Comedian and TV host Graham Norton nearly died after being attacked years before he rose to fame. The beloved host of BBC 's The Graham Norton Show was brutally stabbed, mugged and left for dead on a London street one evening. In his mid-20s at the time, Norton recalled reaching out to a stranger because he didn't want to die alone.
"I didn't know I was dying, I didn't figure it out until later, and this is so not me but I remember saying to this little old lady 'will you hold my hand'?" Norton shared in an episode of his podcast as reported by The Mirror . "And it was a flicker on her face of 'oh do I want to hold his hand' but she did and she held out her hand. I held her hand and I think that's something so deep within us and it motivates so much of our life that we don't want to die alone.
" For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter . Norton added: "I think so many decisions in our lives like having a partner and having children are about not being alone when you die. It's about having someone to hold your hand.
It gave me a really good attitude to risk and to failure because if you think of the worst-case scenario, no failure compares to dying. I'm not recommending anyone do it but for me it was a very useful and powerful life lesson." Born in Dublin in 1963 as Graham William Walker, the now 61-year-old had dreams of becoming an actor.
However, Norton found his calling in stand-up comedy in the early '90s, even performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
