Graham Norton

Summary

Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster: Graham Norton

Episode Date: April 22, 2026
Main Theme: Legendary broadcaster Graham Norton joins Ed and James in the Dream Restaurant to construct his fantasy meal, chat about his new reality show The Neighbourhood, podcasting with his old friend Maria McErlane, and trade behind-the-scenes TV tales.

---

Episode Overview

This energetic, laughter-filled episode sees Ed and James in awe, and a bit on edge, as they interview one of the best interviewers in the business. Graham Norton is charming, honest, occasionally self-deprecating, and happy to get playful about both food and television formats. The trio explores Graham's food loves and pet peeves, his career journey, the making of his new ITV show, podcasting culture, and some hilarious behind-the-scenes moments from his iconic chat show.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Welcoming Graham and the Interviewer’s Hotseat

• The hosts admit some nerves about interviewing Graham Norton himself, worried he might "tear apart" their interview technique.
  • “[About Graham] He’s intimidating…talking to someone who’s so good at interviewing. Yeah. And we’re interviewing him.” — James Acaster (05:29)
• Graham is self-effacing but admits to enjoying his job’s unpredictability:
  • “The thing that keeps you interested…is that you never quite know what you’re going to get…you can be all prepared...but once they’re in the chair opposite you, it’s still kind of an unknown quantity.” — Graham Norton (09:28)

2. Behind the Scenes of Graham’s Career

• Graham reflects on chat show surprises—like Dustin Hoffman clowning on his Channel 4 show (10:07)—and the early era of Big Brother.
• Ed recalls a vivid memory: “I remember this moment very well…Dustin Hoffman pretending to be him in the diary room. What does that do to your brain?” — Ed Gamble (11:03)
• Graham shares nostalgia about “feeling at the center of the world” during early Big Brother days (11:11).

3. New TV Show: The Neighbourhood (11:42–15:34)

• Graham details his new ITV reality show: The Neighbourhood.
  • “Different families, different groups of people move to a neighborhood and it’s like an elimination thing…I think.” — Ed Gamble (06:56)
  • “It’s huge. Absolutely massive…six households compete for a quarter of a million.” — Graham Norton (12:09)
  • “What’s kind of lovely is some of these households in real life would either never meet or certainly would not spend time getting to know each other…really cheery and optimistic.” — Graham Norton (14:05)
• The show is described as “wholesome,” blending competition and genuine connection.

4. Podcasting with Maria McErlane: Wanging On (16:01–17:47)

• Graham’s podcast extends his Radio 2 agony-aunt format, now freed from radio limits and "problem letters".
  • “I did it on Radio 2 with my friend Maria…10 years…then Virgin, then people said, ‘do a podcast.’ We did—it turns out people DO quite like it.” — Graham Norton (16:02)
• The hosts and Graham riff on podcast overload, listener habits, and their own tastes.

5. Dining Preferences: Graham’s Dream Meal

Still or Sparkling Water (19:00)

• Graham: “I’m going sparkling when out, still at home.”

Drink Course: Dirty Wet Martini (22:27)

• “Ideally…dirty, wet martini. But you can’t ask for this because no one knows how to make it…all martinis are dry now!” — Graham Norton (22:41)
• Ed is geekily delighted: “I know my martinis a bit.” (22:59)
• Graham on blue cheese olives: “Oh, fuck off…It’s working way too hard…there shouldn’t be cheese in your drink.” (23:34)
• On wine: Graham confirms the large “water” glass is actually “a big wine”—an on-camera trick (20:03).

Bread or Poppadoms? (24:51)

• Graham: “I could do without the bread…I rarely eat bread.”
• The trio riff on hiding bread around the house to avoid temptation and on the logic of bread bins (26:58).

Starter: Avocado Lettuce Cups from ABCV, NY (33:17)

• “There’s a place in New York…lettuce is like a little burrito…inside, it’s avocado, herbs, and seeds…sounds awful but genuinely the most delicious thing.” — Graham Norton (33:47)
• Graham teases the “secret ingredient” is toasted cumin seeds (71:47).

Main Course: Pan-fried Darn of Salmon with Béarnaise (41:51)

• “I’m going with salmon. I’m going to have just a darn of salmon.”
• The hosts delight in the word “darn” (not fillet), learning “darn” is a common Irish supermarket term.
• “With Béarnaise—the yellow one with the green things in it.” — Graham Norton (45:05)

Side: Mashed Potato (47:30)

• Total classic: “I often order a main course based on what’s with it…very hard to make bad mash.”
• They dissect the science of mash (gluey vs. restaurant ricer).

Drink: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (56:28)

• “New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is my white wine of choice…when I got to London in the 80s, Australian Chardonnay was king.” (56:30)
• Ed and Graham joke about drink fashions and people “being told” to like gin now.
• Graham recently tried (not enthusiastically) the TikTok trend of jalapeños in white wine (57:44).

Dessert: Tiramisu (62:29)

• “If I’m on a plane, I’ll have dessert…just because I paid for it and I might crash.” — Graham Norton (62:41)
• Jokes about eating tiramisu as the plane plummets: “Better to die with a mouthful of tiramisu than not. The old phrase.” (63:16)
• Would eat all airplane food, loves the “tiny cutlery” (64:39).

---

6. Gossip, TV, & Podcast Meta-Chats

• Graham and the hosts trade memories of chat show “competition winner” dinners in New York with the likes of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (36:17).
• They reminisce about notorious Graham Norton Show moments: Mark Ruffalo “roasting” Josh Widdicombe (49:23) and Greg Davies making Ryan Gosling weep with laughter (50:34).
• Discussion of broadcast quirks: e.g., the whole sofa of guests format; Graham’s cameo with Ed and Amy Hoggart for Almost Royal (52:00).
• On celebrity Nando’s black cards, the trio lament privilege, exclusivity, and the illusion of “free food” for those who need it least (39:30).

---

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On Interviewing:

  • “It’s a bit meta…pop will eat itself.” — Graham Norton (09:15)
  • "Two trainee chefs cooking for the master." — James Acaster (09:23)

• On New TV formats:

  • “It’s wholesome because…some of these households in real life would…not spend time getting to know each other. That I found really cheery and optimistic and lovely.” — Graham Norton (14:05)

• On Food Choices:

  • “It’s my fantasy meal. I’ve got some knitted salmon.” — Graham Norton (44:52)
  • “Delicious. Really, really good.” (on ABCV lettuce cups) — Graham Norton (34:16)
  • [On bread] "I could care less…I rarely eat bread. Like, it wouldn't cross my mind to buy bread in a shop." (26:32)
  • “Better to die with a mouthful of tiramisu than not. The old phrase.” (63:16)

• On Podcasting:

  • "We must be the last possible podcast…no, people are still climbing on board the podcast train destination: nowhere." — Graham Norton (16:02)

• On Drinking:

  • "I will have a humongous glass of wine." — Graham Norton (22:20)
  • “Gin or vodka? Dirty so far. You can’t dirty the gin…” — (23:09)
  • “Do you think that will ever happen to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc?” — Ed Gamble (57:25)
  • "For me, I'm not drinking white wine thinking, 'If only this tasted of jalapeños.'" — Graham Norton (58:39)

• On Childhood Crimes:

  • "My story of 'I found it' did not fly for very long…frog-marched back to the shop." — Graham Norton (67:41)

---

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [04:22] – Official welcome, intro for Graham
• [06:56] – Plug for Graham’s new ITV show The Neighbourhood
• [08:35] – Graham enters the Dream Restaurant
• [09:28] – On the unpredictability of interviewing
• [12:09]–[15:34] – The Neighbourhood format and ethos
• [16:01] – Chat about Graham’s podcast Wanging On
• [19:45] – Sparkling vs. still water
• [22:27] – Dirty wet martini and martini banter
• [24:51] – Bread vs. poppadoms
• [33:17] – Starter: Avocado lettuce cups (from ABCV, NY)
• [41:51] – Main: Darn of salmon, Béarnaise sauce
• [47:30] – Side: Mashed potato musings
• [56:28] – Dream drink: NZ Sauvignon Blanc
• [62:29] – Dream dessert: Tiramisu (especially if served on a plane)
• [67:10] – Stories about stealing as a child

---

Memorable Moments

• Graham gently roasting blue cheese olive martinis: “Oh, fuck off.” (23:34)
• Debating how to hide bread to avoid temptation, with Ed’s bakery-tactics: “I put it in the draining board so I wouldn’t look at it.” (26:46)
• Graham’s candid reflection: “I don’t want anyone listening to this to think that I think my choices are interesting. The dinner’s only interesting to yourself.” (18:20)
• The revelation of Graham’s “secret” lettuce cup ingredient: toasted cumin seeds (71:47)
• Airplane food appreciation and “better to die with a mouthful of tiramisu than not” (63:16)

---

Graham’s Complete Dream Menu

• Water: Sparkling (when out)
• Drinks: Dirty, wet martinis (2 max), New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
• Starter: Avocado lettuce cups from ABCV (New York) — secret: toasted cumin seeds
• Main: Pan-fried darn of salmon (Irish terminology), with Béarnaise sauce (the “yellow one with the green in”)
• Side: Proper mashed potato
• Dessert: Tiramisu — ideally served as it is on an airplane

---

Tone & Final Takeaway

This is Off Menu in prime mode: playful, irreverent, affectionate, and often veering into the meta as all three try to out-mock and out-fan one another. Graham’s warmth, candour, and comic timing keep the episode lively. The food chat is sincere but never pretentious, and the life and showbiz tales are both insightful and hilarious.

If you’ve never listened, this episode delivers laughter, warmth, and a mouthwatering fantasy meal—plus tipsy tales and the occasional life lesson, all with the inimitable Graham Norton sparkle.

Transcript

[James Acaster]

I'm on tour. I'm on tour until August. And there are still tickets [e-mail] I'm looking at you. Glasgow, Belfast. Oh, there was somewhere else. Just please go on the website and buy tickets please. Jamesacaster.com

[Unidentified Male (possibly a side character or narrator)]

we're lost. If the show starts without us, there's no hiding in the back row.

[James Acaster]

I'm gonna ask that man for directions.

[Unidentified Male (possibly a side character or narrator)]

Hi there. We're trying to get to the comedy club.

[Unidentified Male (advertisement voice)]

Well, you're gonna take a left at the old O at this here road. Nah, I'm just kidding. Let me get my phone out.

[Unidentified Male (possibly a side character or narrator)]

How is their signal out here?

[Unidentified Male (advertisement voice)]

T mobile and US Cellular are coming together so the network out here is huge. We get the same great signal as the city, saving a boatload with benefits. And there's a five year price guarantee too. Okay, here's the turn.

[Unidentified Male (possibly a side character or narrator)]

Actually, can you pull up the way to a T mobile store?

[Unidentified Male (advertisement voice)]

America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T mobile today and get built in benefits the other guys leave out. Plus our five year price guarantee. And now T mobile is available at US Cellular stores in hermiston. Best mobile network Based on analysis by Ooklo speed test intelligence data. Second half of 2025 bigger network. The combination of T Mobile's and US Cellular's network footprints will enhance the T mobile network's coverage price guarantee on talk text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See t mobile.com for details.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Hi, it's Sarah. I'm the founder of Olive and June and can I tell you the one thing that always makes my day better? A fresh manicure. But who has the time or the money to go to the salon every week? That's why we created the Olive and June gel mani system. It gives you that same mani that you get at a salon for so much less. It comes with everything you need. A pro level lamp, salon grade tools. Our damage free gel polish that lasts up to 21 days. All you do is prep, paint, cure and you're good to go. And the best part, it's super easy and so affordable. Each mani breaks down to $2. So let's skip that $80 salon appointment and get the salon quality look at home for so much less than on your schedule. Head to oliveandjune.com DIYgel20 and use code DIYgel20 for 20% off your first gel mani system. That's oliveanjune.com DIYgel20 code DIYgel20 for 20% OFF your first gel mani system.

