My tawdry tale is worse than the Old Testament, said the actor to the bishop as Graham Norton visits Bantry

Instead of the Red Chair, two armchairs upholstered in a suitably-episcopal purple hosted the action when entertainer, broadcaster and writer Graham Norton did his star turn with a real life  bishop, at West Cork's  Bantry Literary Festival Friday night.

"The theme for the night is 'What did the Actor say to the Bishop?' Let's start the show," commenced Cork's Church of Ireland Bishop Paul Colton, before coyly asking Graham Norton "Am I your first Vicar, your first Bishop," and thus setting an immediate tone of some sly innuendo, and much hilarity, for the hour-plus 'Evening with Graham Norton'.

Their sparky communion, and occasional confession, was held live in front of 400 paying guests, locals, devotional fans and one bulldog puppy. In fact, it seemed the only key demographic missing was the entertainer's mother who, Graham reveled, was boycotting the evening as "she was devastated to hear who was appearing here with me this evening: Her Bishop? Paul Colton? She's appalled: she thought: 'Has he no higher calling than this?"