Podcast Corner: Graham Norton solves work bestie problems, international romance queries... and more
Graham Norton
Graham Norton has reunited with his dear friend Maria McErlane with a new show called to dish out average advice and so-so solutions to listeners’ everyday dilemmas.
The ‘agony aunt’ genre is a well-worn trope of podcasts, but the pair have history with it: McErlane co-hosted the ‘Grill Graham’ advice segment on Norton’s BBC Radio 2 Saturday morning show for the duration of its run.
“We met properly when we did a show called that we must try and forget,” McErlane says at the start of the second episode. “That’s how we bonded because it was such a terrible experience,” adds Norton. “It didn’t feel like show business.”
Norton, who left his show on Virgin Radio in Britain in early 2024 (replaced by Angela Scanlon), will find out soon enough whether podcasting feels like show business.
It’s a video podcast too, as every new show must be in 2025, and well, Norton is as adept as they come in front of a camera or mic.
Listeners’ problems in the first four episodes range from “my work bestie dating a guy I used to date” to someone who’s reconnected with an old friend after 15 years and wants an invitation to their wedding and to a potentially blossoming holiday camper-van romance while travelling across Australia.
Our favourite so far is the person pondering the social etiquette of shopping with a bag for life emblazoned with another supermarket’s name and colours.
“I’ve lost the will to live,” wails McErlane as she tries to get to the end of this particular letter. “I mean, I know we said we’d do any dilemma,” says Norton. That they have so much fun with it is testament to their talents.
Of course with any celeb-driven show like this, we’re here for the presenters, really.
At the beginning of last week’s fourth episode, Norton, 62, reveals he recently had shoulder replacement surgery — the doctor looked hurt when he didn’t want a picture of the X-ray.
He continues: “If I was young and I’d gone in for a big operation, I’d have been like, la la la la la. When I was sitting in the hospital room and I wasn’t on any drugs or anything — it was before I was taken down — but you’re in the gown and you just feel so vulnerable and you’re wearing those funny slippers. I did feel quite emotional… you are facing your own mortality.”
He then details how he pulled a sickie from school but ended up having his appendix out: “I was faking but I knew I couldn’t say ‘I don’t have it’ because then I’d be in even more trouble. So I had to go through with the operation.” He only told his mum five years ago.
