The Graham Norton Show

Ewan McGregor talks about his friendship with Charlie Boorman, Shirley Ballas says writing her book was difficult, Ashley Banjo says being a judge on BGT is a crazy full-circle moment, Frank Skinner talks poetry, and Miley Cyrus introduces a very special performance.

Ewan McGregor, joining Graham from Brooklyn and talking about his new globe-trotting series, The Long Way Up, says: "We always thought there might be a third one in us. It was just fantastic and great fun being back on the road with Charlie [Boorman] who I love and adore."

Talking about the hiatus since the last series and asked if he and Charlie had fallen out, he says, "No. I moved to the States and Charlie had other TV shows and tours so I was in London when he wasn't and I suppose we did drift apart a little bit. Then he had a terrible motorcycle accident and it was a wakeup call for me not to let this friendship go. It was a close call for him, and I realised how important he was in my life and I didn't want to let the relationship drift away. It brought us back together strongly."

Asked about his new Star Wars spin off film, he says, "It is the Obi Wan Kenobi story I suppose - it's not just me in it, but there will certainly be a lot of me!" Adding, "I'm wracking my brains about what I'm meant to say and what I can't say about it. What I can say is that we start filming in March next year."

Asked by Frank Skinner, who loves Star Wars, what he thinks about getting closer in age to Alec Guinness as he was in the original films, Ewan says, "I am a huge fan and had a great time studying him through his early films. It is a fun thing to try and imagine him as a young guy. I am getting much closer in age to him so it will be my challenge to try and meet him somewhere."

Shirley Ballas, talking about the upcoming series of Strictly, and asked what it will look like under new Covid rules, says, "I think it will have some sort of partial audience, which will be absolutely amazing rather than none at all, but the rules are changing daily so we will have to wait and see."

Asked about her new book Behind The Sequins, she says, "I've kept most of my life journalised, but I had put the journals away a bit like Pandora's Box and I didn't want to open them. It was an 18 month write for me, it was a difficult write, and it was even more difficult to read it back. It is a real journey from the housing estate to coming on Strictly, and a very different life for me."

Frank interjects jokingly about the so-called curse of Strictly, "As curses go, it is one of the best ones! I have been offered Strictly a few times. The last time I was offered it my partner suggested I went on a lads' weekend in Amsterdam instead as there would be less temptations!"

Talking about his new series Boswell And Johnson's Scottish Road Trip, Frank says: "I just love Samuel Johnson - he is grumpy in a very funny way and said a lot of negative things about Scotland, so I went off to follow him on this amazing trip. You know occasionally you get offered a job you would happily do for free? I just loved that job."

Asked about his new book How To Enjoy Poetry, he says, "It's a strange thing, but I read and listen to poetry every day - I am always making discoveries. I know it sounds like a cheesy thing, but poetry can be life-changing."

Ashley Banjo, talking about the public furore regarding his Black Lives Matter-inspired routine on Britain's Got Talent, says, "We knew it would be risky and we knew people wouldn't like it, but I wasn't quite ready for the amount of people that didn't like it! All we tried to do was a summary of 2020 ending with hope and a coming together, but somehow it turned into something that touched a very raw nerve. I'm glad it did. I am super proud of it and I would never take it back."

Asked about being a judge on Britain's Got Talent, he says, "It is a crazy full-circle moment 11 years on to be sitting in Simon Cowell's chair."

And, on his new tour, he says, "Fingers crossed, it is happening and will be on the road next year. I am so excited about it. There are literally more dates than I think my body can take!"

Miley Cyrus joins Graham for a chat from LA, before introducing a special performance of Midnight Sky.

Talking about starting her Instagram show during lockdown, she says, "I still wanted to stay connected with my fans - it gave me the structure and the stability we all need. But every day my fans would ask, 'Where's the music' and I had no excuse - I couldn't say I was busy with lots going on! It gave me time to write and reflect - normally I write about what is happening, but I started writing about what had happened - it was a very reflective period."

Asked about her godmother Dolly Parton and performing on her upcoming Christmas album, Miley says, "Only for her do you sing a Christmas song in the middle of an LA summer."