[Unidentified Male (possibly a side character or narrator)]

The to do list doesn't stop, and neither does the pressure to keep up with it. If you've been running on fumes. Growtherapy makes it easier to find care that's covered by insurance and actually built around you. Whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th, grow makes it easier to find a therapist who fits you, not the other way around. You can search by what matters like insurance, specialty, identity, or availability and get started in as little as two days. And if something comes up, you can Cancel up to 24 hours in advance at no cost. Grow helps you find therapy on your time. Whatever challenges you're facing, Grow Therapy is here to help. Grow accepts over 100 insurance plans, so sessions average about $21 with insurance, and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.com acast today to get started. That's growthherapy.com acast growtherapy.com acast availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.

[Ed Gamble]

Howdy, folks. This episode of Off Menu is brought to you by Boar's Head the Friar's Turkey Breast.

[James Acaster]

Imagine a backyard tradition, okay? A sunj drenched afternoon, a massive vat of bubbling oil, and a man named Big Dave wearing goggles.

[Ed Gamble]

It's a lot of effort for a bird.

[James Acaster]

It's a lot of effort for a lunch, isn't it? Well, what if I told you that Boar's Head has brought that exact backyard tradition right to the deli counter?

[Ed Gamble]

Well, I'd say, James, you've finally lost it, and I think you lost it a while ago. But this is beyond the pale.

[James Acaster]

Boar's Head brings to the deli the taste of deep fried turkey. It's all the seasoning and that golden fried glory of the Friar's Turkey Breast. But without Big Dave having to set up a perimeter in your garden.

[Ed Gamble]

Oh man, that sounds genuinely incredible.

[James Acaster]

Only from Boar's Head, Ed. It's basically craftsmanship you can eat. Speaking of which, you lot listening need to get down to your local deli counter and experience the difference Boar's Head makes the Fryer's Turkey Breast in stores now. It's delicious. It's golden. It's the taste of deep fried bull's head.

[Ed Gamble]

Committed to craft since 1905. Welcome to the Off Menu Podcast. Taking the dough of conversation, forming it into the balls of humor, baking it in the oven of chat, and covering it in the garlic butter of friendship. James Dough Balls. Garlic dough balls.

[James Acaster]

That is a gamble. My name is James Acas. Together we only drink restaurant Every single week we invite in a guest and ask them a favour. Ever start a main course, dessert side dish and drink. Not in that order. And this week our guest is Graham Norton.

[Ed Gamble]

The King National Trej International.

[James Acaster]

Trej International. Trej. Absolutely. Love Graham Norton. I mean, you know, grown up watching him do stand up.

[Ed Gamble]

Yes.

[James Acaster]

Pop up in Father Ted. Father Ted, obviously his iconic chat show. What's that?

[Ed Gamble]

How you speaking, Father Ted.

[James Acaster]

Yep. Love Graham Norton.

[Ed Gamble]

Very excited.

[James Acaster]

He's intimidating talking to someone who's so good at interviewing. Yeah. And we're interviewing him.

[Ed Gamble]

Not. But I would normally. But I just think he's so friendly, isn't he? Hopefully.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

He brings. Hopefully he doesn't tear us apart for our interviewing skills. James.

[James Acaster]

Actually, it'd be a privilege.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

If he tore us apart. Yeah. I'd love, love it.

[Ed Gamble]

We deserve it.

[James Acaster]

We deserve it. It's been a long time coming. I'm sure there are people listening to this podcast for many years because they love the guests and, like, when is someone going to pick these guys up on their interview?

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Technique is awful and it might finally happen. You might finally get your wish.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

We love Graham Norton, but we will kick him out at the Dream restaurant if he picks an ingredient which we deem to be unacceptable. The secret ingredient. And this week, the secret ingredient is Golden Graham's. His name's Graham and he's golden.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, he's a gold. The golden boy.

[James Acaster]

The golden boy of television.

[Ed Gamble]

Yes. It'd be funny if we kicked Graham Norton out.

[James Acaster]

It'd be really funny.

[Ed Gamble]

It'd be really funny.

[James Acaster]

Hey, I know it's my name, but I would like Golden Graham's.

[Ed Gamble]

Get out. Yeah, get out, mate. Because that's not something he has on his show. That's a format point he's not used to. As far as I'm aware, they don't have anything in place on his chat show where a guest could be kicked out if they say something.

[James Acaster]

Is that red chair tip backwards and dunk them into some flames or something.

[Ed Gamble]

Realise we've ripped off Graham Norton. We're just doing a linguistic red chair.

[James Acaster]

We've ripped it off.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. And we're chatting to people.

[James Acaster]

And we're chatting to people. Which he owns. Yeah, well, you know, fair enough. We weren't to know when we started it out. It's gone. Well now it's too late to turn back now.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

So if Graham does get kicked out, he won't have a chance to talk about his brand new show for itv, the Neighbourhood. The Neighbourhood. It's A brand new reality competition format. Different families, different groups of people move to a neighborhood and it's like an elimination thing, I think. I mean, we're gonna find out more about it from Graham, but it seems very interesting. I've not heard about anything.

[James Acaster]

Starts on the 24th of April and it's on at 9:00pm on ITV1. I mean, that's the. That, that's the take home. That's the takeaway.

[Ed Gamble]

And itvx.

[James Acaster]

Oh, yeah, of course. Let's not forget itvx. And what about this podcast, Wangin On?

[Ed Gamble]

Wanging on with Maria McAlain. His friend Maria McAlain. They do a show together called Wanging On. It's a podcast. We do that. He's ripped us off.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. And they've been friends for 30 years.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. So they've got something to say to each other, I'm sure.

[James Acaster]

Which we're like, you know, I guess we've ripped that off in a way.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

We're heading there by being friends.

[Ed Gamble]

Yes, we are friends.

[James Acaster]

Friends for 18 years. Maybe 17, maybe. I don't know how. I don't know when our. Exactly what year our friendship started. It's weird. If we knew that.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

We're gone. We're officially. Yeah, this is it.

[Ed Gamble]

It's weird to do that at the beginning, isn't it?

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

Be like, remember this?

[James Acaster]

Starting now. If you do that. Yeah, like starting now.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

Benito, can we be friends? Yeah. All right. Starting now.

[James Acaster]

Not yet. We're not starting yet.

[Ed Gamble]

This is the off menu menu of Graham Norton. Welcome, Graham, to the Dream Restaurant.

[Graham Norton]

Thank you very much.

[James Acaster]

Welcome, Graham Norton, to the Dream Restaurant. We've been expecting you for some time.

[Graham Norton]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Ed Gamble]

Very high energy. But you're very high energy on your show.

[Graham Norton]

I am kind of.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. You're high energy when. When you need to be. And then you can sit, you can sit back and you. You switch up the energies.

[Graham Norton]

I think people think I'm very busy. They'd be amazed how much time I sit here, you know, sit staring at walls.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Picking my nose in a low energy way.

[James Acaster]

It's very exciting for us, I think, like, I mean, we're not. We've never claimed to be the best in the biz when it comes to interview in any way.

[Ed Gamble]

We would never do that.

[James Acaster]

But we rarely. Every now and again, we get to interview people who themselves interview people.

[Graham Norton]

Which is weird, right?

[James Acaster]

It is, it is.

[Graham Norton]

It's a bit meta that, you know, pop will eat itself.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. Well, it's like if we stick to food, a chef Cooking for a chef.

[Ed Gamble]

Yes.

[Graham Norton]

Yes.

[James Acaster]

But this is like two trainee chefs cooking for the master.

[Graham Norton]

I don't know about that, but it's very naturally to say, but I've been doing it a long time. But I still. You know. But the thing that keeps you interested, I think, in this thing, this. Whatever this dynamic is, is that you never quite know what you're going to get. You never. You know, you could be all prepared. You can see them on other shows, you can listen to them on podcasts, but once they're in the chair opposite you, it's still kind of an unknown quantity.

[Ed Gamble]

Do you remember who. Who surprised you the most that you've interviewed?

[Graham Norton]

Loads of people have surprised me. Back in the day when I was really clueless, like, some of the big Hollywood actors, you kind of think, oh, they're gonna be so boring and serious. And then. And, you know, Dustin Kaufman came on. He was like a clown.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

He just told, like, dick jokes and he was just brilliant.

[Ed Gamble]

Was that back in the day with the Channel 4 show, when you were doing all of that was like, in our house. That was. We had to watch that because it was when Big Brother was on and you were doing, like, the monologues at the top about Big Brother.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

And he came on and did a sketch where he was pretending to be someone from Big Brother.

[Graham Norton]

Right. He dressed up as various characters from Big Brother and, like. And it was either season one or season two of Big Brother was when it was, you know, people were blowing everyone's minds. And for those kids to get out of that house.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Find out that Dustin Hoffman had been playing them.

[Ed Gamble]

And I remember the specific one because it was such a big. I was like, it blew me away. When it was the. It was. I think it was called Johnny. He was a fireman. He was a fireman from County Durham. And he came out. I remember this moment very well. And he came out and he came on your show and you showed him a video of Dustin Hoffman pretending to be him in the diary room. It's like, what does that do to your brain?

[Graham Norton]

It is. I mean, and when you think back to, you know, Big Brother then, I mean, it was so huge.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I remember once. It was during that time. And rarely. You rarely know kind of when you're having a moment that you could look back on. You know what I mean? Normally it's over by the time that happens. But I remember we were having dinner after doing the show, and we were in the Oxo Tower, and it was a beautiful night, and we were sat on that little terrace looking out over London and it really. And London studios were right next door and it really felt like we were at the heart of everything that was going on. It was like. It was exciting at the time.

[Ed Gamble]

That's nice.

[James Acaster]

Well, I think we have a new show that is going to do that. The Neighborhood.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, this old dog is learning some new tricks. Yes. There is a new joke called the Neighborhood. Yeah. Who knows, Maybe it will become. No, it's a. Yeah, it's a big ITV format show. They're taking a really big swing on this thing. It's huge. It's absolutely massive. It wasn't Durham, it was somewhere else. Derbyshire is where we went and. And they took over. It's kind of a holiday village and they took over the whole thing. And it's these real pre existing households. So some of them are kind of families. Some of them are like blended modern families. Some of them are housemates, like uni friends. And they. Six of them come in and they compete for a quarter of a million.

[James Acaster]

Wow.

[Ed Gamble]

Which.

[Graham Norton]

What's interesting is like from the minute they get there, you're only six households away from a quarter of a million. Yeah. You know, it's not like you're 22 people away from the prize. Yeah, it's. It's very close.

[Ed Gamble]

So it's competitive straight away.

