Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Netflix job sparks fears he’ll quit Beeb
GRAHAM Norton has sparked fears that he will quit the BBC after landing a gig with streaming giant Netflix. The chat king, 56, has become one of Auntie’s most bankable names over the past 13 years and signed a threeyear deal in 2017.
But we can reveal he will appear in a special on the US streaming service – and sources
TALENT say Netflix would be desperate to land him for a chat show if he did quit the Beeb.
Such a move could catapult the Irishman to global superstardom as the streamer reaches more than 60 million households in the US alone.
A TV insider said: “Graham already has a profile in the States but Netflix will take him to a whole new level. This is huge for him.” His potential move follows a similar deal for another top BBC name, Michael McIntyre. We told how the 44-year-old signed a Netflix deal for his comedy show.
Norton will present Netflix Is A Joke Fest, at The Greek Theatre in LA, on May 1. It is part of a week-long series by the platform, featuring its stable of Hollywood A-listers including Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle
and Amy Schumer. Norton is also heading the LGBTV Standout Celebration show with Netflix stars Wanda Sykes, Ruby Rose and Sandra Bernhard.
He will co-host the event with singer Demi Lovato – one of the biggest names in the States, who has just signed to Netflix’s new Will Ferrell film, Eurovision.
Last night, Norton’s spokesman insisted he had no plans to leave the BBC, adding that the broadcaster “kindly gave permission” for the Netflix appearance.