The Graham Norton Show

Benedict Cumberbatch declines to comment on Star Wars, Miranda Hart reveals it's the end for her sitcom, Timothy Spall talks about his near death experience, and Maroon 5 perform live in the studio.

Benedict Cumberbatch, talking about his latest movie The Imitation Game, says, "Alan Turing was appallingly served by the government and society at the time. It was very sad. I think he is a national hero and icon and he should be on the back of bank notes and in school text books."

Asked if he understood how the Enigma Code was broken, he says, "Not an awful lot stuck. I'm not of that ilk. It was so complicated but I did spend a lot of time trying to figure it out."

Declining to be drawn on whether he is in the new Star Wars movie, he says, "No comment" to Graham's persistent questions, but does reveal, "I went to the set. It was incredible," adding, "I probably shouldn't be saying these things."

Benedict comes face to face with himself as Graham unveils Madame Tussauds' newly made wax figure of the Sherlock star. Describing it as "Peculiar but a big honour," Benedict adds, "It's really weird."

Miranda Hart, admitting she mistook the lifelike wax facsimile for the real thing, says, "I said hi to it backstage and my makeup artist said, 'Why is he just staring?"

Talking about her new book and asked whether writing her sitcom was torture, she says, "I'm very naughty to keep saying I hate writing it, but I hate writing it. I didn't realise before I started writing it how technical, prescriptive and intricate the stories are. When I was writing it I had the image of a viewer in my head with a remote control and I was saying, 'Don't switch over, don't switch over.'"

Revealing, the two Christmas specials of Miranda are the end of the road for the sitcom, she says, "It's going to be the finale of the whole thing. It's the right time for her to come into her own, to be happy and to succeed."

Talking about her recent successful live tour, she says, "I didn't love it. It was an experience. I am not used to that level of attention and it was stressful. It was a surreal experience."

And on the recent completion of her first Hollywood film, she says, "It is very exciting and there is a lot more food than on a TV show!"

Timothy Spall, commenting on his recent 'Best Actor' award at the Cannes Film Festival says, "I was so surprised. I sobbed because I was overcome and didn't expect it. I was also a little drunk!"

Talking about being diagnosed with leukemia and give just three days to live 18 years ago, he says, "I was watching the red carpet for Secrets and Lies in Cannes while I was having my first chemo stuck directly into my heart. It was nice, they were winning prizes so there was something out there while I was doing an impersonation of trying not to peg it."

Asked, if having gone through that experience he is a different person, he says, "What it does is give you an acute sense of what is and what isn't worthwhile. I knew I was getting better when I became petty again and started shouting in traffic. Never fear being a petty fool as it means you're not dying!"

Maroon 5 perform Animals live in the studio before Adam Levine joins Graham for a chat about their new album.