The Graham Norton Show

Dan Stevens says leaving Downton was the best thing to do, Hayden Panettiere talks about her love of playing a villain, while Micky Flanagan gives his thoughts on nudity. Robin Thicke and Pharrell perform live in the studio.

Dan Stevens, ultra slim and sporting very dark hair, says "I've lost about 30lbs since New Year, which, in British terms, is about two to three chins. It was for a role. It's always me, just different incarnations, different roles, different costumes and different sizes. As for the hair, it's pretty much my natural colour. I went very dark for the last role but I'll see where I go with it."

Asked if it was his choice to leave the global hit, Downton Abbey, he says, "Of course it was my decision, a very difficult one too, but it felt like the right thing to do. It was good to trust my instincts and go with it," adding, "I knew Matthew would die, but not like that necessarily."

On whether he has now made his permanent home in New York, he says, "It's never, 'Bye, bye, Britain', but we are there for the moment and really enjoying it - it's a cool city."

Hayden Panettiere, on being a child star and growing up in the public eye, says, "It makes you very self conscious that every mistake you've made is on Google. It's like a photo album of the all the good, the bad and the ugly."

Talking about the current success she is enjoying in Nashville, she says, "I love playing the villain. She's mean and nasty. It was wild for me and something I was really excited about. Because I had played an all American cheerleader for so long I knew it would be an uphill battle to be seen as any other kind of actor and then she came along.

"But, I kept apologising to Connie Britton after every scene saying, 'I am so sorry, I didn't mean it,' and she said, 'Of course not, it's acting.' Now we have got to know each other we have a lot of fun pushing each others buttons and we really go for it."

On her country singing career, she says, "I love Nashville. I love country music and this has been an amazing experience, an open door to me." On having a single in the Billboard charts she says, "It's absolutely shocking, I don't know how it happened, but it's amazing music on the show - hats off to T-Bone (Burnett)."

Hayden, revealing her mother "Bawled hysterically" when Hayden first had a tattoo when she was under-age, shows off the Italian worded one she has on her back, "It's supposed to say, 'Live Without Regret', but the irony is, it's spelt wrong!"

Intriguingly, Dan reveals he too has a tattoo - a letter 'Q' - but refusing to reveal where, says, "I'm not telling you."

Talking about her boyfriend, the 6'6" heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko, the diminutive Hayden says, "I am in charge and can throw him around like a ragdoll," adding, "He was born in Kazakhstan so I call him Borat. I even tried to get him the bathing suit!"

Micky Flanagan, talking about going to a nudist beach, says, "You're never quite sure about the etiquette. I wanted a few beers and asked my wife if I should put some clothes on and she said, 'Don't be stupid, of course not, this is a nudist beach.' I walked into the bar and as it turns out, you do need to put your clothes on!"

Robin Thicke and Pharrell perform their hit single Blurred Lines live in the studio, with an unsuspecting, but very willing, Hayden becoming a backing dancer as Pharrell drags her on to the stage.

Joining Graham for a chat, Robin and Pharrell talk about the success of the single. Robin says, "It's number one in 40 countries. I can't even name 40 countries. It's pretty exciting. I've had a cheesy smile for the last three weeks."

Talking about the unrated version of their video being banned by YouTube, he says, "It is quite out there and got a million hits a day before they deleted it. I think it was mainly 14 year old boys!" Asked if Robin's wife and Pharrall's fiancé were understanding about the topless dancers, they say, "They understand art and that we are artists and that they (the dancers) are artists. It's not different to what you find at the Louvre."