Prince William makes his first appearance on The Graham Norton Show, admits to a secret obsession: ‘It’s really good telly’
Breaking protocol?
Prince William recently made a surprise appearance on The Graham Norton Show, marking his first time ever sitting on the famous red sofa. According to Variety, the episode was recorded on October 22, 2026, and features a special focus on the Earthshot Prize. He joined a star-studded lineup that included Cate Blanchett, Hannah Waddingham, and conservationist Robert Irwin. Musical artist Jorja Smith also appeared to perform live before joining the group for a chat.
The Prince of Wales shared how he likes to switch off with music and film. “I love getting immersed in deep-thinking films,” William told the talk-show host. “I like action films too, but I like something a bit different. I’m a big fan of everything Christopher Nolan does. His films are fantastic – The Dark Knight series is psychologically dark and deep and I absolutely love that. He takes concepts that are completely out there and makes them incredibly entertaining.”
William then revealed that he and his two youngest children are fans of the show The Traitors. “I love it, the family love it. Charlotte and Louis are obsessed with it. It’s really good telly,” he said. He recalled having a funny run-in with a contestant from the show. “I saw [‘Celebrity Traitors’ contestant] Ross Kemp the day after the first episode and I couldn’t help but try – in the most appropriate way – to touch him to see what reaction I got from him. Turns out he was really jumpy!”
Prince William considered some surprising career paths in his youth
When Graham Norton asked if he ever fantasized about having another job, Prince William said, “I did want to be a policeman when I was younger, I thought I could make a good one. And then I went through a phase of wanting to be a DJ – I wasn’t very good.” He later elaborated on his short-lived DJ career, noting that he had a specific stage name. According to LADBible, he said, “I came up with a name, I was called DJ Xara with an X, it wasn’t good.”
William also shared a hilarious story about a time he was mistaken for the late music legend, Prince. He noted that people often encounter him without realizing who he is. “I went to a place in Somerset and was looking around some of the local communities there, and one lovely gentleman looked up at me from his seat and said, ‘When are you going to sing?’,” he recalled.
When the royal asked for clarification, the man insisted on a performance. “I’ve had many requests over many years from all ranging parts of society, and I said, ‘I’m sorry, what do you mean?’,” William continued. “He goes, ‘When are you going to sing your performance?’, and the lady behind tapped his arm and went, ‘No, no, he’s not that prince’.”
The man apparently wanted to hear the song Purple Rain. William then admitted that he does not actually know the lyrics to that track.
The Prince even joked about his photo with Taylor Swift
William recounted his encounter with Taylor Swift at Wembley Stadium back in June 2024, recalling the moment they snapped a selfie together. He noted that he did not realize the significance of the photo at the time. It eventually became the first picture the singer shared featuring her and her partner, Travis Kelce.
The Prince even joked about the staging of that specific photo. William told Graham Norton and the other guests, “I hadn’t appreciated the significance, and actually, I was trying to move him out of the photo, and he just kept coming back in.” He added, “I kept trying to move him out, so it was just me, Taylor and the children.”
Later, William also acted as a judge for audience members who stood up to share their own funny stories. The royal’s appearance was a unique change of pace for the show, and added to the overall energy of the episode.
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