It’s New Year’s Eve, the perfect time for awkward family gatherings and stilted conversations with near-strangers at sparsely attended parties. Or, you could skip all that and spend the evening with Graham Norton and a gaggle of celebrities, which is exactly what BBC One is offering.
This year’s New Year’s Eve edition of The Graham Norton Show features a lineup engineered for maximum festive cheer, or at least mild amusement. Robbie Williams will be on hand to discuss his new biopic, Better Man, in which he’s portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee. Yes, you read that correctly. Whether this is a stroke of genius or a career-killing miscalculation remains a matter of debate. Perhaps Norton will get to the bottom of it. Or perhaps he’ll just ask about the catering on set.
Joining the simian-adjacent Williams will be Oscar-winner Rami Malek, fresh off his West End run in Oedipus. He’ll presumably attempt to explain the enduring appeal of Greek tragedy to a television audience – maybe. Also on the couch: Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse, who will undoubtedly enthuse about the upcoming Strictly live tour, and comedian John Bishop, touring to celebrate his 25th anniversary in stand-up.
Naturally, The Graham Norton Show wouldn’t be complete without the Big Red Chair, offering a chance for everyday folks to share their most embarrassing anecdotes with a national audience. And the evening culminates with a live performance from Robbie Williams, hopefully not involving any primate prosthetics.
Tune in to BBC One at 10:25 PM on Tuesday, December 31, 2024, and let Graham Norton usher you into 2025 with his trademark blend of celebrity banter and slightly awkward audience participation.