[Graham Norton]

Well, it's. It's an odd thing. It's kind of half competitive and then half lovely because they all get on. It's. I'm probably not selling the show if I say it's wholesome, but it genuinely felt wholesome because the sun is out. Like we're doing these. The way they vote each other out is quite cute. They do these things called the removals, where each household puts a for sale sign outside the house. They want to leave and we're doing them and the sun is setting and they're literally a duck with her ducklings walking across the set. It was about like a heron flying overhead.

[Ed Gamble]

I think people want a bit of wholesome sometimes though. Right. Especially. I think there's always like a reflective thing of how the world is versus what the TV want is. And it's always the opposite, I think.

[Graham Norton]

I mean, I think this. You watch it and one, there's a slight kind of Truman Show. The art department has done an amazing job of kind of. It is. It's all real, it's all there, but it's kind of heightened. And even when you were on set, you'd kind of see flowers and you're kind of Are those. Is that fake? And you'd have to touch them. And, you know, you'd see people watering fake flowers. So there's. There's that element. But then, you know. And I don't think this was meant to be a part of the show, but what's kind of lovely is some of these households in real life would either never meet or certainly would not spend time getting to know each other. And that I found really kind of cheery and optimistic and lovely.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

That the households did not behave in a way that I, you know, cynically thought they would.

[Ed Gamble]

Yes.

[Graham Norton]

They didn't turn on the people they thought they would.

[Ed Gamble]

Do you live in the neighborhood as well?

[Graham Norton]

I'm there most of the time.

[Ed Gamble]

You don't have, like, a house right on the top of the hill?

[Graham Norton]

I did have a little cottage at the top of the hill, but because there was nothing to do. Yeah, I did kind of just hang out there because I was in a. I had my own little house by the lake, and it had a big bank of monitors where I could kind of watch everything that's going on. Because these four people are being filmed 24 7.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. Now that I'm doing the voiceover and watching it, I'm seeing all this stuff that I didn't know had happened.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, great.

[James Acaster]

That's. That's good. That behind all the wholesomeness, there's a big house by the lake where someone's watching monitors 24 7. That is like. Yeah, that's good.

[Graham Norton]

But it was interesting, though, the people who came in with that mindset thinking, right, this is all a TV show and a game, and they came in with, like, a game plan. They didn't do very well. It was the people who just came in and jogged long and, yeah. Got on with people.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

They made it kind of further in the show.

[Ed Gamble]

Sold. Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Let's get into your dream menu. We always start with still.

[Ed Gamble]

Well, we should do a bit more.

[James Acaster]

Oh, sorry.

[Ed Gamble]

Yes, James, we should do a bit more wanging on.

[James Acaster]

Oh.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, God. This old dog learning is.

[James Acaster]

It's gonna get me. See, I thought we're gonna get rid of the bit of me fucking up, but now we gotta keep it in because I did that. Yeah, fair enough.

[Ed Gamble]

I'm a pro at making you look shit.

[Graham Norton]

People want to hear it all.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Authentic voices.

[Ed Gamble]

Your podcast wanging on.

[Graham Norton]

Yes, I, too. I'm so sorry. I've joined. I mean, mind you, I kind of thought we must be the last possible podcast. No, people are still climbing on board the podcast. Train destination nowhere. But, yeah, basically, it's. It's a thing. I. I did it on Radio 2 with my friend Maria. It's problems, you know, people write in. So we did it for 10 years on Radio 2. Then I went to Virgin for three years. Then I quit that. People said, oh, you should do a podcast. And we think you don't mean that. And. But anyway, we did, and it turns out people do quite like it. Yeah, they do like them.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

So, yeah, no, that is.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And I. Yeah, I listen to way more podcasts than I used to.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Do you guys listen to podcasts?

[Ed Gamble]

I listen to a few. James doesn't listen to any of them. He'll never listen to this back. He'll never.

[James Acaster]

Well, what do.

[Graham Norton]

Do you just live in silence music all the time that you play or is on radio?

[James Acaster]

No, that's like, that I've bought online. I'm buying it online. I'm down. I'm doing that and then listening to it quite. Quite obsessively listening to music. But then, like, I will have. Every now and again, maybe every five years, I'll discover a podcast. I like that.

[Graham Norton]

Recommend some music.

[James Acaster]

Normally, yeah, normally it's a limit. It's a limited series. It's not one that runs and runs like I did. I did Dead Eyes, but that's because it's like. That is 30 episodes or whatever.

[Graham Norton]

What was Dead Eyes? Sounds good.

[Ed Gamble]

Dead Eyes was. Is by an improviser and actor who was cast in the first. In Band Brothers.

[Graham Norton]

I have heard that.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

You've got to consume a lot of content.

[James Acaster]

It's fantastic. And at the end of it, I felt properly like. Like I would feel at the end of a TV show when it's finished or something, like, you know, satisfied, but also a little bit sad that it's over.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, that's. That's a lovely feeling.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, That's a nice feeling.

[Ed Gamble]

They'll never get this with that. With us.

[James Acaster]

No.

[Ed Gamble]

No.

[James Acaster]

Well, I hope so. I hope one day I'll feel the relief and sadness that it's over. Well, still a sparkling water, I guess.

[Graham Norton]

Back to the format.

[James Acaster]

Yeah,

[Graham Norton]

I. It's. Sadly, I do have a look also. Can I just say, I'm totally invested in this. I'm playing the game. I listen to this podcast. I enjoy this podcast, but I don't want anyone listening to this to think that I think my choices are interesting.

[James Acaster]

Okay, sure.

[Graham Norton]

You know, I worked in restaurants for years and those customers who kind of do all the kind of, if you were me, what would you have all that like. Like their dinner's interesting to anyone else apart from them. Yeah. So I.

[James Acaster]

Yes.

[Graham Norton]

So I'm playing a game.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, you're in.

[Graham Norton]

But I just don't want anyone to think I'm that guy. No.

[Ed Gamble]

And we want. We want truth from you, Graham.

[Graham Norton]

We.

[Ed Gamble]

You don't need to suddenly start picking wild things.

[Graham Norton]

No, no, I'm making choices.

[James Acaster]

I was going to say, you don't need to worry because it's a podcast. We ask you, but you. Because, you know, you probably had this when you've interviewed people and then afterwards someone says to you, I heard such and such on your show the other day. They love the sound of their own voice. Interviewing. Yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I remember I wrote an autobiography and one of the reviews said it was. It was all about him. Y. The book.

[James Acaster]

Graham Norton.

[Graham Norton]

That's right.

[James Acaster]

Yes, it was. Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, that's what that is. Correct. Yeah.

[James Acaster]

We love it when somebody loves the sound of their own voice on our podcast. Please.

[Graham Norton]

I love the sound of my own voice.

[Ed Gamble]

Just.

[Graham Norton]

I'm not. I don't.

[Ed Gamble]

You don't believe your choices.

[Graham Norton]

I don't believe my food choices.

[James Acaster]

Yes.

[Ed Gamble]

Are interesting. They're just your genuine choices, which is good. So it's still a sparkling water.

[Graham Norton]

I'm going sparkling.

[Ed Gamble]

Oh, boring.

[James Acaster]

Well, still interesting.

[Graham Norton]

It's still at home.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I'm out. Even a restaurant is so sparkling.

[James Acaster]

But surely you can't. When you do do, like when you're interviewing people, you can't have sparkling water on the table, can you?

[Graham Norton]

I don't have any water on the table.

[James Acaster]

You don't have any water on the table for your shows?

[Graham Norton]

The guests can have it. I don't have any water.

[James Acaster]

What the hell.

[Ed Gamble]

You have a little wine, right?

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, Big wine.

[Ed Gamble]

Big wine.

[Graham Norton]

People think it's so big. People think it is water.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Because it's got ice in it and it's a huge glass.

[James Acaster]

I assumed you would have some water nearby.

[Graham Norton]

I've. Not that. No, just.

[James Acaster]

Wow.

[Graham Norton]

Don't wind respect.

[Ed Gamble]

How are you pacing yourself through that wine during the record?

[Graham Norton]

Honestly, I really do. Just sip it.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

It came about because years ago, when I started doing stand up or just doing like solo shows and stuff, like friends would go, oh, you seemed nervous. And I could feel it in myself. I could feel that I was nervous. And then I was doing a terrible gig for the Australian Tourist Commission and

[James Acaster]

I'd write another book.

[Graham Norton]

No, honestly, I was so early, like, I was so green. It was because somebody I knew worked there, so, you know, one of those things. They should never have booked me, but anyway, I was a surprise. So I was supposed to be like a pretend guest at the thing, but so I had to stand with my glass of Australian wine and I was sipping it, and because you're in that kind of adrenaline heightened thing, I could feel the wine, like, going through. I could feel it in me and it. And just those couple of sips just took the edge off.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And so after that, I went, right, I'm gonna do this. If I. I'm gonna monitor it. If it goes into suddenly, oh, you need two glasses of wine before you go on, then I'll knock it on the head. But for now, it's doing a job and, you know, I don't really get nervous anymore, but so now it's just habit. But that's where it came from was just that it was almost like science that I could dose myself with a little bit of wine and just take the edge off.

[Ed Gamble]

How did the gig for the Australian tourists?

[Graham Norton]

Really good.

[Ed Gamble]

Wow. Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Killed.

[James Acaster]

Killed.

[Graham Norton]

They talk about it still.

[James Acaster]

You've heard of Australia?

[Ed Gamble]

Oh, yeah, good point. I've been. There's a reason for that.

[James Acaster]

So you want sparkling water or do you want a humongous glass of wine?

[Graham Norton]

I will have a humongous glass of wine.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I might start with something else, though, like drinks wise.

[James Acaster]

Sure.

[Graham Norton]

So that isn't even in your choices, is it?

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, but we let people hack it.

[James Acaster]

We've let people, like, have different drinks throughout the meal.

[Ed Gamble]

And a pair of teeth.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, okay. Oh, well, I would have. Then I'd start with ideally. But you can't ask for this because no one has to make it. No one knows how to make it. Is a dirty, wet martini a dirty, wet martini?

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Because all martinis are dry now.

[Ed Gamble]

Yes. So you want like half of vermouth?

[Graham Norton]

Half. A little bit of vermouth. Well done. I'm going to your restaurant.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah, he's the guy, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

I know my martinis a bit.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. I would have just looked at you and gone. They're all wet. That would have not gone well. So, yeah, he knows his stuff.

[Ed Gamble]

Gin or vodka?

[Graham Norton]

Dirty so far.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. You can't dirty the gin.

[James Acaster]

Well, can you?

[Graham Norton]

Dirty gin?

[Ed Gamble]

You can give it a go. It wouldn't. I don't think it tastes very nice.

[Graham Norton]

I'm just not mad. I like gin.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

You know, but not as a. Not as a martini.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Too much gin.

[Ed Gamble]

How many olives?

[Graham Norton]

I Don't care. I don't ask as it comes.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

You know, so long as there's a bit of, you know, the brine in there.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, you need the brine. Have you experienced the blue cheese olive martini?

[Graham Norton]

Oh, fuck off.

[Ed Gamble]

That's.

[Graham Norton]

He got you so rank.

[Ed Gamble]

I love it.

[James Acaster]

Oh, really?

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, big time.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, no, that's. It's just. No, it's working way too hard. It's doing way too much there shouldn't. You should have cheese in your drink.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

And you can see the cheat. It's sort of. There's a scum on the top.

