On this week’s show (31st October) Graham welcomes Oscar-nominee and now author Keira Knightley, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, breakout star of The White Lotus Aimee Lou Wood, comedian Chris McCausland, and British band Mumford & Sons with Hozier.
Aimee kicks off the show with the research she has done on everyone’s star sign, “I always do research,” she says, declaring the guests, “A very good astrological mix. Graham and Keira as Aries bring the passion and keep the fire going, Malala as Cancer is the nurturing mother of the zodiac, Chris is a Gemini so nice and chatty, and as for me I am Aquarius – the weird one!”
Keira, asked about the inspiration for her debut children’s book I Love You Just the Same, says, “My eldest daughter didn’t like sleeping at all, so every night for months I drew her a picture that she could wake up to. Then she started asking for specific things including a bird that could take the baby away. I thought I had better write a book so I could get the baby back!
“I draw a lot – I'm dyslexic, so I learn my lines by listening to them and while I am listening, I draw. The more detailed the drawing, the better the lines go into my head.”
Revealing fans still want to talk to her about Bend it Like Beckham, she says, “It’s mainly little girls. They love it because women’s football has become such a huge thing now. I also get a lot of football players saying how much they love the movie which is lovely. I keep trying to get my own girls to watch it, but they are like, ‘You’re okay, we’ll watch the Euros instead!’”
Malala, talking about her new memoir Finding My Way, says, “It is coming of age story. The most personal reflections I have shared from when I was a lonely student in high school to a reckless college student and navigating my way as a young woman. It is my personal experiences about belonging, friendships, and mental health. My hope is that when someone reads the book the message is that they are not alone.”
Asked about studying in the UK, she says, “I felt so lucky that I went to college and completed my degree and that was the moment I felt I had won. Because the people that tried to silence me and stop me from learning failed and I completed my education. I have that same dream for all women.”
Talking about the various controversies she has created in her parents’ eyes, she says, “The clothes I wore at university upset them. They were very strict and particularly didn’t like my skinny jeans. And, when I met Prince Harry and he put his arm very respectfully around my shoulder for a photograph, my mother goes after him and shoves his hand away! Then I had a photo taken standing close to David Beckham and they freaked out because of the disapproval of their conservative relatives. I said to them, ‘Firstly, I am 17 and secondly, that’s David Beckham!”
And on finding love, she says, “As a kid I decided not to get married. Growing up I saw women had to compromise and marriage was an institution I wanted to stay away from. I told all my college friends never to marry and then I was the first of my friendship group to do it!”
Revealing to Aimee that she watched Sex Education, Malala says, “I binged watched it for educational purposes and I learnt so much!”
Aimee, talking about starring in the upcoming series of the BBC comedy series Daddy Issues, and working with David Morrissey says, “He is so good, so brilliant but it’s actually bad how funny he is. We can’t get through the day without laughing so much. People come up to me and say, ‘You only corpsed six times today. Well done!’ It really is so much fun.”
Asked about writing and starring in BBC drama Film Club, she says, “It was so different. It’s magical because you have these people in your head for years and then Suranne Jones is there being that person, which is incredible. But also, the number of times I would be in a scene, and I would be thinking, ‘Why the hell did I write that?’ Once you surrender to it you sort of forget it is yours.”
And on The White Lotus, she says, “I thought everyone was being so dramatic saying it would change my life, but it truly has. It really has been wonderful.”
Chris, talking about his new memoir, Keep Laughing, says, “There are three distinct things that have happened to me so far – I lost my sight, I became a comedian, and then Strictly, which is such a positive end to that part of my story. I thought going blind would be the hardest part to talk about, but I actually found it the most interesting bit. Talking about being a comedian was hard to make original.
“Strictly was not on my radar, I knew nothing about it, and it was so far out of my comfort zone. It was intense and terrifying and because of that, I couldn’t be prouder.”
Mumford & Sons with Hozier perform their new single Rubber Band Man, live in the studio before Marcus and Hozier joins Graham for a chat about their collaboration.
And finally, Graham pulls the lever on more foolhardy audience members brave enough to sit in the world-famous Big Red Chair to tell their funniest stories.
The Graham Norton Show, BBC One and iPlayer, Friday 31st October, 10.40pm
Next week (7th November) Graham’s guests include Glen Powell, Rosamund Pike, Jack Whitehall, and Ed Sheeran.
Picture: BBC/So Television/The Graham Norton Show/Christopher Baines
