Hugh Grant talks about his new-found love of dance, Sarah Millican explains why she doesn’t want children, Jason Momoa says being Aquaman made him giggle and Kelly Clarkson talks about being released from her American Idol 15-year contract

On tonight’s show (Friday 10th November) Graham welcomes star of Notting Hill and Bridget Jones’s Diary Hugh Grant, comedian and writer Sarah Millican, Aquaman Jason Momoa and triple Grammy Award-winner Kelly Clarkson.

Hugh, talking about his new film Paddington 2, says, “I got a letter with the script saying, ‘We’ve got this part of an extremely self-obsessed, ex-famous actor that’s fallen on hard times.’ I was a fraction hurt! But it was a very funny script and it was a tad therapeutic as I have deep reservoirs of actorly narcissism, neurosis, anger and hatred that I was able to tap!” Adding, “I usually hate my films, but I can’t find a flaw in this one.”

Asked by huge fan Sarah, “Doesn’t everybody love you?” Hugh says, “That’s not true. A lot of people hate me. My children hate me. When my son came to see the film all he said was, ‘Why is Daddy in it so much?’”

Asked about dancing in the rebooted Love Actually and now tap dancing in Paddington 2, despite having previously talked about hating dancing, he says, “I’ve changed. I was reluctant to dance in the original Love Actually, but now I find that I like to express myself through movement. I find in old age that it brings something out in me. There’s something lovely about it and I get it now.”

Adding, with his tongue firmly in his cheek, “If I’m having a miserable afternoon I like to put on Gypsy Kings and do a bit of dancing. But what I find is no one wants to dance with me. I beg my children to and they run away in tears!”

Talking about his relationship with the press, Hugh says, “I think they’ve got every skeleton in my cupboard – there’s a lot, but I think they’ve got it all.” Adding about the Hacked Off campaign, “We are winning. We changed the law and we will soldier on.”

Jason, talking about Justice League and his character Aquaman, says, “We’ll see if people like it but I am very excited.” Asked about working in Iceland’s extreme temperatures, he says, “The water was so cold that I was wearing a very thin wetsuit from the waist down so I didn’t freeze to death. But as I walked out into

the water air bubbles started rising up to my waist. It was as though I was farting and I just couldn’t stop giggling. When I let the air out and water in many emotions went through me as I tried to act!”

Asked about preparing for his roles, he says, “When I was doing Conan the Barbarian I went all ‘method’ and had some stupid idea to copy what Marlon Brando did in A Streetcar Named desire by asking a friend to punch me in the face for authenticity. I did that and it broke my nose and my wife was furious. She met me before I bashed up my face and got scars and I was much better looking!”

Having demonstrated a few moves with his quindent, Aquaman’s weapon of choice, Jason charms Sarah and praises Hugh in Dothraki, his character’s native language in Game of Thrones.

Sarah, talking about her book and much publicised dislike of children, says, “I don’t like kids and I think it all stems from when I was eight years old and was given a baby doll. She was a giant and I remember having an inkling then what childbirth was and realising that I didn’t want something that size coming out of me. That was the moment I was put off children forever!”

Kelly performs Love So Soft live in the studio before joining Graham for a chat about her new album.

Talking about her new album, the first since she was released from her 15-year American Idol contract, she says, “It was a very successful arranged marriage and it changed my life but this album was more creative and fun. This is a proud musical footprint for me. I think that in any career after 15 years it’s good to have a change. I am so different now from my 20-year-old self – she was so annoying! I have four children and a very different perspective on life.”

And finally, Graham pulls the lever on more foolhardy audience members brave enough to sit in the Big Red Chair.

The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 10th November 10.35pm.

Pictures are available from PA

Notes to editors – All quotes in this release were said during the recording of the show but won’t necessarily appear in the final show.

Please note that next Friday (17th November) it’s Children In Need.

Graham’s show returns on Friday 24th November when his guests include Mel Gibson, Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Shirley Ballas, John Lithgow and Kesha.

For further information please contact Mary Collins 07769 670516 or at mary@marycollins-pr.com  10th November 2017