The Graham Norton Show

Dustin Hoffman talks about saving a jogger's life, Billy Connolly says he wishes he was Robert De Niro and Jennifer Saunders reveals she was nervous about explaining Viva Forever to the Spice Girls while Matt Smith talks about Doctor Who and Amy MacDonald performs live in the studio.

Dustin Hoffman, explaining the recent press headlines, 'Dustin Hoffman Saved my Life', says, "So says the media. Actually all I did was call the paramedics. They are the real heroes but in the press the movie star gets the action."

Recalling his first acting role, Dustin says, "As the smallest kid in school they chose me to play Tiny Tim. I was back stage with a ninth-grader I wanted to impress who dared me to say the last line of the play as, 'God bless us everyone, God dammit.' I did. It went down a storm and I was suspended from school!"

Talking about his directorial debut with his movie Quartet, Dustin says, "Usually directors don't like actors to collaborate with them and I found this a deficiency. I encouraged the actors to bring forth their ideas no matter what they were and to share them. More importantly I gave the actors time to fail - actors are expected to get 'it' immediately so I let them keep trying until they find the right way to do it."

Billy Connolly, who stars in the film, says of seeing himself on screen, "I never look at myself. I hate seeing me because it's always me. I go up to the screen thinking this time it's going to be Robert De Niro and it's me again!" Asked if he was intimidated about working with Dustin, he says, "No, because I knew him, but when he read out the cast list to me - Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins - it was the best laxative ever!"

Jennifer Saunders, talking about Viva Forever and asked about the Spice Girls' involvement, says, "We ran the treatment past them and they seemed to like it. They really care and that's why I love them because it was a wonderful time in their lives. I was so nervous about explaining the story to them, hoping they weren't sensitive about certain things. But they were fantastic and they would get emotional about certain songs. It was a lovely experience."

Talking about Gerri in particular, Saunders says, "She is full on but that is what I like about her, she hasn't changed a bit - she was always full on and out there. She came up with great ideas for the treatment. I was nervous because I didn't want to say that the four girls in the show split up so I said, 'I wonder if they should fall out' and she said, 'yes! That's a great idea! It's got to have all of that in it.'"

Recalling a much earlier encounter with the girls, she says, "I actually met them before they were famous. I was in a restaurant with Dawn (French) and in came these five overexcited little girls with braided hair - they came bounding over to us saying, 'Oh my god, French & Saunders,' and told us they were going to be the next big girl group. I thought 'please, of course you are!' and then suddenly they were on TV and I thought, 'doh!"

Recounting a surreal encounter with Dolly Parton, Jennifer says, "I was in a restaurant with Rosanne Barr. Dolly was there and talking about tattoos. She winked at us and said, 'This will go no further' and then undid her top and there were her t*ts and she has the most exquisite tattoos - angels and butterflies. They are the most divine, Titian like drawings."

Responding to Graham's disbelief, she says, "You look like you don't believe me but I kid you not. Although I did wake up in the morning and thought that couldn't have happened. But it did. It was one of the strangest evenings ever."

Matt Smith joins Graham to chat about the Doctor Who Christmas special. Asked about the storyline he says, "As always, I can't tell you anything. This is the tragedy of the show I am in - you come on to the show to promote it and then you can't talk about it but it's good Christmas telly," adding, "There's lots of snow and a great big villain. It's all a bit psychological and there are aliens. Sorry to sound so cryptic but I can't say more." On his new companion (Jenna Louise Coleman), he says, "She is doing marvellously well."

Amy Macdonald performs Pride live in the studio before joining Graham to chat about her new album.