Alison O'Connor: Aren't we lucky to have someone like Graham Norton?

There's nothing high maintenance or aloof about the West Cork presenter who is incredibly generous with everything, including his time

Guests Lizzo, Salma Hayek Pinault, Shania Twain, Julianne Moore, Johannes Radebe, and Tom Grennan during the filming for the Graham Norton Show last week. Picture: Ian West/PA 

It’s a hot sofa tonight,” we’re told. The buzz lifts even higher. With that phrase where else could we be other than at a recording of The Graham Norton Show in London.

It’s a bit of a distance between Ahakista, Co Cork, and the BBC Studios in White City but that is where this particular adventure began.