The Graham Norton Show Season 31 Amr Link May 2026
In an era where the late-night talk show format is struggling—with endless monologues, rigid celebrity plugging, and viral clip-chasing— The Graham Norton Show remains a warm, boozy anomaly. Season 31, which aired from late September 2023 to early July 2024, proved once again why Norton’s red sofa is television’s most coveted seat. This season wasn’t just a collection of interviews; it was a masterclass in orchestrated anarchy. The Winning Formula: Why Season 31 Worked The genius of Norton’s show lies in its democratic chaos. American talk shows sequester guests in separate green rooms, only to bring them out for a rigid 5-minute segment. Norton, by contrast, crams four to five A-list celebrities onto a single couch, plying them with wine and inviting them to interrupt each other. Season 31 leaned into this harder than ever.
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This was a coup. Three generations of Hollywood royalty on one sofa. The highlight came when Tom Hanks revealed the absurdly specific rule for his wife Rita Wilson’s “Halloween decoration hierarchy,” leading Julia Roberts to fall off her chair laughing. Timothée Chalamet, looking genuinely star-struck by Hanks and Roberts, provided the perfect junior-energy contrast. Olivia Rodrigo then performed “Get Him Back!” with punkish glee. This episode set the bar impossibly high. Guests: Sir Paul McCartney, Martin Freeman, and Dawn French. In an era where the late-night talk show
★★★★½ (4.5/5) Best episode: Christmas Special (Episode 12) Worst episode: None, but the episode with only three very polite British actors (Episode 8) was almost too nice. The Winning Formula: Why Season 31 Worked The
Cher on Norton’s sofa is always event television. She swore, she flirted with Adam Driver (who remained impressively stoic), and she revealed she still sleeps with a specific brand of 1970s hairdryer because “it’s the only one that doesn’t make me look like a poodle.” Adam Driver, promoting Ferrari , did an impromptu, deadpan impression of a lawnmower engine. It made no sense. It was brilliant. Guests: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, and Sam Rockwell.
A quieter episode but a fan favorite. McCartney told a never-before-heard story about Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, trying to poach The Beatles in 1964. Dawn French, recounting a disastrous dinner party, had McCartney in tears of laughter. Norton’s skill here was letting the conversation breathe—no rush to the next clip. Guests: Cher, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, and Michael Bublé.
Whether it was Paul McCartney talking about Elvis, Cher dissecting hairdryers, or a Welsh man and an emu, this season reminded us that the best talk show on television doesn’t need gimmicks, games, or gotcha moments. It just needs a red sofa, a well-stocked bar, and Graham Norton’s mischievous eyebrow.
