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BBC confirms return date for The Graham Norton Show - as first guests revealed with Hollywood icon
The chat show will be back on our screens later this month!
BBC/So Television/PA Media/Matt Crossick
- Molly Moss
Published: Thursday, 10 September 2026 at 8:30 am
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The Graham Norton Show has confirmed a return date for later this month.
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The BBC One chat show will return to our screens with its 34th season on Friday 25 September at 10:40pm on BBC One.
The show was last on air in March with season 33, which featured famous faces including Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Taylor Swift, Margot Robbie and Chris Hemsworth.
The guest line-up for season 34 episode 1 has also been confirmed - with a Hollywood icon headlining.
The BBC have revealed we can expect: "Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise, discussing his startling transformation in the apocalyptic satire Digger".
Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Paramount
They also flag "Oscar-nominated Brit Florence Pugh, starring in the new Netflix adaptation of the Steinbeck classic East of Eden".
Plus, we can expect "comedian and actor Lolly Adefope, taking to the stage as Abraham Lincoln's wife in the critically acclaimed comedy Oh, Mary!".
And finally, a regular favourite, "top comic John Bishop, hosting new BBC entertainment quiz Wisdom of the Crowd."
A music performance will be delivered by singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé with a performance of the classic hit Read All About It, Pt. III.
Norton previously teased that he has made changes to the chat show ahead of its return for season 34 to stop him from "getting bored".
Florence Pugh in East of Eden. Netflix
Speaking on his podcast Wanging On with Graham Norton and Maria McErlane at the beginning of 2026, Norton opened up about how, rather than splitting filming into sections across the year as is typical for the show, he’s decided to film in one long block.
"I used to do a thing where we’d end in February and then we’d have a few weeks off, and then we’d come back for eight weeks in April, May," he explained.
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He continued: "And about five or six years ago I got rid of that bit," adding that this stopped him "getting bored" with the show.
He continued: "And now it’s lovely, so we’re on for about half the year, off for about half a year. And it means by the end of February, I’m still really enjoying it, I’m not bored with it and then I kind of miss it because I'll be looking forward to coming back at the end of September."
Read more:
- Liza Tarbuck details her role as host on The Great Pottery Throw Down – in first gig since leaving the BBC
- The Great British Bake Off 2026 confirms release date as season 17 cast are revealed
The Graham Norton Show returns to BBC One and iPlayer on Friday 25 September, 2026.
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Authors
Molly MossTrends Writer
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
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