has issued a major apology “in advance” just hours before her guest-presenting role on airs on . The Traitors host will return to screens on Friday (February 28) to stand in for the beloved Irishman who is away for the week and overseas for his Evening with Graham Norton Tour.
Graham, who is currently performing on his eight-date comedy tour in , joked that her stint on the chat show may not go well. During the one-off stint, Claudia will be joined by an array of star-studded guests, including star Chris Pratt, Derry Girls’ Saoirse-Monica Jackson, winner Toby Jones, comedian Rob Beckett and singer Rachel Chinouriri. Ahead of the episode airing, the presenter shared a heartbreaking apology and said: “I won’t make a mess and I apologise in advance.”
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Claudia Winkleman will replace Graham Norton for one episode (Image: BBC)
This presenting shake-up is only the second time Graham has been absent from the programme since its 2007 debut. In 2019, comedian Jack Whitehall replaced the 61-year-old, who was in Tel Aviv preparing for the Eurovision Song Contest final at the time.
When Claudia was a guest on the talk show last month, Graham prepared viewers for the major presenting shift as he shared details about her guest-presenting stint.
He said: “Claudia does have another little job coming up. Because, at the end of this series I’m popping off to do a tour of Australia and my seat is going to be filled for one week only by none other than Claudia Winkleman.”
Graham will appear in Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, and Melbourne to discuss his new book, share “hilarious tales from his star-studded sofa,” and do a Q&A with fans.
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Graham Norton is currently touring Australia (Image: PA)
Meanwhile, the co-host recently revealed that she was turning down new TV opportunities as she is satisfied with her current projects – which include the Channel 4 competition shows, One Question and The Piano.
She told the : “I’m not doing anything else. I’ve been more than lucky and I think that’s enough. I do believe – and I’m going to sound like my kids – in gratitude.
“I’m incredibly grateful. I love Strictly, I love The Traitors, I love The Piano, I love One Question and you won’t see me doing anything else.”
Fans have already expressed their elation at Claudia’s hosting of the talk show, as a preview of the episode went viral on social media. Some viewers suggested that the Graham Norton Show should be renamed in her honour.