Graham Norton reveals which chat show guests he's 'most grateful' to and who was most 'annoying'

Graham Norton is the chat show king almost every star in the world wants to meet. But in a new insight into the success of his 26-year old talk show, the Irish funnyman has revealed how owes his success to three divas for making his BBC One series a world-wide hit: Cher, Joan Collins and Dolly Parton. The Mirror reports how the trio helped put the comic firmly on the TV map by taking a chance to appear on early episodes when Graham kickstarted his career on Channel 4 in the late 1990s.

But despite today having the three global stars on speed dial, Graham admits it's his 92-year-old mother Rhoda who is the first to call him and fiercely review his weekly chat show once it airs on a Friday night. Living in fear of his Irish mother's no-nonsense opinion, he admits: "My mother watches the show every Friday and every Saturday I get her review." "There are only two of them.

One will go, 'Saw the show last night...

I thought it was alright.' That is the good review. If it is a bad review, she will say, 'Saw the show last night.

..How do YOU think it went?' So with parenting like that it is no surprise I seek the validation of strangers.

It is as if there is a queue outside her house with people waiting to tell her how s**t her son's show was." READ MORE: Kate Garraway emotional 'on so many levels' as she shares family news READ MORE: Caspar Todd from MAFS UK now from countryside lover to dog enthusiast Graham's mother will be waiting by the phone when her son's highly anticipated BAFT.