‘I'm very BROODY!'

The undisputed star of his Friday night chat show, Graham Norton reveals what’s missing in his life

- VICKI POWER

Graham Norton admits he’s feeling broody. The king of chat hasn’t been gripped by a sudden desire to adopt a little one and start changing nappies at the age of 58. But he is deadly serious about the overwhelming urge to get another dog.

Graham’s beloved pooches – Madge, a terrier, and Bailey, a labradoodle – were his constant companions for more than a decade. He talked about them in interviews, and they travelled with him between his homes in London, New York and County Cork in Ireland. But both have gone to that great kennel in the sky – Madge at Christmas 2019 and Bailey in July 2020.

‘It was horrible to lose them both, but I would not swap the grief of losing them for the joy I got from them all those years,’ says Graham. ‘It’s like my late friend Carrie Fisher used to say about her bipolar disorder. The depressive episodes were like getting the bill after the manic episodes. You have to pay up.’

He says he’s amazed his dogs lived as long as they did – Bailey was 15 and rescue dog Madge a bit older – her exact age was unknown.

‘What’s funny is the other day I was going through videos on my phone and there are lots of videos of Bailey,’ says Graham fondly.