Graham Norton

One of the great things about being gay and out is that the papers couldn't care less about your love life. ”

Forty freaked me out. I didn't see it coming. My life was in a state of chaos - I was moving jobs and moving house - and it just hit me like a ton of bricks. ”

All my interesting stories are from before I was on television. Nothing interesting has happened to me since then. Maybe it's because the most interesting thing in my life is the show and that's on telly. ”

My life could have been so grim... really, really grim. ”

I'm actually quite self-sufficient, so it might look as if there isn't room for anyone in my life. That isn't entirely the case. ”

My ambition was to stop waiting tables. That was how I measured success: finally, I was able to stop waiting tables, and I was able to pay the rent, and that was by being a stand-up comic. Not a very good stand-up comic, but good enough to make a living. ”

I was a failed actor but I still wanted to show off, so I ended up doing live comedy. ”

Well, certainly I think American television is - that's proper TV. ”

I do get pleasure from very inconsequential things, like shopping for clothes. ”

It's lovely to get one successful show - the chances of finding a second one are not so hot. ”