• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • First Impressions - The Game
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Graham Norton viewers reduced to tears after powerful Judi Dench speech

Home> Entertainment> TV

Updated 14:19 28 Oct 2023 GMT+1Published 14:17 28 Oct 2023 GMT+1

Graham Norton viewers reduced to tears after powerful Judi Dench speech

Judi Dench held Graham Norton, his guests, and the audience spellbound with her rendition of a Shakespeare sonnet on last night's show

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

Judi Dench gave a powerful speech last night on The Graham Norton Show which left some viewers in tears and others simply in complete awe of the acting legend.

It’s not exactly a revolutionary take that Judi Dench is very good at acting, but few would have realised that she is able to pull entire sonnets out of her head on a whim and recite them beautifully on national TV.

Advert

Of course, she may have simply known what was happening beforehand and boned up on the correct Shakespeare, but where would the fun in that be?

Dench was on Graham Norton’s show to publicise her book, which is all about her acting and career working with the plays and poems of the Bard, so if anyone was going to pull a random sonnet out of their noggin, it’s her.

When prompted by the host – who even threatened to ‘poke [her] with a stick’ – she agreed to read the short poem in front of the in-studio audience and her fellow guests.

Judi Dench recited one of William Shakespeare's sonnets.
BBC

For the entire duration, she had everyone transfixed.

Advert

Even a big Hollywood star like Arnold Schwarzenegger – though he’s not a classical actor himself- must have been taking notes.

Maybe he will have been inspired to take on some of Billy Shakespeare’s work himself in the future?

For real Shakespeare fans, Dench read from Sonnet 29, and it goes like this: “When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,

“I all alone beweep my outcast state. And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,

“And look upon myself and curse my fate. Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

Advert

“Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,

“Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,

“With what I most enjoy contented least;

“Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,

“Haply I think on thee, and then my state

Advert

“(Like to the lark at break of day arising

“From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate;

“For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings

“ That then I scorn to change my state with kings.”

Beautiful stuff, no?

Advert

The entire studio was gripped.
BBC

Well, fans who have seen the clip online seemed to think so, anyway.

“That brought tears to my eyes,” one said.

“It was exactly what I needed to hear again right now.”

Another wrote: “Brought me to tears, we had to memorise a sonnet in high school and I picked 29.

"It’s been my doodle, my handwriting practice, my mantra when I’m lost and need to babble. Hearing her recite it sent me.”

A third simply wrote: “The Goddess works her magic.”

Anyway, if you want to know what it’s all for, as well as hearing more about Dench’s love of Shakespeare, you can buy her new book, called ‘Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent’.

Featured Image Credit: BBC

Topics: BBC, Graham Norton, The Graham Norton Show, Celebrity, TV and Film

Tom Wood
Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

X

@TPWagwim

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

an hour ago
4 hours ago
5 hours ago
8 hours ago
  • an hour ago

    New documentary claims Justin Bieber sold his entire 300-song music catalogue for $200 million for sad reason

    The 31-year-old is said to be facing a lot of demons

    Entertainment
  • 4 hours ago

    UK Eurovision star reveals surprising secret to winning ahead of tonight's contest

    Can the UK break their streak tonight?

    Entertainment
  • 5 hours ago

    Foo Fighters member releases statement claiming he’s been fired from the band

    Josh Freese addressed his departure in a statement on Instagram

    Entertainment
  • 8 hours ago

    Why UK does so bad at Eurovision as huge realisation made

    The UK never fares well at Eurovision

    Entertainment
  • Viewers left seriously confused after hearing Renée Zellweger's real voice on The Graham Norton Show
  • Body language expert analyses Graham Norton guests' reactions when Saoirse Ronan shut down Paul Mescal
  • Saoirse Ronan praised after calling out big problem with Paul Mescal’s joke on Graham Norton show
  • Graham Norton admits Hollywood actor's story had to be cut from episode for first time ever