BARRY: NORTON’S GOT DAME CHEEK!

Edna legend jokes Graham copied ideas

BARRY Humphries has teased Graham Norton about “nicking” one of his ideas.

The comedy legend hosted a 1980s chat show as Dame Edna Everage where one of the gimmicks was ejecting celebs from the studio. Years later a similar gag is used on The Graham Norton Show with its famous red chair. Barry is convinced its producers are copycats. He said: “I used to see guests coming on and they would often have to come down a staircase. And I thought, ‘What would happen if the host looked at the guest from afar and thought, ‘Do I really want to talk to this person?’

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could press a button and the guest would abort, disappear.

“And of course I did this. And this has been vagrantly plagiarised by Graham Norton, who owes me a fortune. He has never apologised for this larceny. Not a single royalty do I get for that device!”

It sounds like a new celebrity feud could be brewing!

Dame Edna was famously ruthless when it came to her celebrity guests… and not just with the ejector seat. But Barry would never have been so tough on them if it hadn’t been for the dress and the wig.

He said: “Sometimes, if you are well and truly immersed in a role and a theatrical persona, you can do things that as yourself are impossible. I am extremely nervous appearing on stage as myself. But no problem if I’m dressed up as some other person.”

Let’s hope next time he sees Graham he is dressed as Edna, so he has the guts to say what he thinks about the red chair!

Hear the full interview on Esther Rantzen’s podcast That’s After Life.