Graham Norton says chat shows are losing stars to podcasts and YouTube

Graham Norton says his BBC chat show could become “the last chat show on Planet Earth” because it is getting harder to book big guests.

He was answering a question about whether a new chat show could launch. He was speaking at the RTS London Convention, an industry gathering in London, after sessions with Jeremy Clarkson and Steven Knight, according to Deadline.

Booking is tougher, he said, because film studios and record labels now put their energy into other places and platforms. Stars who once relied on chat shows as part of a promotional tour, the round of interviews that sells a new film or album, will instead go to a podcast or YouTube.

Norton said he tries to make sure guests have a good time. He added that he is sometimes surprised by what they refuse to do on his sofa compared with what they will happily do online.

His comments followed the end of The Claudia Winkleman Show after one season. Winkleman said she was too nervous to enjoy hosting it, and Norton said he accepted her decision. He said he thought she was really good at the job.

The Winkleman show had been planned for a long time as a companion to his own programme. The idea was for it to air in spring while The Graham Norton Show was off air. That would avoid a clash between two programmes made by the same company, Norton’s So Television. Norton said a replacement will likely never be found.

The Claudia Winkleman Show premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Friday 13 March 2026 at 10:40pm, according to the BBC Media Centre. Guests included Jeff Goldblum.

The Graham Norton Show returned to BBC One and iPlayer on Friday 25 September 2026, according to Radio Times. The format also has a longer runway abroad after a two-year pickup, meaning two more years ordered, at BBC America and AMC Global, according to Variety.

For viewers, this means fewer new sofas to choose from. One spin-off has closed. The original is staying put.