The Graham Norton Show

Radio Times review

Graham Norton will have good reason to feel anxious before this show, with Mark Wahlberg as a returning guest. Last time the actor appeared on the red sofa he was rather, ahem, refreshed.

It was an excruciating hour as Wahlberg sat on Norton's knee and stroked his chest, to the host's obvious embarrassment ("OK, that's wrong, don't touch the man there") as he shooed the slurring star away.

So let's see if Wahlberg can steer clear of the red wine when he guests with Seth MacFarlane to talk about their new film, Ted 2, the follow-up to the foul-mouthed but curiously touching Ted. Music is from Cyndi Lauper, the girl who just wants to have fun.

Radio Times review

Samuel L Jackson is no stranger to Graham's red sofa having been a guest on the show several times. And it's no wonder they ask him back. The most badass actor in Hollywood is terrific value, littering his conversation with expletives, self-deprecating remarks, funny stories and sharp one-liners. Stephen Merchant will doubtless be equally amusing about doing "some proper acting" in the West End, and also on display is American comedian Amy Schumer, whose Bridesmaids-style film Trainwreck is out this summer.

This week, Hollywood star Samuel L Jackson promotes action-adventure movie Big Game, which finds him starring as the US president, a man stranded in the Finnish wilderness after terrorists target Air Force One. Joining him will be actor and writer Stephen Merchant, and US standup Amy Schumer. Power trio Muse provide the music.

Radio Times review

Hang on - a few weeks ago, Miranda Hart appeared on the show to promote her new comedy-action film Spy, and tonight co-stars Jude Law and Melissa McCarthy show up too. Norton must really like that film. McCarthy became a top Hollywood leading woman after her role in Bridesmaids and has signed on to appear as Tinkerbell in a comedy about Peter Pan characters, which sounds promising. Chris Pratt is also invited, to discuss his role in Jurassic World.

Plus there's music from Florence + the Machine (remember them?) and at the comedy end of the sofa, John Bishop, who at the Baftas described the bearded Norton as looking like the love-child of Father Christmas and Louis Walsh. Harsh.

Radio Times review

He's got a pretty good track record for attracting big Hollywood A-listers onto the show, but there's one person Graham Norton has always wanted to have as a guest. Tonight, his wish is granted - the gorgeous George Clooney is sitting on the sofa opposite him.

One of Hollywood's most prolific actors, Clooney, 54, is here to talk about his latest film, Tomorrowland (a futuristic story about a place caught between time and space where nothing is impossible), but the conversation is bound to turn to his political activism and humanitarian work. And Graham will probably throw in the odd question about his recent marriage to Amal Alamuddin, too.

Joining him on the show are Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and Snoop Dogg.

Radio Times review

Simon Pegg, who went from hopeless, endearing sci-fi nerd Tim in the brilliant Channel 4 cult comedy Spaced to Hollywood megastar after Shaun of the Dead and Star Trek, takes his seat on the red sofa.

He will talk about his new romcom, Man Up, in which he stars with American actress Lake Bell as a mismatched couple who meet, in a case of mistaken identity, on a blind date.

In the comedy corner is Michael McIntyre at the start of his Happy and Glorious national tour, and you'd better smile like you mean it, because the Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers performs his solo single, I Can Change.

Local Cork paper mixes Graham Norton up with murderer

The Southern Star in West Cork are rightly proud of local boy Graham Norton, who picked up the BAFTA for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme during the week. This news piece does manage to confuse him with a very, very, VERY different Graham though.

Why Graham Norton isn't heading for Hollywood

The chat show host might be up for a US Critics Choice Award, but he's not planning on leaving his adopted homeland any time soon...

David Walliam bans questions on estranged wife

Filming for Friday night's show took place around the time their trial separation started earlier this week - but he managed to continue laughing and joking.

Radio Times review

Will Smith returns to the scene of two great triumphs: that time he spontaneously did the rap from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and that time he spontaneously did it again. What could rack up 30 million YouTube hits now? The star is on the sofa alongside Margot Robbie, so for at least some of the programme he'll have to sit still and discuss their new movie, the heist-romance Focus. They're joined by Hugh Jackman, who recently confessed that his years in Hollywood meant he had to re-learn Australian dialect for his latest film, Chappie.

Completing the line-up is Noel Gallagher. He's a fantastic chat-show guest, so let's hope he's not there solely to sing a song from his upcoming Chasing Yesterday LP.