Jack took over the Graham Norton Show(Image: BBC)

Graham Norton stand-in's rave reviews after hosting chat show

Graham Norton, 59, is best known for hosting his own chat show on BBC One, but in 2019 he handed over the reins to a popular stand-in while he was away from the UK

by · The Mirror

When Jack Whitehall stepped in to guest host the Graham Norton Show in 2019, he had big shoes to fill. With Graham away preparing for Eurovision 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jack was tasked with maintaining the BBC One chat show's high standards. According to fans, he succeeded, bringing his wit and charm to a star-studded sofa featuring Gwendoline Christie, Luke Evans, David Walliams, Peter Crouch, and musical guest Sam Fender. Viewers were so impressed that they called for Jack to have his own talk show, which later became a reality, reports OK!

One fan tweeted: "Campaign for a Jack Whitehall chat show starts here, that was so good I feel upset it was just a one off! #GrahamNorton ", while another said: " #GrahamNorton #bbc Jack Whitehall did an outstanding job tonight covering for Graham. It's about time he had a regular slot for his own talk show."

Graham was upstaged on his own show( Image: BBC/So Television/The Graham Norton Show/Christopher Baines)

A third added: "Jack Whitehall is smashing the Graham Norton show tonight. Seriously funny. Definitely should have his own late night talk show."

Even presenter Alex Jones praised Jack, saying: "Good job @jackwhitehall," accompanied by a hands clapping emoji. Jack is no stranger to the spotlight, having earned a lot of love for hosting the Brit Awards not once, but twice, and making a splash in Hollywood with roles in Mother's Day and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, as well as scoring parts alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in Jungle Cruise and in the highly-anticipated Amazon series Good Omens.

One person who always keeps Jack grounded is his father. He tweeted: "Sending out an apologetic tweet on behalf of the charming stand-in, it was clear that while Whitehall was smashing it, there's truly no replacing @grahnort!"

Graham has many famous faces on his show( Image: PA)
Graham Norton is back with a brand new series of his iconic chat show on BBC One( Image: BBC)

With Graham's programme, The Graham Norton Show, the star has secured his place in the hearts of viewers nationwide. But he first started his career at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, before landing a regular spot on BBC Radio 4 show, Loose Ends as a comedian and panelist in the early 1990s.

He later made his acting debut in Channel 4 comedy series Father Ted which aired between 1996 and 1998. In the show, he portrayed Father Noel Furlong, an energetic catholic priest often seen leading the St Luke's Youth Group - and fans might remember him starting a notorious screeching contest on the show.

From 1998 onwards, Graham ventured into chat show presenting, when he was given his own weekly show So Graham Norton until 2002, when he was instead given a daily weeknight show.

However, his big break came in 2001 when he was asked by the BBC to host Comic Relief, a gig that soon opened up more TV presenting opportunities with the broadcaster.