurrecting his chat show, and recently taking over as the voice of Eurovision.
Quote:
On how he purchases clothes - "If it's shiny, I buy it."
Trivia:
He writes an advice column in The Daily Telegraph.