Graham Norton is being replaced as host of his own show this month as he announces celebrity taking over
The Graham Norton Show is having a bit of a shakeup this month, as the host who it's named after won't be presenting it.
Despite Graham Norton's presence being pretty much essential to the makeup of the BBC programme, he's being replaced on a short-term basis.
I suppose this is a perfect example of why self-titled shows can bring about a few issues in the long run, isn't it?
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Norton has been at the helm of The Graham Norton Show since 2007, seeing him chew the fat with hundreds of celebrity guests. But another BBC star is set to step into the chat show titan's shoes at the end of February.
Don't panic though, as Norton hasn't been hurled on the scrap heap by his bosses - he's simply heading Down Under.
The 61-year-old is taking an extended break from his longtime gig so that he can head to Australia to perform his live tour, An Evening With Graham Norton.
He announced the news in an episode of The Graham Norton Show which aired in early January, while Tom Hiddleston, Claudia Winkleman, Brie Larson, Billy Porter and Myles Smith were sat on his iconic sofa.
Norton will be hitting cities including Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne in March for his highly-anticipated tour.
The Father Ted star is set to discuss his new book and will share 'hilarious tales from his star-studded sofa', as well as doing a Q&A with fans.
Although that's all still a few weeks off yet, Norton is heading to Australia in February so he can make the most of his trip and enjoy some well-deserved time off.
But fans won't be starved of their weekly dose of The Graham Norton Show while the host of it is off sunbathing, as one of his celeb pals is standing in for him while he is away.
Rather than halting production, the BBC has opted to rope in Queen Claudia Winkleman as his replacement.
After Norton revealed that she will be covering him during his absence while she was a guest on the show, Winkleman hilariously responded: "I apologise in advance!"
The Traitors star will takes his seat on 28 February, although it will only be for one episode.
It's not the first time that Winkleman has done Norton a solid like this either, as she gave him a hand back in 2021 when he quit BBC Radio 2.
The Strictly Come Dancing host said she was left 'gobsmacked' by her appointment at the time and said it was a 'privilege and honour' to take Norton's place.
She also later left the 10:00 to 13:00 slot on the airwaves to spend more time with her daughter.
Jack Whitehall previously helped Norton out of a bit of a bind too, as he took over presenting duties in 2019 when the BBC star was away preparing for Eurovision in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Let's hope Winkleman does just as good of a job.
Topics: Graham Norton, The Graham Norton Show, Claudia Winkleman, BBC, TV and Film, Celebrity
Olivia Burke