Lorraine walks so that Graham Norton can run.
Yep, the Irish host appears to be stealing a leaf from the Scot’s book as he passes over his namesake program to another star.
Norton will be replaced as host of The Graham Norton Show tonight (February 28), while guests Chris Pratt, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Toby Jones, Rob Beckett, and Rachel Chinouriri talk to someone else.
But don’t worry, the 61-year-old will only be absent for a short while.
And who is stepping into the legend’s shoes? Well, it’s just Claudia Winkleman.
He revealed the news on a January broadcast of his BBC show while The Traitors host was on the coveted sofa.
Norton is taking a break from his program while he travels Down Under to conduct his live tour, An Evening With Graham Norton.
The celebrity will visit cities including Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, and Melbourne in March, since Australians evidently adore the host as much as we do.
The Father Ted actor will discuss his latest book and offer ‘hilarious anecdotes from his celebrity-studded sofa,’ as well as a Q&A with fans.
With the BBC continuing the broadcast without him, Winkleman sarcastically stated of her stand-in role, “I apologize in advance!”
She will allegedly simply take Norton’s place in tonight’s program. But this isn’t the first time she’s done her friend a favor; she took his position when he left BBC Radio 2 in 2021.
The Strictly Come Dancing host expressed her amazement at her appointment at the time, describing it as a ‘privilege and honor’.
Jack Whitehall has already taken Norton’s spot on his long-running talk show, hosting in 2019 when the BBC star was preparing for Eurovision in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Even while the Irishman will be much missed by fans, it’s fair to say that many are looking forward to seeing Winkelman chin-wagging with the A-listers on the sofa tonight.
Users hailed her ‘the queen’ in response to a teaser photo on X, saying they’re ‘looking forward’ to the show.
However, there is a suggestion to temporarily rename the show as ‘The Claudia Winkleman Show.’ But, let’s be honest: while Winkleman is a memorable fill-in, no one can completely replace Graham.
Tonight (February 28), The Graham Norton Show will air on BBC One at 10:40pm.