The Graham Norton Show

Brenda Blethyn talks about her Golden Globes fashion faux pas; Jean Paul Gaultier reveals Madonna was not the first to wear the iconic conical bra; while Stephen Mangan says he's playing Postman Pat to make his children happy; and Barry Manilow performs live in the studio.

Brenda Blethyn, talking about a fashion faux pas at the Golden Globes, admits, "I was wearing an all in one Armani tuxedo with a huge brooch. I went to the ladies and it was really difficult to wiggle out of to have a pee. It was half way down when the brooch fell off and smashed in half. As I tried to find the other half with Gillian Anderson, who was also in the loo, I managed to pee all over my collar so when I collected my award there was steam coming up from my neck!"

On playing Vera in ITV's detective series, she says, "I didn't know the books so I rushed out and bought them and I was almost half way through before this character came in and I was thinking, 'Where is she?' And then she appeared and was described as huge, scruffy and looking like a bag lady. I couldn't believe they had thought of me, I was thinking more of a Jane Tennison! But then I read on and I loved the character."

Talking about receiving her OBE from Prince Charles, she recalls, "I took my Aunty Frances, who was 90 at the time. She asked whether she would have to wear her teeth to the palace! As it was going to be a long day we used a wheelchair and she got pushed straight to the front. When the trumpet fanfare started for the entrance of royalty, she shot out of the chair and stood to attention! I was scared we were going to be thrown out for false pretences!"

Jean Paul Gaultier talking about his admiration of the British Royal Family, says, "I love them. I think they are fabulous. In France we are not educated with a royal family because we killed them! So for me they are very exotic."

Revealing that the queen of pop Madonna was not the first to wear his iconic conical bra, he says, "My toy bear Nana was my first muse. My parents wouldn't let me have a doll to dress so I turned my teddy into a doll. Madonna thinks they were only for her but I did them first for the teddy."

Talking about his friendship with Madonna, Jean Paul says, "She is the only American to have style. She is fabulous and I admire her. She is the most natural woman I have ever met."

On designing dresses for the Oscars, and asked if his designs worked as lucky charms for winning actresses Nicole Kidman and Marion Cotillard, he says, "I don't know if they were lucky for them but they were very lucky for me." Brenda, herself an Oscar nominee, and admitting she wore other designer outfits, interjects, "There was my mistake!"

Jean Paul gives one male member of Graham's audience a full Gaultier make over with very stylish results.

Stephen Mangan reveals a rather embarrassing encounter with an acting legend, "A couple of times in my life I have seen people I admire and not said hello so I had to say hello to Robert De Niro. I had to steal myself because I was really nervous. I walked up to him and said, 'Hello, I'm Robert De Niro.' He said, 'No, I'm Robert De Niro.' And I said, 'Yes, you're Robert De Niro.' And I left!"

Talking about playing a pregnant man on stage in Birthday, in which he wore a prosthetic bump, breasts and penis, Stephen says, "We wanted to show the indignities of giving birth and at one point I had to pee in front of lots of other people. We thought if people think it's fake they'll laugh and if they think it's real they won't. It was the quietest I have ever heard 600 people in a theatre be! Lots of dropped jaws, people looked away in disgust and there were a few tuts. It was the longest 90 seconds and it didn't get it out again."

On his latest film role of beloved children's character Postman Pat, he says, "I was so excited to get the part. My own children at six and three are the perfect age for it and I rushed home to tell them I got the part and said, 'I'm Postman Pat.' They said. 'No you're not.' When we went to see another film and trailer came on for Postman Pat they were stunned."

Revealing that Matt Le Blanc took him for a white knuckle ride while filming Episodes in the US, Stephen says, "Matt loves cars and he look me out to dinner in his Ferrari and he's the most lunatic driver you have seen in your life. It's quite bendy on the Hollywood hills and I was on the wrong side of the car and kept trying to stamp on the brake. I couldn't eat for a couple of hours when we got there and I was white as a sheet."

Talking about his experience of Hollywood and how fake some industry executives are, he says, "Lots of stuff in Episodes is not exaggerated. I had a meeting with a potential manager who said, 'I'm your biggest fan. You're going to be huge. I've seen everything you've ever done Simon... Stephen!"

Barry Manilow joins Graham and his guests to chat about his new album and UK tour. Talking about the success of his album, he says, "It's been an amazing experience. It is in the top 10 with people I don't know - they are all so young."

Talking about his famous Copacabana shirt, he says, "The Smithsonian Museum asked if they could have it. I sent it to them and when I later made a joke that I always thought it would end up in an institution, they sent it back!"

Barry performs I Write the Songs live in the studio.