Graham Norton’s Producer Reveals Shocking Secret Behind Guest Seating on the Show

A producer for The Graham Norton Show has revealed exactly how the seating arrangements on the famous red sofa are organised.

Over the years we’ve seen Jodie Whittaker hanging out with The Rock, Taylor Swift parked up next to Cillian Murphy and, as of last night, seen Stranger Things star Joe Keery bemused by the cultural behemoth that is Ant and Dec. However, one question has always remained over the years, how do they decide the seating order on an episode of The Graham Norton Show?

Well now we know, thanks to some insider intel from one of the programme’s producers. While a seating plan may sound like something we should’ve collectively said goodbye to in school, there is an arrangement of sorts on the show.

During a recent interview on the podcast The Rest is Entertainment, producer Graham Stuart explained that a lot goes into seating guests. Stuart first of all confirmed the one thing we all already knew, that the show’s most famous guest gets the coveted top spot next to Norton.

My answer can be summed up thus: welcome to showbusiness, where all stars are equal but some are more equal than others, he explained. Media hierarchy is primarily driven by publicists and seat one, which is the seat next to Graham, is the primary aim of all of them for their clients.

He continued: Our sofa is so star-packed that those publicists have to work very hard to get what they want. Which, of course, explains why Robbie Williams getting Julia Roberts to shuffle up a few months back raised so many eyebrows.

Unlike the top spot, Stuart revealed the rest of the positions on the sofa aren’t arranged by hierarchy or fame, but instead guest chemistry. The seat furthest away from Norton is also pretty important, as he explained the spot is either given to a funny person or someone we know will play the talkshow game correctly and help create the right kind of conversational flow.

Further clarifying Stuart’s comments, co-host Richard Osman added that this position is for someone who is fun in conversation and who wants to hear from other people and who can throw in their own things which are funny and fun, but also can be sat a fair amount of distance from [Norton].

The most recent episode, which aired on January 23, put these rules to the test with a lineup featuring Ant and Dec, Claire Foy, Joe Keery, and musical guest Tinie Tempah. Ant and Dec were in high spirits promoting their brand-new podcast, Hanging Out with Ant & Dec, which officially launched on January 22.

Next week’s episode promises another packed sofa with guests including Halle Berry, Chris Hemsworth, and Rachel McAdams. With such big names arriving, the publicists will undoubtedly be working overtime to secure that “Seat One” spot next to Graham.

Do you think the “Seat One” hierarchy is a fair way to treat Hollywood royalty, or should the seating be completely random to see what kind of chaos unfolds? Share your thoughts in the comments.