[James Acaster]

It's a cheese scum if you leave it in there. I ordered it once, I was like, I've heard so much mainly from Ed asking this question on the podcast about these blue cheese olive martinis. So only time I've ever been offered it said, yes, they arrive. I'd say within five seconds I'd eaten all the olives. Yeah. So that did nothing. I was like, oh, these are good. Handled the blue cheese stuffed olives. And then we're just sat there like, oh, I guess that doesn't really.

[Graham Norton]

With a martini.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, I've got a martini now.

[Graham Norton]

I've had that. Yeah, I'd have taken that off you.

[Ed Gamble]

I was just in Chicago and I went to a steakhouse. I was alone and started with the martini. I'd say it was a pint and a half of martini with blue cheese olives. Best night of my life.

[Graham Norton]

America. They like here. You order for tea and like those little kind of doll's house glasses arrive with America. Oh, lovely. Huge, huge, big.

[Ed Gamble]

And you've got to drink it quickly.

[Graham Norton]

Dita Von Teese could be in your glass. I love it.

[James Acaster]

Poplar absorbed bread. Pop lobs or bread. Graham Norton. Poppadom's or bread.

[Graham Norton]

I'm going bread.

[James Acaster]

Probably shouted over him that time. Didn't know you were going to talk.

[Ed Gamble]

That's the rules.

[Graham Norton]

Because I've listened to a lot of this podcast, but I haven't listened to all of it. How is Poppadom's a choice?

[Ed Gamble]

Well, we say it's the sort of thing that would come at the start of a meal in.

[Graham Norton]

In an Indian restaurant.

[James Acaster]

Yes.

[Ed Gamble]

I'm trying to back James up here, but he did it on the first episode of the Asking and now. Now we have to do it basically,

[James Acaster]

I think the day before the first episode or something like that. I've been to a curry house. They bought the poppadoms out. I thought, I love popping up. I love them so much. I want to get it into our podcast somehow. They're so good.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

And I was like, Joe.

[Graham Norton]

What?

[James Acaster]

I actually think I prefer it when they bring out pop dumps to, when you go to a restaurant and they bring bread out at the, at the beginning. So I'm gonna do that tomorrow.

[Graham Norton]

No, no, I like papadoms. I've just never crossed my mind in, in a non Indian restaurant.

[Ed Gamble]

Well, no, you're right.

[Graham Norton]

Where are the papadoms?

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, you are correct.

[James Acaster]

This, this restaurant. Yeah. Any particular type of bread?

[Graham Norton]

Oh, now, now you're giving me the bread choices. I mean, I, I go, I mean, to be honest, I could do without the bread.

[James Acaster]

Huh.

[Graham Norton]

I don't care about the bread.

[Ed Gamble]

Should we replace it with a drink?

[Graham Norton]

I'll take it. Well, I mean. Still enjoying my martini. Another one if you're, since you're here. Yeah. If it took a long time. If it took a long time. I will often then order my drink when they bring the first one.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Because you kind of think, I'll need that.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I need that lag. Yeah.

[James Acaster]

See, normally with our Irish guests, there's a little bit of pressure on this course to, to hit some certain soda bread. Hit soda bread. Hit a certain type of butter. Oh, very gold. Yeah, those things come up. People are quite delighted when those things. Not Graham Norton.

[Graham Norton]

No, I could care less. I, I, I occasionally would have a bit of toast or something.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

But I rarely eat bread. Like, it wouldn't cross my mind to buy bread in a shop.

[Ed Gamble]

Sure, I rarely buy bread. I love bread. But that's why I don't buy bread.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, because you eat it.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, because I eat it. I eat it all. And the other day I did buy a gale's loaf and then I was like, I can't, I can't touch that again. So I put it in the, on the draining board because I wouldn't, I wouldn't look at it.

[James Acaster]

What? What?

[Graham Norton]

So that it'll get wet.

[Ed Gamble]

Well, so when I go into the kitchen, I'm just like, looking around the kitchen. I'm not going, oh, I want some bread. And go straight to the draining board.

[James Acaster]

Sorry, you put it on the draining board so that you wouldn't look at it. What are you talking about?

[Graham Norton]

It says a lot about how many dishes you do.

[Ed Gamble]

What do you mean?

[Graham Norton]

Someone in your house does not do drying up. But I'll put this somewhere I'm never going to see it. Don't go near the draining board.

[Ed Gamble]

Nowhere near the draining board.

[Graham Norton]

You could have hid it. In the oven.

[Ed Gamble]

If I put it in the dishwasher, I'd say it every day.

[James Acaster]

Put it like the drainer board.

[Ed Gamble]

Don't put it in weird places. So I'm not. It's not a go to. I'm not putting it on the side where the rest of the food goes.

[James Acaster]

You know, I'll tell you where you should put it. Where? In our house, if it goes and then everyone forgets about it and doesn't see it. The bread bin. Yeah, that's where we've got a bread bin. But we absolutely have had to stop using it because every time we put bread. Bread in there, we can. Then it's out of sight. We completely forget about it. Next time, you know, a few weeks later, buy a loaf of bread, have some toast. Got to put it in the bread bin. Big moldy loaf in there staring back at you, disgusted.

[Graham Norton]

Bread.

[James Acaster]

You don't have to have bread if you don't want to have.

[Ed Gamble]

If you don't want bread, Graham, you don't have to have bread.

[Graham Norton]

Well, then I'm not having it.

[Ed Gamble]

This is your dream.

[Graham Norton]

It. Take it back. Take it back. Put your tongs down.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. So as a restaurant, we're nervous now because we're excited to have. We're excited to have Graham Norton. And. And then we go back to the kitchen and go, Graham didn't want the bread.

[James Acaster]

He didn't want it.

[Ed Gamble]

And now the chef's worried.

[Graham Norton]

No, I don't think waiters ever care if you turn down the bread. I think the key thing to remember is waiters don't care at all so long as you pay. That's all they care about.

[Ed Gamble]

Okay.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. Some waiters only start to care or show they care at that point when it's time to pay the whole meal. Just looking at you like you're a piece of shit. You're trying to get them to like you. They're not interested. Then they come along and hand you the card machine, and then as you're about to pay, they go, anything fun planned tonight? What are you up to tonight?

[Graham Norton]

Oh, that sounds good.

[James Acaster]

I like that. That sounds like my kind of evening. You're cool.

[Ed Gamble]

And the tip, you just do the tip on the.

[James Acaster]

Then you look at the screen, add a tip. Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I mean, I. When I did it, the thing that I think, like, I never worked in very good restaurants, so when waiters come up now at the beginning of a meal and go, you know, is everything okay with your food? Like, I would never have done that.

[James Acaster]

Y.

[Graham Norton]

Because I knew the answer?

[Ed Gamble]

Well, like in place. There's some places where coming up and checking if everything is all right is built into the routine of how you work there, right?

[Graham Norton]

Oh, yeah. No, it's the. You have to, but it's your job.

[Ed Gamble]

But in Nando's it's very obvious because they have to come and take the cockerel away from the table.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

So in Nando's there's a little.

[James Acaster]

I don't know this.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, I've never been there.

[Ed Gamble]

So there's a little wooden cockrell at your table when you sit down.

[Graham Norton]

I might go now.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, it's not life size, it's tiny. Yeah, it is.

[Ed Gamble]

It's very small. It's within the table number. And they come over when you've started eating the food and they go, is everything all right? And you go, yeah. And before you finish saying, yeah, they've taken the wooden cockerel away and fucked off.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

What's that about?

[Ed Gamble]

Well, I think it's just, it's so they know that they've asked. So you look at the tables and

[Graham Norton]

you go, too late to complain now, the cock's gone.

[James Acaster]

Yeah,

[Unidentified Male (possibly a side character or narrator)]

We're lost. If the show starts without us, there's no hiding in the back row.

[James Acaster]

I'm gonna ask that man for directions.

[Unidentified Male (possibly a side character or narrator)]

Hi there. We're trying to get to the comedy club.

[Unidentified Male (advertisement voice)]

Well, you're going to take a left at the old oak tree at this here road. Nah, I'm just kidding. Let me get my phone out.

[Unidentified Male (possibly a side character or narrator)]

How is there signal out here?

[Unidentified Male (advertisement voice)]

T Mobile and US Cellular are coming together. So the network out here is huge. We get the same great signal as the city, saving a boatload with benefits. And there's a five year price guarantee too. Okay, here's the turn.

[Unidentified Male (possibly a side character or narrator)]

Actually, can you pull up the way to a T Mobile store?

[Unidentified Male (advertisement voice)]

America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T Mobile today and get built in benefits the other guys leave out. Plus our five year price guarantee. And now T Mobile is available at U S Cellular stores in Hermiston. Best mobile network based on analysis by Ooklo Speed test intelligence data. Second half of 2025 bigger network. The combination of T Mobile's and US Cellular's network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage price guarantee on talk, text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See t mobile.com for details.

[Unidentified Male (possibly a side character or narrator)]

The to do list doesn't stop and neither does the pressure to keep up with it if you've been running on fumes. Growth therapy makes it easier to find care that's covered by insurance and actually built around you. Whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th, grow makes it easier to find a therapist who fits you, not the other way around. You can search by what matters like insurance, specialty, identity, or availability and get started in as little as two days. And if something comes up, you can Cancel up to 24 hours in advance at no cost. Grow helps you find therapy on your time. Whatever challenges you're facing. Grow Therapy is here to help. Grow accepts over 100 insurance plans. Sessions average about $21 with insurance, and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.com acast today to get started. That's growththerapy.com acast growtherapy.com acasta availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Hi. Who here loves when their nails are perfectly done?

[Graham Norton]

Me.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

I'm Sarah Gibson Tuttle, and I started Olive in June because, let's be real, we all deserve to have gorgeous nails. But who wants to spend a fortune or half their day at the salon? And that's why I created the mani system. So you can have that salon perfect manicure right at home. And guess what? The best part? Each mani only costs $2. Yup, you heard me. $2. No more. 30, 40, $50. Salon trips that eat up your day. Now you can paint your nails whenever you want, wherever you want. And trust me, you're gonna be obsessed with your nails, and everyone is gonna ask you, where did you get your nails done? And here's a little something extra. Head over to oliveandjune.com and get 20% off your first mani system with code [e-mail] perfectmanny20. That's code perfectmanny20 for 20% off at oliveandjeune.com perfectmanny2.0. You're all set for a nail glow up. Let's get those nails looking fabulous, shall we?

[James Acaster]

Let's get into your menu proper, your dream starter.

[Graham Norton]

Okay, now, starters I found difficult because starters are normally the nicest bit of the meal.

[Ed Gamble]

Correct.

[Graham Norton]

Great. Thank you.

[James Acaster]

Well, no, not correct, but I like you, so we'll carry on.

[Graham Norton]

It's a fantasy, isn't it? It's a dream thing. So there's a place in New York, and these sound like they're not good, but they're delicious. And they do these lettuce cups, right? And it's a little, you know, like the lettuce is like a little, you know, burrito thing.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And Inside, it's really. I think it's just kind of avocado chopped up with some herbs and seeds and stuff. Like. It does sound awful, but it's genuinely the most delicious thing.

[Ed Gamble]

Is there a dressing in there or something?

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, there'll be something in there. A bit of soya or, you know, rice wine or something. What's in there? But it's delicious.

[Ed Gamble]

Where. Whereabouts is this restaurant?

[Graham Norton]

It's a place called abcv.

[Ed Gamble]

Okay.

