Prince William will appear on a special episode of The Graham Norton Show on Friday night, showcasing his Earthshot Prize. The Prince of Wales will be joined by Cate Blanchett, Robert Irwin, and Hannah Waddingham, who have all been involved in the annual environmental award.
Host Graham Norton begins the show by chatting with the three celebrity guests and revealing to the audience what unites them: The Earthshot Prize. The unsuspecting audience was left awestruck when the prince walked out and joined the stars on the famous TV sofa.
Prince William Discusses Earthshot's Origins and Climate Optimism
Chatting with Graham, William reflected on the origins of the annual Prize, which awards £1 million to five winners each year to help scale up their environmental solutions, and the need to pair urgency with optimism in tackling climate change. The Prince noted that no single person or initiative can solve the challenge alone, which is why Earthshot brings together a global coalition of innovators, investors, and advocates.
William also chatted about his football team, Aston Villa, and his love of Christopher Nolan's films.
Celebrity Guests Share Their Earthshot Connections
During the episode, which airs on BBC One at 22:40 on Friday, Ms Blanchett, an Earthshot Prize Council Member, described the Prize as a "tapestry of solutions", while Ms Waddingham, who hosted the 2023 awards in Singapore, highlighted the support offered to all Finalists and Earthshot's ability to connect innovators with the expertise, networks, and investment needed to grow their impact.
Mr Irwin, a Global Ambassador of the Prize, spoke about Earthshot's role in inspiring young people and building a new generation of environmental advocates.
Earthshot's Countdown to Mumbai and Sixth Year
This special episode forms part of Earthshot's official countdown to Mumbai and comes after William hosted a game of cricket on The Mall with some of the sport's greats last week.
This year will be Earthshot's sixth year, and the awards ceremony will be hosted in Mumbai, India. Since its launch in 2020, Earthshot Prize Finalists and Winners have collectively avoided or captured more than 18 million tonnes of CO₂e emissions, protected or restored 580,000 km² of land, forests, and freshwater systems, and improved air quality for communities home to 600 million people. Other achievements include protecting or restoring more than 850,000 km² of ocean and coastline, removing, avoiding, or upcycling 465,000 tonnes of waste, and saving, reusing, or recycling 21 million tonnes of water.
