The Graham Norton Show Series 12, Episode 11 - Josh Groban, Billie Piper, Frank Skinner, Example - British Comedy Guide (original) (raw)

Josh Groban says singing was a surprise; Billie Piper admits pregnancy was frustrating; while Frank Skinner talks about wanting to be a Doctor Who monster. Example says marrying Miss Australia is definitely punching above his weight.

Josh Groban, talking about his new album, says, "Unexpectedly I wrote some of the songs. I like interpreting songs and I really just want the best songs possible but at two in the morning I sat down at the piano and starting singing gibberish and eventually they were songs."

Revealing not everything goes to plan when performing big arias, Josh says, "Your diaphragm does all sorts of crazy things to get to the note. I've burped before. It's always the big Italian numbers - the romantic grand songs and you can just feel it coming. If I couldn't disguise it they probably wouldn't be paying me to sing!"

On acting, Josh says, "It's good. It's great fun and something I did when I was young. I was obsessed with it growing up and the singing was just something I thought I needed to do to be a more well rounded actor so when it started to happen full time I was surprised."

Billie Piper, talking about her new play, The Effect and the smallness of the theatre, says, "The closeness of the audience is daunting. You can literally reach out and touch them. The show leaves no stone unturned, in terms of physical fights, love declarations and scenes of a sexual nature, which makes the closeness terrifying."

Talking about being mistaken for her character in Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Billie explains, "When I moved to the country people thought I was a genuine prostitute. It happens all the time. It happened recently in America, where they tend to introduce people with a little biography, and I was introduced as 'the prostitute'."

And, on Doctor Who and the rumours that she is about to reprise her role of Rose, she says, "No. I've not been asked. I think Matt Smith said something in passing or in jest like, 'That would be nice,' and it became something, but no."

Denying she's is ashamed of her musical legacy she says, "I just don't like to think about it." And, asked if her kids have heard her songs she says, "They haven't. There is plenty of time for that!"

Talking about her recent pregnancy, Billie says, "It's stressful and wearing. You're either one of those people that love and embrace it, or you find it frustrating and uncomfortable and I was that girl. It pushed me to the edge. I was frustrated but probably not as much as Laurence (her husband Laurence Fox) who was on the receiving end of all that."

Frank Skinner, talking about being mistaken for a certain chat show host, says, "Two women approached me and one of them said, 'You're Graham Norton aren't you.' I said, 'No, no I'm not' and the other one said, 'Come on, you are' in a very forceful way and I thought, 'I'm not am I? Perhaps I'm wandering around having had a breakdown!' It has happened to me six or seven times. And when my baby was born, my mother in law said, 'You know who he looks like don't you? Graham Norton!'"

Josh joins in, "I was once asked to have my photo taken with two fans and I was really excited until I heard them as they walked away saying, 'That's James Blunt, man.'"

Frank reveals he is a huge Doctor Who fan, "When I met Billie back stage we hugged and I felt myself calling her 'Rose'. I asked my manager to get me a part in Doctor Who. I didn't need a big part - a monster or a lunar rock - but I would love to be able to tell my grandchildren I was in it. My manager said, 'I'm sure it won't be a problem.' He got in touch and got an email back that said, 'We are really happy that it is something Frank would like to do...' Somehow the end of the email seemed to have been cut off..."

Example performs Perfect Replacement live in the studio before joining Graham for a chat. Talking about his recent engagement, he says, "I'm definitely punching well above my weight. Usually if I met an attractive girl I would think, 'What is she with me for because I'm funny looking,' but when they are famous and they aren't after money or fame I thought 'She must genuinely like me and my funny face.' So when she went out with me I thought, 'I'm going to snap this one up and get a ring on her figure ASAP!' Ideally I wanted an Australian wife, getting Miss Australia was a bonus."