[Graham Norton]

It's a Jean George and. And. Oh, in fact, I think you can get them here now. I think he opened a restaurant in some new hotel because I can't remember any of it, but. Yeah, so that recommendation's got. Google it, kids. But these lettuce cups are just delicious. Really, really good.

[Ed Gamble]

I love that. So far you've had two martinis and then some lettuces started. You're going to be all over the place, Greg. They're very filling, though, the bread. Get your most out of the martinis.

[Graham Norton]

Two olives and some lettuce.

[James Acaster]

You spend a lot of time in America as well. You're back and forth quite a bit, quite regularly. Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I mean, less so now.

[James Acaster]

That's why you're starting new civilizations in the UK and making a TV show.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, yeah. So I, I must say, yeah, I go a lot less now, but so.

[James Acaster]

But I.

[Graham Norton]

And I miss it. You know, it's kind of heartbreaking cooking because I do. I. But, you know, especially New York. I love New York. Yeah. Yeah.

[James Acaster]

That's my favorite place to go. A lot of the time in America is New York. You find. Especially for food, you find just great stuff everywhere.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, it's amazing. It really is. And. And you know, and you kind of think, oh, is London catching up? And in ways, London is catching up. You know, there's amazing food in London, but somehow it seems more accessible in New York or just easier to find in New York.

[James Acaster]

It does.

[Ed Gamble]

And it feels, it feels, it feels so fancy and authentic. Do you know what I mean? I go to New York. First time I went to New York, I was looking around and even places that were probably terrible, I was looking at them going, I bet. That's amazing.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

Because we're in New York.

[Graham Norton]

And also the other thing is, like, here, if you hear about a great restaurant, you go, oh, that sounds fabulous. Where? Oh, that will take me an hour and 45 minutes to get to. I'll need to eat again by the time I get home.

[Ed Gamble]

So.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. Whereas, you know, New York is.

[Ed Gamble]

You're there, pop in a cab yeah, yeah, do it.

[James Acaster]

Have you had meals of big celebs in New York? The big Hollywood celebs?

[Ed Gamble]

Dish the goss. Gross.

[James Acaster]

Dish the goss.

[Graham Norton]

Have I eaten with fame? Oh, do you know? I have. I have. I did an animated film. Animated voice.

[James Acaster]

Soul.

[Graham Norton]

Soul, yeah.

[James Acaster]

Brilliant. In soul.

[Graham Norton]

Yes. Thank you very much. Well, soul. Tina Fey was the lead. Jamie Foxx also, but Jamie Foxx wasn't there. But Pete Docter. Is that his name? Yeah, the director. Yeah. And he had a dinner. You're very good at this.

[Ed Gamble]

He loves films, this guy.

[Graham Norton]

Okay. He had a dinner. And so it was me, the co writer and co director who worked with him and. And Tina, her husband Jeff. And Amy Poehler came because she's in Inside out, which. Which he also does.

[Ed Gamble]

Another doctor joint.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

This is my rap name.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And it felt kind of, you know, he felt like a competition winner. You know, I felt like I should have bid for this at a charity auction.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

But here I am.

[James Acaster]

That's what I felt like. Did a film and I was like Ghostbusters. I was like. Exactly.

[Ed Gamble]

The Frozen Empire.

[James Acaster]

Frozen. Ghostbusters. Frozen Empire. Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

I wasn't in the original Ghostbusters.

[Graham Norton]

Could have been. We don't know.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah. But exactly the phrase I used was competition winner. I think when you were like a comedian and then you suddenly end up there with a bunch of people who have. Their whole life has been aiming towards doing exactly that.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

And you're. And you just, like, accidentally sidestepped into it. It does feel very competition winner in the best way. Oh, no, it's lovely.

[Graham Norton]

And. And also, they talk to you as if you've a right to be there, which is so kind of them. Do you know what I mean? Like, they take.

[Ed Gamble]

You tell them that at the time,

[Graham Norton]

they take you kind of seriously.

[Ed Gamble]

This is so kind of you, by the way.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Graham Norton]

You know my name.

[James Acaster]

You actually smashed that film, man. You're great.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, that's.

[James Acaster]

You smashed it out the park.

[Graham Norton]

Wow.

[James Acaster]

The energy in that character. It's very. Yeah, it's very important. Like, brilliant character.

[Graham Norton]

Thank you. I have to say, I really enjoy doing because they did direct me, which was, you know, because I trained as an actor. But, you know. Anyway, that ended badly and did it.

[James Acaster]

Well. Hello, Father Ted. Hello, Father Ted. Sold.

[Ed Gamble]

That's a pretty good cv.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I mean, there's been some lean years in between.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

What have you been doing with yourself?

[Graham Norton]

A lot of rep. 30 years of regional rep. Dinner theater.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Dinner theater.

[Ed Gamble]

That kind. Faulty towers. The dinner show.

[James Acaster]

Oh, yeah. You're very good in that.

[Graham Norton]

It's still going, isn't it?

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Somebody must go to it.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I mean, they're not doing it for no one.

[James Acaster]

It would be fun, though, if you did, like, imagine if, like, for a little while, you just did Manuel in. In that and. And people went to that and they go, is that Graham Law?

[Ed Gamble]

So deep in character.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

So deep. Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

Have we talked about this before? That. What if you find out you just love the food at Faulty Towers? The dinner experience.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, there's the Mamma Mia. Dinner experience.

[Ed Gamble]

What if that's your favorite food, though? And you're like, I've got. But you hate the show.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. Tastes delicious. You're having a go.

[Graham Norton]

That is some sort of definition of hell.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. Put up with that. Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Or you get. Or you get somebody that offers you, like, free food for life. But you've got to be good.

[Ed Gamble]

A Faulty Towers, the dining experience. Black card.

[James Acaster]

Don't tell anyone you got this.

[Graham Norton]

Have they taken it? They've stopped the Nando's one, haven't they?

[Ed Gamble]

I don't know.

[James Acaster]

Well, I think originally it was this thing where they didn't want people to confirm that they existed. So there was this whole thing that you can't say that you've got one. So now I'm not sure. Now I think, had they really stopped them, or is this, like, they're even more exclusive now? They've gone, we've got to go. Let's create a fan fake. Remember that it stopped.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

I don't know who to trust.

[Ed Gamble]

I'm so far underground now.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. I feel like it.

[James Acaster]

Ha.

[Graham Norton]

Well, also, it's in their discretion. You don't need a card. If the manager knows you and thinks you're amazing, they'll just comp your meal, won't they?

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. I mean, look. I mean, hands up. I had a black card for a bit. Did I use it very often? Absolutely not. Because when are you really going into a branch of Nando's? Very rarely. And also guilt.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

You feel ridiculous. Why am I getting a.

[Ed Gamble]

It's just quite cheap.

[Graham Norton]

Well, also, I'm finally at a point in my life where I can afford it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And now you're telling me I don't forget.

[James Acaster]

It's disgusting. They should. It should be that Hernando's is like a random. Like a golden ticket thing.

[Graham Norton]

That's a really good idea.

[James Acaster]

People just get the. You could go along. Everything fine with your meal? Yeah. Take the away. Put a black card there, man.

[Ed Gamble]

I have a win of that car.

[James Acaster]

No, not, not. You can afford your meals.

[Ed Gamble]

But winning.

[Graham Norton]

Did it expire?

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, they're a year. Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Oh, okay.

[Graham Norton]

Just in case your career tanks. Yeah, exactly.

[Ed Gamble]

Just in case you get cancelled.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, no, he doesn't got me near anymore.

[James Acaster]

Your dream main course, Graham.

[Graham Norton]

Well, now, because you're obviously a big fan of main courses. I'm. It's all a fish.

[Ed Gamble]

Oh, no, I'm. I'm starter and main course sauce. He's all dessert.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, you're all dessert?

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Bread, poppadoms and dessert.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

You're happy.

[James Acaster]

If I could survive on that and not die within a year, that'd be what I'll be eating all the time.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, I think you could. It wouldn't be a nice life, would it?

[James Acaster]

I'm not sure.

[Graham Norton]

Your gut health would be great. But you'd live. Oh, well, that's.

[James Acaster]

That's gonna be something to think about. I didn't know I'd live.

[Graham Norton]

I would say poppy doms are probably your breakfast go to.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah. Poppins for breakfast. Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And then dessert for lunch and dinner.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Dream main course then.

[Graham Norton]

Okay. I'm going with salmon. I'm going to have just a darn of salmon.

[James Acaster]

A what?

[Ed Gamble]

A dawn.

[Graham Norton]

A darn.

[Ed Gamble]

Is that.

[Graham Norton]

It's a new. Well, I. I don't know if it's a new word. Do you remember you used to get salmon steak? Yeah. You never see a salmon steak anymore.

[James Acaster]

Tuna steaks.

[Graham Norton]

I'm familiar with swordfish.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Mind you, there's something bad about swordfish in there.

[Ed Gamble]

Is there?

[James Acaster]

Yeah, probably even tuna. I think it's just like. Yeah, yeah. Like people shouldn't be.

[Ed Gamble]

Oh, is it sustainability?

[James Acaster]

Yeah, I think there is stuff.

[Graham Norton]

Well, also there's the mercury poisoning in tuna as well.

[James Acaster]

Right. Okay.

[Graham Norton]

So salmon darn. A darn. Is that funny little. You know, it's just a long.

[Ed Gamble]

A long bit.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

A slice of it. It's got some skin on one side.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

Okay.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

Like a fill is like a fillet.

[Graham Norton]

Is it a fillers?

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. I've never heard darn before.

[Graham Norton]

Have you never heard darn?

[Ed Gamble]

I never heard.

[Graham Norton]

Is that an Irish thing?

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, it must be.

[Graham Norton]

I don't know. I mean, I never see it on a menu, but I see it in a supermarket. Darns of salmon.

[James Acaster]

A supermarket in Ireland? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Darn salmon.

[Ed Gamble]

That could be your next animated feature. That darn salmon.

[Graham Norton]

That darn. Darn salmon swimming upstream.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Desperate to spawn. I'm surprised they haven't made that yeah,

[James Acaster]

you'd think because that.

[Graham Norton]

That Nemo did so well.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. So, yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

Salmon swimming upstream to achieve.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. You could meet bears along the way. Yeah, I kind of. You could meet Dan Boon, all sorts.

[Ed Gamble]

A fisher, like fisherman. Bad guy.

[Graham Norton]

Yes. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Some industrial people. People are trying to farm salmon.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

You could meet all the zombie farmed salmon.

[James Acaster]

Oh, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Living in a big thing.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. This is rights itself.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

God, what are we doing here?

[Ed Gamble]

This writes itself. Graham's done a lot of that.

[Graham Norton]

No, no, no, no, no. You had the. You had the bad fisherman.

[James Acaster]

We're fine.

[Ed Gamble]

I love. I love the idea of sitting in a writing room, letting everyone else do the work and go, this writes itself. This incredible.

[Graham Norton]

Good job, guys.

[Ed Gamble]

It writes itself.

[James Acaster]

What do you want with your salmon? How do you want it done?

[Graham Norton]

Just like pan fried? I don't really care. Okay, yeah, I'll eat it pan fried. Say pan fried. Oh, sometimes it comes with a kind of little one of those yellow sauces. Like a hollandaise. Yeah, Something A's.

[Ed Gamble]

Do you have an A's preference?

[Graham Norton]

What's the one with tarragon in it?

[Ed Gamble]

That's bearnaise, I think. Or is it hollandaise? I think it's bearnaise.

