Bill Murray and Penélope Cruz have pulled out of the upcoming episode of The Graham Norton Show, forcing a last-minute change to the celebrity line-up. The Hollywood heavyweights had been lined up to appear alongside Graham Norton, but neither will now take to the famous red sofa due to scheduling commitments.
Line-up reshuffled after double withdrawal
Producers have reshuffled the line-up ahead of the episode's broadcast. Despite the changes, viewers can still expect plenty of star power when the BBC One favourite returns on Friday, October 9.
Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman will appear on the sofa alongside Alexander Skarsgård, with the pair set to chat about their new comedy fantasy film Wicker. They will be joined by veteran star John Malkovich, who has a starring role in Martin McDonagh's new dark comedy Wild Horse Nine.
Musical guest and original plans
Singer Orville Peck will provide the musical entertainment during the episode, performing his track "Too Little, Too Late". Murray and Cruz had originally been part of what promised to be a packed edition of the long-running chat show.
Murray was expected to discuss his BBC golf documentary A Course Called Ireland, while Cruz was due to promote La Bola Negra. Their absence means the episode will now centre on Colman, Skarsgård and Malkovich, with Peck taking to the stage.
Norton on the future of chat shows
It comes as Graham recently said he does not know if he will ever have a successor as a host of a prime-time chat show. Speaking at the Royal Television Society London Convention, the comedian, 63, said it is "difficult" to see how a "terrestrial telly chat show" could begin now and become a huge success.
He said: "I don't think that's going to happen now, it takes so long to establish a new show, I sort of can't see that happening. They brought back an AI Michael Parkinson, maybe they'll do that. It's difficult to see how a big terrestrial telly chat show could start again. We'll see. It'll be interesting to see if streamers get into talk. They haven't so much so far."
He speculated someone hosting a popular podcast could one day "end up doing a similar show to mine and it'll just be aired on TV".
Show's format and broadcast details
The Graham Norton Show has become a fixture of Friday night television, famed for its relaxed atmosphere and unusual celebrity combinations. Rather than separating guests into individual interviews, Graham typically brings his guests together on the same sofa, often resulting in unexpected conversations and entertaining stories as the stars interact with one another.
The show has regularly welcomed some of the biggest names in Hollywood, music and British television, making a spot on the sofa one of the most recognisable celebrity appearances on UK television. The episode will air on BBC One on Friday, October 9 at 10.40pm.
