Graham Norton joked that his new listeners at Virgin Radio should expect the “same old me” as he made his debut as a weekend host on the station.
The chat show host, who departed BBC Radio 2 in December after a decade on air, kicked off his new slot with a song by “the original virgin” – Hung Up by Madonna.
The 57-year-old has followed in the footsteps of ex-Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans in joining Virgin Radio, and Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkleman is replacing him in his former slot.
Starting his show on Saturday morning, Norton thanked early morning presenter Amy Voce for her glowing introduction.
He said: “Yes, that is my name. Thank you very much to Amy for the last few hours.
“So this is it. New station, new year, new show. Sadly, same old me, as the jingle indicated.
“I am Graham Norton and I am here for the next three hours or so and tomorrow as well – fair warning.
“So what have we got? We have got some rambling chat, a couple of guests and of course some great music. Let’s kick off with the original virgin.”
He was joined by long-standing presenting partner Maria McErlane, who is known for co-hosting the Grill Graham agony aunt segment on Radio 2.
Graham Norton “Radio 2 has made such a fuss,” Graham Norton pointed out during his last show on the station. “They’ve put up tinsel.” After 10 years as the mid-morning Saturday DJ, Norton has decided to move on (to Virgin Radio, as it happens). Last Saturday was his last show. “This is it ,” Norton announced, one song in, “the end of an error.” Anything but. Since Norton took over from Jonathan Ross in the Saturday morning slot, he has been a safe pair of hands (not something you could always say of Ross); chatty (always good in a DJ), mildly waspish, and not too up himself.
Graham Norton bid farewell to Radio 2 last weekend as he makes a move to Virgin Radio
‘Just bear in mind, as you’re doing your sadness,” said
Graham Norton, presenting his final Radio 2 show on Saturday and reading out messages from mournful listeners, “when I leave here today, I’m leaving in a taxi, not a hearse.” But we do mourn the endings of our favourite radio shows, even if they’ll be continuing in another form, because humans are creatures of habit, and when radio changes it feels like a loss.
Graham Norton will, in fact, be doing more radio from the new year onwards, presenting two weekend shows on the commercial Virgin radio, so this isn’t actually a loss, but a gain. Perhaps that’s why he didn’t sound too sad to be leaving Radio 2 after 10 years.