[Graham Norton]

I hear the sound of typing.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, I believe it's. I believe it's bearnaise. I'm putting everything on bearnaise.

[Graham Norton]

But then what's the one? Because two of them have green things in them.

[Ed Gamble]

Right.

[Graham Norton]

There's hollandaise. Is nothing in it? No green, just yellow. And there's two green ones. One is tarragon and one is. Is it coriander or something?

[Ed Gamble]

Bayonnaise is tarragon.

[Graham Norton]

There is another one.

[James Acaster]

Five points for a gamble.

[Graham Norton]

Thank you. Yeah, well done. No, I've made it up.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. Like Din of salmon.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

It's my fantasy meeting. I've got some knitted salmon.

[James Acaster]

We believe in all of it.

[Graham Norton]

Now, Irish people will leave comments saying Darren exists.

[Ed Gamble]

Yes.

[James Acaster]

Good.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

So darn of salmon with Bernese. Are we going with.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, Bernays. The yellow one with the green things in it. And I'm not to go to sides yet, though. That's a. That's a whole different feature.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, we'll get into that. Okay.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, that's a.

[Ed Gamble]

Please don't tread on the format.

[Graham Norton]

I respect the format. The format is king.

[James Acaster]

When we asked you how you wanted it, you said you didn't care. I had flashbacks to when we. We had Robert De Niro on the pod and he just said he'll just have whatever's good for every course. Does that surprise you, having interviewed him?

[Graham Norton]

No, it does not.

[Ed Gamble]

We loved having him on and it was amazing to be in the presence of Robert De Niro, but he was not invested in the format.

[Graham Norton]

No. I think what I would say about Robert De Niro is he's a very benign presence.

[James Acaster]

Yes.

[Graham Norton]

Like, his silence isn't an indicator of him hating the experience. That's what.

[Ed Gamble]

No, apart from when Tom Hiddleston did an impression of him on your show.

[James Acaster]

Yes.

[Graham Norton]

Even that. He kind of went. Because Tom Middleton did an impression of him in. It was him and Alucino.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

In whatever movie they heat.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And. And I remember after he finished, Robert De Niro went, oh, that's actually one of my favorite scenes. And I went, is it still.

[James Acaster]

Yes, because I think Hiddleston had. Maybe it was the same episode, literally just done a very good impression of you.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. No, I mean, I think those clips of Tom Hiddleston doing impressions do the rounds. I think it was all from one episode. I think he's only done impressions on the show once, but he did a lot of them, so they have done the rounds.

[James Acaster]

But I think the one of you is so good that he clearly got a bit of wind in his sails and maybe didn't judge where he should go next as well as he could have, because he absolutely nailed an impression of yours. Like, that is fucking good. And then he goes into a De

[Graham Norton]

Niro in front of. I mean, it's a, you know, look. It's a ballsy thing to do.

[James Acaster]

It is, yeah. Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And, you know.

[James Acaster]

Know.

[Graham Norton]

And it. It, you know, Robert De Niro wasn't talking, so we needed to hear that voice.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good on him.

[Graham Norton]

But was he nice on here? He was nice.

[James Acaster]

He was very.

[Ed Gamble]

Oh, he's lovely.

[Graham Norton]

He's lovely, man, isn't?

[James Acaster]

We were delighted that we had to do on the pod. And to be honest, I think we were doubly delighted that he just said he'll have whatever's good.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Your dream side dish.

[Graham Norton]

Now, see, you talked about soda bread and kerrygold earlier. I am going full potato. Potato.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Really? I've ordered this because it comes with mash.

[James Acaster]

Great.

[Ed Gamble]

Fantastic. So really, the mash is the main and the sa side.

[Graham Norton]

Often. I will order whatever comes with them.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Whatever. Whatever is. I'll often order a main course based on what's with it.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Because those are the. Like, just you. It's delicious. It's very hard to make bad mash. I'm sure you can. Don't.

[Ed Gamble]

You really can.

[James Acaster]

Can. Yeah, some people.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, you really can.

[Graham Norton]

And what, in a restaurant?

[Ed Gamble]

Oh, in a restaurant. No, probably not. Home mash is bad stuff.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, yes. But you can get. If you don't cook your potatoes properly.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. Or the way you mash it, if you're, you know, over mashing, it can go gluey.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, yes.

[Ed Gamble]

That's why in restaurants now they use the big ricer, don't they, a lot of the time?

[Graham Norton]

Yes, they do.

[Ed Gamble]

They'll put. And that stops it becoming gluey. And then you can just sort of mix in all of the butter.

[Graham Norton]

I feel my home mash is often a bit gluey.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Unidentified Male (advertisement voice)]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And it's because I. Because I got really bored of trying to wash the small, like the. The mashers. The small mashers. So I've just got one of those, you know that. Remember you used to have that. That game where you had to, you know, not make. Not make the electric noise as. I've got a masher that looks like that.

[Ed Gamble]

So it's just like one squiggle.

[Graham Norton]

It's just one squiggle. Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

You ain't mashing anything with that. Really.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. So. Yeah, but washing up's really easy.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

So swings around abouts.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, you're laughing, but when it comes to the washing up.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, I really am.

[Ed Gamble]

I don't wash anything up because it's full of bread on the draining board. So.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, yeah, you can't wash anything up.

[Ed Gamble]

Very tricky. Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. When we were talking about your show earlier, here's one of my favorite parts about watching your show is we get to see massive Hollywood stars sitting on a sofa with one of our friends.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

And my favorite two moments of that.

[Ed Gamble]

I know what you're gonna say, Joe.

[James Acaster]

That is up to.

[Ed Gamble]

Well, I know. Ruffalo and Josh wedding.

[James Acaster]

Ruffalo calling Josh Whitaker pedophile.

[Graham Norton]

How was that? How was that broadcast? How was that ever okay? But it was funny.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, really funny.

[James Acaster]

Absolutely great. We bring it up at least once a year to Josh. Remember when the Hulk called you a pit? You know, really good. Just absolutely goes for him. Two footed out of nowhere. Hasn't done anything to deserve it.

[Graham Norton]

And I feel like that wasn't the only thing. Like he really, really. He went from.

[James Acaster]

For the whole show. It was like. It was.

[Graham Norton]

It was like a kind of a roast.

[James Acaster]

It was.

[Graham Norton]

I wonder, did Ruffalo mistake. Did they think they had an encounter before?

[Ed Gamble]

Maybe. Well, I think it's just something about Josh.

[Graham Norton]

It was just.

[Ed Gamble]

It Was just like. It seems. Seems like he's weak. I can go after him.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. Ren is there as well. Ren is a bit. Larry. Jeremy. Ren is there, I think. I think Ruffalo is showing off to Renner.

[Graham Norton]

You're probably right.

[James Acaster]

Must be a tough guy.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. Lads.

[James Acaster]

And the other one. And we. We used to watch this quite a lot. Every now and again we'd watch it like, Nish would put this on to watch it with people. It brings him so much joy. Is Greg Davis telling his school story while Ryan Gosling LAUGHS yeah, like, uncontrollably for the whole thing.

[Ed Gamble]

And it's Jane Brown there as well. Is that. That one?

[Graham Norton]

She's been.

[Ed Gamble]

She's been on with Greg, definitely.

[Graham Norton]

All right, has she?

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, I think so. Or maybe that's just June Brown was

[Graham Norton]

on with Lady Gaga. Maybe that's.

[Ed Gamble]

It's one of the other, like, real Motley Crue lineups.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, it was very Motley Crue. And that one. I think Greg doing that story for Ryan is amazing. And there's another one where Lee Mack tells a story and John Cleese, who. I think it's quite hard to make him laugh and he really, really, really laughs.

[James Acaster]

It's a really funny story.

[Graham Norton]

The bad one.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, it's good story.

[Graham Norton]

It's a very good story and I do believe it.

[James Acaster]

Oh, yeah, Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I think it's true.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. Yeah. And if it's not true, then it's like. I like the fact that he's a great leader. He's absolutely taken us in.

[Ed Gamble]

Was there any other sort of questions over the thing of getting everyone out at the same time? When the show started, did anyone say maybe we shouldn't do that?

[Graham Norton]

I'm sure people resisted it. Yeah, I'm sure people resisted it, like publicists and things. So I don't quite know how we got around it.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

It.

[Graham Norton]

We just stuck to our guns.

[Ed Gamble]

I think it's just worked so well straight away that.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, I mean, you're out there for quite a long time. Like, you haven't done the show, but you've done the show.

[James Acaster]

No, no, I thought you'd done the show. No, I've not.

[Ed Gamble]

Hey. Hey, Graham. I've not done the show.

[Graham Norton]

No, I know you've not done the show, but you have done the show.

[Ed Gamble]

No, I have not done the show,

[Graham Norton]

but this is weird.

[Ed Gamble]

So I've only met you very briefly once before.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, here we go.

[Ed Gamble]

So I. I did a show, this is probably about 10 years ago, I did a show called Almost Royal for BBC America.

[James Acaster]

Was that you?

[Ed Gamble]

That was me.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, my God.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

You have done the show.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, technically done the show. But we did it in the day before anyone else came in.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, my God.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. And then it was spliced into the American broadcast, I think.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You pranked Graham.

[Ed Gamble]

No, no, no. Graham was in on it. Yeah, Graham was in on it.

[Graham Norton]

Was there an audience? No, there wasn't an audience.

[Ed Gamble]

No, there was. No, it was literally on the day. And I remember it was like a very chaotic day for everyone. So I think everyone was annoyed that we were doing it that day because I think a guest had cancelled. So there was like this mad rush of trying to sort things out.

[Graham Norton]

That's hilarious.

[Ed Gamble]

That was you? Yeah, that was me. That was me and Amy Hunt.

[Graham Norton]

So we had people. We also had people pretending to be William and Kate.

[James Acaster]

You're now getting. You're now thinking that was it.

[Graham Norton]

No, no, I was saying it to you. I was thinking they wouldn't have cast you as William.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And then we also did one with Nicholas Gallatzine for a movie he did with Anne Hathaway.

[James Acaster]

Oh, yes.

[Graham Norton]

And the end, he's on the show and it's fake. But we did do it in front of an audience and you could see the audience thinking, oh, but this is indistinguishable from the thing we just watched. It's as if Graham didn't mean any of it. Well, I think we let too much light in on the matter of the audience. Yeah, it's all bullshit.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. No, that was a very. That was a mad experience for us to come in and like pretend like we were on the show. But then it actually went into the American broadcast of the show because it's BBC America. Oh, cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I mean, yeah, you are out there for quite a long time. You're out there for about like an hour and a half.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

But you know, but then there's music and often the music is twice. So, you know, you're not talking for an hour and a half. Yeah. But for those Americans who are used to coming out and doing their 8 minute segment or 11 minute segment, you know, they're like, really? Well, I'm still here.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And again, you were saying about being briefed, you know, you feel like people are fully briefed and then. Sorry, I thought, do I go now? No, no, you stay quite long time.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Hi, it's Sarah. I'm the founder of Olive and June. And can I tell you the one thing that always makes my day. Better a fresh manicure. But who has the time or the money to go to the salon every week? That's why we created the Olive and June gel mani system. It gives you that same mani that you get at a salon for so much less. It comes with everything you need. A pro level lamp, salon grade tools. Our damage free gel polish that lasts up to 21 days. All you do is prep, paint, cure and you're good to go. And the best part? It's super easy and so affordable. Each mani breaks down to $2. So let's skip that $80 salon appointment and get the salon quality look at home for so much less. And on your schedule, head to OliveAndJune.com DIYgel20 and use code DIYgel20 for 20% off your first gel mani system. That's OliveAnJune.com DIYgel20 code DIYgel20 for 20% OFF your first first gel mani system.

