Graham Norton has revealed which guest was the most difficult to interview on his BBC show, The Graham Norton Show.
Norton has hosted hundreds of A-list celebrities over nearly 20 years, including Emma Stone, Will Smith, Taylor Swift, Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, and Julia Roberts.
At the Henley Literary Festival, Norton shared a story about one particular guest who made the show challenging. He said that while the guest seemed fine at first, things changed about 15 minutes into the interview.
“That was Mark Wahlberg,” Norton explained. “When he arrived, he didn’t seem drunk. He talked about his film and shared a few stories. But 15 minutes into the show, whatever was in his system really took hold – and it was hell.”
Wahlberg appeared on the show in 2013 to promote his movie Broken City, alongside Sarah Silverman and Michael Fassbender. At one point, Wahlberg even sat on Norton’s knee and started caressing his face.
“No one could tell a story,” Norton said. “If you tried to tell a story, he’d interrupt. At one point, Michael Fassbender was telling a story, and I looked over at Mark Wahlberg – he was asleep.”
Norton also clarified that the show does not encourage heavy drinking. Guests can have a drink or two before going on air, but producers do not make anyone drunk.
Wahlberg later commented on the appearance, telling Digital Spy: “I tried to do a bit, and some people took it a little too seriously.”
