There are a few things Graham Norton’s BBC talk show has become synonymous with in the last 18 years – namely its eclectic mix of guests on the sofa, the host’s (often cutting) opening monologues, unpredictable audience interactions and, of course, the “big red chair”.
At the end of each episode, Graham invites members of the studio audience to tell different stories from their lives in a cosy-looking armchair, only to tip them out with the aid of a lever once they start to bore him.
But what might surprise you to hear is that the “big red chair” was never intended to be a permanent fixture.
In fact, Graham told Seth Meyers during a recent episode of his US talk show that the whole thing “happened by accident”.
The “big red chair” segment was actually intended as a one-off for when Ronnie Corbett was a guest during the fifth season back in 2009 (the late comedian was known for sharing anecdotes and jokes from his own armchair as part of the Two Ronnies sketch show).
“A couple of weeks later we got a call from our line producer going, ‘you know that chair you had built? Turns out, that was quite expensive! So if you could use it again…’,” Graham recalled.
“So it must be about 12 years now, and we use it every week.”
The Irish presenter also shared one behind-the-scenes tidbit about the “red chair”, when Seth pointed out how much he loves watching audience’s members legs fly up when they’re tipped backwards.
He enthused: “They flip straight back, and it’s like they have puppet legs! It’s so delightful.”
Graham then revealed: “You are such a television professional, because we brief them to throw their legs up!”
Watch more of the interview below:
It was recently revealed that Graham will be taking a week off from his talk show next month, and has already lined up a brilliant replacement for himself.
The Graham Norton Show airs on Friday nights on BBC One.