[Unidentified Male (possibly a side character or narrator)]

The to do list doesn't stop and neither does the pressure to keep up with it if you've been running on fumes. Growtherapy makes it easier to find care that's covered by insurance and actually built around you. Whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th. Grow makes it easier to find a therapist who fits you, not the other way around. You can search by what matters like insurance, specialty, identity or availability and get started in as little as two days. And if something comes up, you can Cancel up to 24 hours in advance at no no cost. Grow helps you find therapy on your time. Whatever challenges you're facing. Grow Therapy is here to help. Grow accepts over 100 insurance plans. Sessions average about $21 with insurance and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growtherapy.com acast today to get started. That's growtherapy.com acast growtherapy.com acasta availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.

[James Acaster]

Your dream drink, Graham? Oh, I.

[Graham Norton]

Well, I've been drinking it, but.

[Ed Gamble]

So we've had a couple of martinis, but do you have another dream drink

[Graham Norton]

that you'd like to have? Some white wine.

[Ed Gamble]

Lovely.

[Graham Norton]

I'll have some New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is my white wine of choice.

[Ed Gamble]

Fantastic.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

How long's that been the case?

[Graham Norton]

For quite a long time now. Like when I got to London first in the 80s. That was when the Australian Chardonnay was king. And then isn't it weird how we just all decided we didn't like them anymore and like as on mass.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, it's.

[Graham Norton]

It's like, it's like. Remember, like, it was like when gin became really popular.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. They had.

[Graham Norton]

We'd all been drinking vodka and then we were told, no gin. You're drinking gin now.

[Ed Gamble]

Thousand gin distilleries everywhere.

[Graham Norton]

I like gin now. And it's. It's weird how marketing can. Can change what's going on in your mouth.

[James Acaster]

Totally.

[Ed Gamble]

And it's all. It's all marketing as well, isn't it?

[James Acaster]

Well, it is weird.

[Graham Norton]

You know, I. I didn't like that and. Or I did like that. Now. Now you've told me my taste buds were very wrong all along and I shouldn't like it anymore.

[Ed Gamble]

Do you think that will ever happen to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc?

[Graham Norton]

I mean, it's been going for a long time, that whole New Zealand Tommy Blanc thing, but it could do, you know, fashion change. And it's weird now how things are happening.

[Ed Gamble]

There's a.

[Graham Norton]

Have you come across the jalapeno white wine?

[Ed Gamble]

No.

[James Acaster]

No.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, apparently. What do I know? It started on TikTok, people putting jalapenos into their white wine. And I had some last night and it is a very weird experience because it's not hot. Hot, it doesn't burn, but it. There's a definite kind of zing at the end. The aftertaste is very. Yeah. You know, something hot's been in there.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. A few days ago I had a jalapeno martini and that was nice. And like I say it wasn't. I. I thought, it's going to be a mistake. It's going to be really hot and spicy, but it's actually just like. Just a nice different flavor to Having a martini was quite. Did it have a little.

[Graham Norton]

Kind of a little buzz at the end?

[James Acaster]

Yeah, there was a little something. Imagine that would work in a white wine. I'm not against that.

[Graham Norton]

I. For me, personally, I don't. I'm not drinking white wine thinking, if only this tasted of jalapenos. I, I feel. I don't. I don't quite get it, but I had it last night with my husband and he loved it. He thought it was really nice.

[Ed Gamble]

Oh, there you go. That means it's. There's going to be jalapenos in the

[Graham Norton]

house all the time.

[James Acaster]

He's regularly eating jalapenos, thinking, if only this tasted like white wine. Yeah, yeah. So, like, it works for you.

[Ed Gamble]

That's why you're the perfect match.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So. So it's this new Zealand white wine is your dream drink. You've already got the martinis coming throughout the meal when you want them.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Only I'll only do two.

[Ed Gamble]

Two martinis, I think is enough.

[James Acaster]

Right.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. We've had some bad nights on martinis where we've gone over the two.

[James Acaster]

Well, you get.

[Graham Norton]

You get giddy, don't you?

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

You think, I can drink these?

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And turns out you can't.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, they're clear. They must be all right.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And also because you feel okay after to.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, you.

[Graham Norton]

You kind of think, wow, yeah, it's okay. Yeah. I could cut wood at a sawmill.

[James Acaster]

I'm fine.

[Graham Norton]

But yeah, after three, you're losing a hand.

[Ed Gamble]

It's when you. It's. If you have two or three and then you've not gone to the toilet in wherever you are yet. And then you stand up and your legs go. And you're like, oh, I should have thought about this. This has gone badly wrong.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I may be leaving my bike here.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. We've talked about trying to get into dukes quite a lot on this podcast. Podcast? To have their martini. Oh, yes. They only let you have one and all this.

[Graham Norton]

Do they only let you have one?

[Ed Gamble]

Two. I think it's two. Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Well, see, we've never been.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

How come? Well, we aspire to. But it's never really worked out. You've had a few guests say, oh, I'll go with you. And though obviously they never.

[Ed Gamble]

I'm sure you would let down by a couple of.

[James Acaster]

They never actually follow through and do it.

[Graham Norton]

Can I just say, this is. This is me now committing to never going to dukes again. Yeah. I'd leave it that. That way.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

I feel like the dream. The dream of what's going on in there.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Really, it's a bit like just a provincial hotel. It's just some overstuffed sofas and some tourists.

[Ed Gamble]

But it's a good. It's a good martini.

[Graham Norton]

It's a perfectly nice martini, but I feel like they're. They're riding high on when you couldn't get a good martini.

[Ed Gamble]

Right. Okay.

[Graham Norton]

I think now you get a good martini most places.

[Ed Gamble]

Well, shout out to the coffee, which is my favorite martini.

[Graham Norton]

Now you've just pulled on your pants and shat all over poor old dukes. We're over here with some brocade curtains.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. Yeah. We did a live show recently and there were two gentlemen in the audience wearing suits, and Ed completely went for them. It was like, you two suit motherfuckers. What are you wearing suits for? And James went for them. I didn't go for them. You started on them.

[Ed Gamble]

Well, the problem is one of them said that they don't normally wear suits. They tried to go to Dukes for a Martin. So they're like, we don't normally wear suits. And one of the guys went, I'm, you know, I'm a creative. And then James found out he worked for Apple. And then that was the whole show absolutely over.

[Graham Norton]

Still food based.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We should have. That would have been a nicer direction to lead it.

[Ed Gamble]

What do you mean we should have? I didn't. I stood back and watch. You absolutely decimate a whole man's life. Oh.

[Graham Norton]

So bless them. They were obviously proper fans.

[James Acaster]

He's making it out Albert Hall.

[Ed Gamble]

You said if he. If he as a kid met himself now and found out what he did, he would spit on him, is what you said.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. Oh, that's nice. I'm sure he found that funny.

[James Acaster]

His mate loved it.

[Graham Norton]

Telling friends after. Then James said this thing to me so funny and I was wearing a

[Ed Gamble]

suit and we didn't get into the place we wanted to go to.

[James Acaster]

James says that he believes that when I was a child I was creative and do drawings, but if that younger self met me now, he'd spit on me. He told me it wasn't a creative.

[Ed Gamble]

Funny comedy show, Graeme.

[James Acaster]

Very funny. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And we didn't get into dukes. Your dream dessert.

[Graham Norton]

See, I. Yeah, we. We could never hang out cuz you're just eating poppy dums and dessert. Like, why? I'm not that fuzz. I mean, if I'm on a plane. Plane, I'll have dessert.

[James Acaster]

Interesting.

[Graham Norton]

Well, just because I paid for it and I might crash.

[Ed Gamble]

So are you. So when you're on a plane, are you constantly in.

[Graham Norton]

I'm having it all, I'm having it all.

[Ed Gamble]

But you're always thinking, we might crash. Yes.

[Graham Norton]

I mean, well, you know, you'll kind of think, well, I'll regret, you know, if we're vomiting from the sky. Yeah, I'll regret not having the tiramisu.

[Ed Gamble]

If you started plummeting as before, lunge,

[Graham Norton]

lunge for the dessert trolley.

[Ed Gamble]

But if it was in front of you, would you eat the tiramisu as you are plummeting?

[Graham Norton]

I mean, I'd try, yeah, I'd go, yeah. I mean, you would, wouldn't you? It's. It's. It better to die with a mouthful of tiramisu than not the old phrase.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, I think you'll be fine. There'll be people doing much worse things. Yeah. Oh, yeah, you'll be eating the tiramisu, but.

[Graham Norton]

And also, I'll probably finish my tiramisu by the time we crash.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, exactly.

[Graham Norton]

Actually, I probably would go check tiramisu if I'm doing dessert, but from a plane. The plane I prefer not to plummet through the skies and die in a fiery ball.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. While people around you are whacking it.

[James Acaster]

Whoa, Ed, Ed, no need to go there. What the hell.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, apologies. We've got a national treasure on the podcast.

[Graham Norton]

And also, I think it's very hard to focus your mind into your death.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. You'd have to be turned on by death. By death.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And also, what a way to discover. That's your king.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Finally I found my thing.

[James Acaster]

My life makes sense. Okay, so we're going tiramisu. I'm a bit disappointed that it's not from an airplane because I would look quite like it if you had like an airplane. Kind of. Oh, I see.

[Graham Norton]

So. Oh, it could be just a company could deliver it to them.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. Have to be die at the end. But I could give you an airplane.

[Graham Norton]

Honestly, if the whole meal came from airplane, I'd be happy. Yeah, I love airplane food.

[Ed Gamble]

What cabin are we talking now?

[Graham Norton]

I do throw money at the problem, but you get the little cutlery wherever you are. And that's the pleasure is the tiny little. I mean, I don't know, like if you got fly nice, but if you fly nice, I would think there's. There's a. A napkin and in there, there seems to be an inordinate amount of knives and hooks. I mean, so many of them. Like, I'm pretty sure I just ordered one. Delicate. I don't know why all this cutlery's in here.

[Ed Gamble]

Everywhere goes everywhere.

[Graham Norton]

It just. I feel like whoever wraps those things has never eaten. Yeah, they don't know. They don't know what cutlery is.

[Ed Gamble]

The humans have.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. What are they for? I don't know.

[James Acaster]

Some.

[Ed Gamble]

I love the. I think about all the time the. If you fly on virgin, the salt and pepper pots that are like little planes.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. They're adorable.

[Ed Gamble]

I love those.

[Graham Norton]

Really?

[James Acaster]

Yeah. I've never seen these.

[Ed Gamble]

Have you not? No. Have you flown on virgin before?

[James Acaster]

I think so, yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

Salt and pepper pot.

[Graham Norton]

Do they still do them? Cuz I know.

[Ed Gamble]

Oh, maybe.

[Graham Norton]

I'm thinking everyone stole them. I think.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. But no, I think they were. They're made of plastic. I think you can.

[Graham Norton]

Before they used to be nice they

[Ed Gamble]

used to be like, metal.

[Graham Norton]

And everyone stole those. They just wiped the whole Caroline off them.

