The Graham Norton Show

You could play a game of consequences with Graham Norton's guests this week. Norton once shared screen time with guest Michelle Pfeiffer in a film called I Could Never Be Your Woman. Pfeiffer was of course in The Witches of Eastwick with Cher. And Jennifer Saunders once did a rather fine Cher impression/parody on her sketch show. Whether the guests will be sharing memories of all this may depend on whether they can stop the famously outgoing Robert De Niro from hogging the conversation.

As usual, Norton's bookers have activated their tractor beam to draw in the best celebrities. For a start, Paul McCartney is on the couch! Our greatest living songwriter (discuss) will talk about his new album, helpfully entitled New, and give us a sample - most likely the Beatles-y title track, which sounds like a breezy relative of Got to Get You into My Life.

At the other end of the pop spectrum is Katy Perry - she has a new album out soon. And let's not forget the actors: Natalie Portman talks about her role in Thor sequel, The Dark World and if that wasn't enough star wattage, James Corden drops by.

Graham Norton: 'Being gay is easy, being camp is hard'

From growing up a Protestant in the Republic of Ireland, Graham Norton has always seen himself as an outsider.

Now firmly ensconced in the Friday night post-news slot made desirable by Jonathan Ross, Norton has shown a similar ability to lure in the A-listers. The first episode of this latest run of his chatshow (series 14, if you're counting) is, oddly, an all-male affair, with Harrison Ford and Benedict Cumberbatch filling the Hollywood quota, and Jack Whitehall continuing his career-long tiptoe along the line between cheeky and thoroughly obnoxious. Maudlin strummy type James Blunt performs his new single.

The battle of the Friday night chat shows is rejoined, with Graham Norton returning to the pitch Channel 4 rival Alan Carr has had to himself these past few weeks.

Norton is hitting big on opening night, with Hollywood legend Harrison Ford, on the promo trail for new movie Ender's Game, and the versatile Benedict Cumberbatch dropping by for a chat and Jack Whitehall providing the funnies.

Friday nights get a boost as the chat show returns after too long a break. Maybe it's because he packs his sofa with three celebrities simultaneously that Norton's shows go with a partyish swing. At best they can throw up the kind of unlikely encounters that give us a glimpse of the real person under the celebrity armour. Then again, that armour rarely comes thicker than Harrison Ford's: he pays a visit tonight to promote his new sci-fi movie Ender's Game.

More exciting is the visit of the hallowed Benedict Cumberbatch, fresh from playing Julian Assange on the big screen. Jack Whitehall will be on the comedy end of the couch while James Blunt provides the music.

MediaGuardian 100 2013 - 51. Graham Norton

With a Friday night BBC One chatshow and Saturday morning Radio 2 show, he is firmly entrenched as the face of BBC entertainment.

Graham Norton gets own brand wine

Graham Norton is to get his own vintage of wine as the company that supplies his chat show is putting out a brand under his name.

Mark Wahlberg says Graham Norton antics pre-planned

When Mark Wahlberg went on The Graham Norton Show back in March, it went down as one of the all time great car-crash chat show guest appearances. It appears everyone was wrong. According to Walhlberg himself, his erratic behaviour was pre-planned.

Graham Norton paid more than £2.5m last year

Graham Norton was paid more than £2.5m in fees and salary last year, for services including fronting BBC1's The Graham Norton Show and BBC Radio 2 Saturday programme.