Prince William Graham Norton sofa debut exposed a royal TV obsession
The Prince of Wales joined Cate Blanchett on BBC One to promote Earthshot in Mumbai, but the conversation quickly shifted to his children's viewing habits.
Prince William surprised the studio audience when he walked onto the set of BBC One’s The Graham Norton Show during a pre-recorded special episode filmed on Thursday, October 22. The appearance, scheduled to air on Friday, October 23, makes him the first member of the British royal family to sit on the host’s famous red sofa.
Host Graham Norton welcomed the Prince of Wales alongside actors Cate Blanchett and Hannah Waddingham, and conservationist Robert Irwin. Musician Jorja Smith also performed her song “Dancing” live in the studio before joining the sofa panel.
Hooked on The Celebrity Traitors
During the sit-down, William opened up about his household’s television viewing habits, revealing that his family is closely following BBC One’s reality competition The Celebrity Traitors series 2.
“I love it, the family love it. Charlotte and Louis are obsessed with it. It’s really good telly,” William said on the sofa, as reported by The New Daily.
The royal also chatted about his personal interests outside public duties, highlighting his support for Aston Villa Football Club and his childhood ambitions of becoming a police officer and a DJ. William also shared his appreciation for director Christopher Nolan’s movies, including the Dark Knight trilogy, explaining, “He takes concepts that are completely out there and makes them incredibly entertaining”
Urgency and optimism for Earthshot
The talk-show appearance was arranged to promote the 2026 Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, which is scheduled to take place in Mumbai, India, on November 17. The initiative will distribute £5 million across five environmental solution categories.
William explained that his motivation for founding the initiative came from fatigue with pessimistic environmental coverage. “For many years I was hearing stories about environment issues and one thing that struck me was the negativity and doom which got me down.”
“I thought we could do something more powerful and more optimistic and the idea of an awards’ ceremony came about and we could talk about urgency and optimism together.” He added, “It’s all about getting excited.”
Blanchett, who serves as an Earthshot Prize Council member, described the effort on the sofa as a “tapestry of solutions” Waddingham spoke about the initiative’s ability to connect innovators with capital, mentorship and global networks, while Irwin noted its role in encouraging young people to advocate for the planet.
The road to Mumbai
William launched the Earthshot Prize in 2020, taking inspiration from US President John F. Kennedy’s 1960s Moonshot challenge. The upcoming event in Mumbai follows ceremonies previously held in London in 2021, Boston in 2022, Singapore in 2023, Cape Town in 2024, and Rio de Janeiro in 2025.
The audience in the studio cheered and gasped when William walked out unannounced, according to reports by The Mirror, Tyla, and The New Daily. Digital reactions to the booking were mixed, with social media comments ranging from praise for the prince’s humor to accusations of seeking celebrity status, reported Jang.
While Jang reported that Catherine, Princess of Wales, would join William in India, Kensington Palace has not officially confirmed royal attendance for the Mumbai trip. Viewers in the UK can watch the complete interview when the episode broadcasts on BBC One at 22:40 on October 23.