[James Acaster]

So people who have got those clothes are pretty pleased themselves.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, I think so, yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, yeah, yeah. They're putting them out on the dining room table.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, yeah.

[James Acaster]

Yes.

[Graham Norton]

I have flown up.

[Ed Gamble]

My friend stole an EasyJet jacket once.

[James Acaster]

How?

[Ed Gamble]

We were flying. We were flying back from somewhere and in the. In the overhead bin, there was obviously like a jacket that, you know a crew member.

[Graham Norton]

Clapton.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

And literally just took the jacket and then wore it to the pub the next night. It was pretty cool.

[Graham Norton]

Literally. Was it?

[James Acaster]

Yes.

[Ed Gamble]

We were like 16 or something and it was cool. It was pretty cool to wear an Easy Jet jacket to the. To the Wetherspoons.

[Graham Norton]

God, I remember doing another corporate. Some travel awards, something. And they were talking about. And EasyJet donate their old uniforms to. To Africa, which seems like a mat, like, because they're. They're nylon. I mean, like, it seems cruel to maybe walk around in orange nylon.

[Ed Gamble]

I've got to go to that village.

[Graham Norton]

I think you'll know when you're there. Is this it? Yes, it is. This is it.

[James Acaster]

I'd love to get lost in that village and ask someone for directions. They tell me where the exits are. Yes, please. What's the best thing you've ever stolen, Graham?

[Graham Norton]

Oh, good question. I mean, when I was a kid, I remember shoplifting a kind of. I don't know what it was, if it was a glove puppet or something. It was made. It was made of kind of.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

Googly eyes. And I was delighted with myself and. And then. But I had to then reveal it, you know, at some point.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

At home. And my story of. I found it did not fly for very long.

[Ed Gamble]

No.

[Graham Norton]

And so I was frog marched back to the shop.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Graham Norton]

And had to give it back.

[Ed Gamble]

Oh, that's. That's embarrassing our friends.

[Graham Norton]

Oh. Humiliating.

[Ed Gamble]

Our friend's daughter recently, like little. Little kids, asked for a badge and. And he said, no, you can't have the badge. I'm not buying you the badge. And then the next day, she's walking around wearing the badge. And he went, where'd you get that badge from? She said, oh, my friend gave it to me. He said, what friend? And she went, I don't remember.

[Graham Norton]

I thought you were going to say you bought it for me. You're losing your mind.

[Ed Gamble]

But I love the not thinking two steps ahead and going, my friend, and then going, I don't remember what friend it was. Yeah, I don't know their name, so.

[James Acaster]

Good.

[Graham Norton]

Did you get to keep it?

[Ed Gamble]

No, they took it back to the shop. I think you've got. You can't then let the kid keep it. I, I don't think. You've got to show them that stealing's wrong and it goes back to the shop.

[Graham Norton]

Right? You're so old fashioned.

[James Acaster]

Get with the program. Well, I, I'd like. My dad was really. I never would have stolen anything. But like he, he said to me once when I was gonna go and buy Christmas presents for the first time, make sure you buy people. Don't buy anything for yourself. It's Christmas. So I went out, I was buying stuff for people. I'm about seven. I saw there was a no Oasis single out who were an Oasis tribute.

[Ed Gamble]

Oasis?

[James Acaster]

Yeah, Oasis. I really wanted it so I bought it for myself. I had to snuck it in, made sure you couldn't see it. And then this sneaky looked at the receipt, which was like in one of the bags.

[Ed Gamble]

I knew what you were going to do.

[James Acaster]

He calls me in, what's this? I was like, huh? I think he got me first with the hole. Yeah. You did buy anything for yourself, did you?

[Graham Norton]

Oh, no. Oh, you walked right into it.

[James Acaster]

Myself. What are you talking about? Goodness, what's this then? And then apparently I, I don't remember this, but my reaction was, went, oh, what have I done? Like, really remorseful in front of him. Oh, what have I done?

[Ed Gamble]

Oh, what have I done?

[James Acaster]

And I told him, I told him I would give anything to take it back.

[Ed Gamble]

Oh, so dramatic.

[James Acaster]

So he went, all right, well, if you want, you can just give it to me and you don't have it anymore. I handed it over.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. Oh, did he bring it back to the shop or anything?

[James Acaster]

No, it was. It's my birthday in January. I had snapped it. It was like, there you go. I was like, doesn't feel great. Doesn't feel like a treat.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, because you bought it.

[James Acaster]

I bought this. Yeah. I've paid for this, man. Yeah. You stopped me from listening to it for a month. That's all kind of over noasis now. Yeah, yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

They were a bit of a flash in the pan. No way.

[Graham Norton]

They really. I'm amazed they actually did a single.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm amazed they didn't try and capitalize on the.

[Ed Gamble]

On the reunion.

[James Acaster]

So union.

[Graham Norton]

Oh, yeah.

[James Acaster]

You'd think the Oasis would go still Noasis. Yeah, yeah, We've got to do it. I'm gonna read your menu back to you now, see how you feel about it.

[Graham Norton]

Okay.

[Ed Gamble]

Graham looks really worried about this part.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, no, I'm looking forward to it.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

You want sparkling water and you like a dirty wet martini at the same time. Pop lobs or bread. Another dirty wet martini starter, avocado lettuce cups from ABCV in New York. Main course, a pan fried darn of salmon with Bernays sauce. Side dish, mashed potato drink, New Zealand sauvignon blanc. And dessert, a tiramisu.

[Graham Norton]

Delicious.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, that does sound very nice.

[Ed Gamble]

And feels classic as well. Like it's.

[Graham Norton]

It's not try hard.

[Ed Gamble]

No, no, not at all. And it feels like. It feels like you'd eat it in like a classic looking New York restaurant. Apart from the dessert which you'd eat on a plane.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, no, I'll eat it in the restaurant. It can be on a. It could be on one of the little trays though.

[Ed Gamble]

Yes.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. And if the waiter could go out back and change into a uniform, I'd be delighted.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah, absolutely.

[James Acaster]

Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

Uniform. No, no. Good. Because that. He'd be taking that away from an African family.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. I'm going to try the lettuce cups the most.

[Ed Gamble]

Yes. They sound delicious.

[James Acaster]

Cuz I can't really imagine what they would be. Yeah. Like you were saying, like they're so much better than they even sound. So I want to.

[Graham Norton]

And I've kind of cracked them. I can kind of make them now.

[Ed Gamble]

So what you, what do you put in them to make them?

[Graham Norton]

It's toasted cumin seeds.

[James Acaster]

Oh, nice.

[Graham Norton]

Is the. Is the bit that is. Because you know when you're eating something, you're. What is that lovely taste? What is that taste? And I finally figured out that's what it was.

[James Acaster]

Is.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah. It's been years of eating them.

[Ed Gamble]

I love that you've left that until the end as a little reveal just right at the end. You didn't give us the secret when you were talking about it.

[Graham Norton]

You didn't ask.

[James Acaster]

People listen to any podcast, there's always a secret gets revealed.

[Ed Gamble]

We didn't ask. James, this is the thing. It's good to pick up little tips from Graham we forgot to ask.

[James Acaster]

We should ask questions we want the answers to.

[Graham Norton]

So delicious.

[James Acaster]

If we want to find out.

[Ed Gamble]

Because we, we never learned that if we want an answer to something, we forget to ask it and there's two of us.

[Graham Norton]

Yeah, well, that I have to say that is good. I think it's good doing this with two people.

[Ed Gamble]

Yes.

[Graham Norton]

Because then it's never your fault.

[James Acaster]

Yeah. It's always Benito's fault.

[Graham Norton]

It's always Benito's Fault.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah. It's no one's fault, consistently. Well, this has been no one's fault. Graham. Thank you so much.

[Graham Norton]

People don't apologize. No one's to blame.

[Ed Gamble]

Next episode, by the way, we're gonna start just getting all the guests in at the same time. So we're gonna have three or four people on the sofa together.

[Graham Norton]

Good luck in this room.

[James Acaster]

Massive whining.

[Graham Norton]

You may have to knock through.

[Ed Gamble]

Thank you so much for coming to the dream restaurant, Graham.

[Graham Norton]

It was a pleasure. Thank you very much.

[James Acaster]

Thank you, Graham.

[Ed Gamble]

Well, there we are. James Graham Norton. What a joy it was to have him on the show.

[James Acaster]

Such a pleasure to have Graham Norton on the show. There were some moments, I mean, we love all our guests.

[Ed Gamble]

Yes.

[James Acaster]

But there are some moments where you go, wow, what a. What another name to add to the. The old cv.

[Ed Gamble]

You nearly said notch on the bedpost there, didn't you?

[James Acaster]

Crane noted. It's not a notch on the bedpost.

[Ed Gamble]

A notch on the mic stand.

[James Acaster]

Let me be clear.

[Ed Gamble]

A notch on the mic stand.

[James Acaster]

Put a little notch.

[Ed Gamble]

But that's. Good night. That's a good phrase for us.

[James Acaster]

Notch on the bedpost. Is that because. Is it because when they've slept with someone, they put a notch on the bedpost or is it because the bed is hitting the wall?

[Ed Gamble]

I don't think it's that because that would suggest it hits the wall once,

[James Acaster]

a few times to eventually make a notch.

[Ed Gamble]

Depends how. Personally, I like to go one big enough to make a notch. Done.

[James Acaster]

See, you fuss so hard that the bed hits it, makes a notch and they orgasm all at once. I do you. You do.

[Ed Gamble]

Come on.

[James Acaster]

Sure. You can only control.

[Ed Gamble]

It's over when I'm over.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's only so much that's in your control. I guess you can't be. Can't be Held to account.

[Ed Gamble]

No. And don't. Don't help. Help me to account on that. No, Graham did not say Golden Grahams.

[James Acaster]

Surprise, surprise. Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

No, that's not him.

[James Acaster]

Oh, sorry. We should get her on the pod. No longer with us.

[Ed Gamble]

The Neighborhood starts Friday 24th of April, 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX and the series debuts with a three episode launch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So make sure you watch that and

[James Acaster]

listen to Wangin on.

[Ed Gamble]

Listen to Wangin on.

[James Acaster]

Fantastic podcast.

[Ed Gamble]

A delight to have Graham in the studio and I'm going on tour. I've got a new show called Fresh Hell touring from the end of January next year. Tickets on sale now at edgamble.co.uk.

[James Acaster]

i'm currently on tour with my show, James Acaster.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

And there are some shows that have tickets available, so please. Jamesacaster.co.uk or.com I don't know my own website.

[Ed Gamble]

No.

[James Acaster]

Well, I'm not going on it.

[Ed Gamble]

Yeah.

[James Acaster]

Why would I do that? But jamesacaster.com is actually where you should go for tickets.

[Ed Gamble]

He got the dot com. He bagged the dot com, guys.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, I'm pretty pleased with that, actually. Yeah.

[Ed Gamble]

Well, James, thank you for being my friend for another week.

[James Acaster]

Thank you for being my friend, Ed. Who knows when we started, but you got a new friendship now with Bonito.

[Ed Gamble]

Bonito. Starting now.

[James Acaster]

That's good. Starting now.

[Ed Gamble]

It's been about six minutes so far.

[James Acaster]

Yeah, it's going pretty well so far, I think, for the two of you.

[Ed Gamble]

See you later, guys.

[James Acaster]

See you later, guys.