Graham Norton Laid Into Anthony Joshua’s Opponent Joseph Parker

Graham Norton has turned his hand to a few things during his long career. His big break came via acting (if you've not seen him in Father Ted, go and check it out). He's also done stand-up comedy, has a massively successful radio show, and of course, hosts a multi-BAFTA-winning chat show.

Every Friday night he gets some of the world's biggest stars onto the BBC to interview them - over a couple of drinks, of course. And now he seems to be auditioning for a new role as a heavyweight boxing promoter.

Last week on his show he featured celebrities like Maisie Williams, Tom Hanks, and Anthony Joshua. Unified world heavyweight boxing champion Joshua had yet to announce that he would be entering into a heavyweight division fight against New Zealand's Joseph Parker, but it was basically all done bar the date announcement.

Since then it has been announced that the clash between the two unbeaten fighters will take place at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on 31 March 2018. Joshua was on the show to talk about the upcoming fight, and maintained his nice-guy reputation by being... well, pretty nice.

"It was going to either one of the two belt holders," he said. "I have three of them and there are two left - one is in America, and one is in New Zealand.

"I was looking at both options... and America would have been amazing but there have been some difficulties so we are looking to bring the other guy, Joseph Parker, who is a tidy champion there."

Famously catty presenter Norton saw an opportunity to test the waters for his new career, publicly trash-talking Parker, the Kiwi WBO Heavyweight Champion of the World.

He said: "Can I just say that looks like it's going to be quite an easy fight? He's the king of pies! No, seriously - I mean, he must be a world class athlete, but he doesn't look like one, does he?"

Those are fighting words if ever I've heard them.

However, Norton is about 5'8, and probably weighs about 10 stone when wet through, so he'll probably have to have Joshua do the actual fisticuffs for him.

Luckily, Parker has a sense of humour. After the show he tweeted: "Trust me, I do love my pies"

Less funny though were his comments about Joshua in which he accused the British boxer of taking banned steroids.

"They call me the king of pies, but I call him the 'king of steroids'," Parker told New Zealand's Radio Sport. "Who knows, if you are that big and that muscly, there's something wrong."

He has since backtracked on his comments, but it certainly sets up an interesting fight at the end of March.