Graham Norton smiles all way to bank with €3m earnings

Chat-show host and comedian Graham Norton remains one of the best paid broadcasters earning €3m in fees last year. The popular and charismatic BBC presenter is in a league of his own as the £2.2m (€3.07m) he received in presenter fees and production fees along with royalties follows on from the £2.4m he earned in 2013.

Wed, 13 May, 2015 - 01:00

Gordon Deegan

Norton’s earnings confirm that the 52-year-old BBC presenter clocks up more than €2,150 in fees and royalties for every minute he is presenting his top-rated The Graham Norton Show that continues to attract Hollywood A-listers every Friday night.

Over the next couple of weeks, Norton is to interview George Clooney and Kylie Minogue in a year where has already interviewed David Beckham, Will Smith, and Michael Flatley.

Norton also added to his coffers last year with the publication of a second memoir, The Life and Loves of a He Devil, and an accompanying theatre tour.

Still very much on top of his game, last Sunday, Norton won a Bafta for Comedy and Comedy Entertainment for The Graham Norton Show.

The Graham Norton Show is the main earner for So Television Ltd and new figures just lodged with Companies House show that pre-tax profits at the firm increased by 14% from £1.8m to £2m in the 12 months to the end of last July.

This followed revenues at the firm declining by 12% from £13.59m to £11.98m.

The Graham Norton Show is shown throughout the world with TV3 securing the Irish rights. In the year under review, Norton presented 31 episodes of the series along with two compilations that were screened.

Norton and the producer of The Graham Norton Show, Graham Stuart, sold So Television to ITV in 2012 with ITV agreeing to pay the two £10m up front, while a further £7m will be payable depending on its performance up to July 2016.