Graham Norton Names the 'Worst Ever' Guest He's Had on His Show

After three decades of hosting some of the biggest names in entertainment, Graham Norton has seen it all — but one celebrity encounter left the Irish TV legend so rattled, he's still talking about it years later.

As Graham Norton prepares to celebrate his 63rd birthday on 4th April, the veteran chat show host has been reflecting on the guests who made his job genuinely difficult over the course of his remarkable career.

While most stars who settle into the famous red sofa deliver the goods, a select few have tested Norton's patience — and his professionalism — to the absolute limit. One, he says, was the worst ever.

Norton has been candid over the years about the celebrities he found most challenging to interview, and the list makes for rather entertaining reading. From a Hollywood legend who couldn't tell a story to save his life, to a pop icon who turned up reeking of bitterness, the host has encountered more than his fair share of difficult guests.

Robert De Niro

Two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro earned himself a rather unglamorous label from Norton, who described him as a perfectly harmless presence — but a truly dreadful storyteller.

On one occasion, De Niro rambled so long and so incoherently that he eventually stopped himself mid-anecdote to ask, "Why am I telling this?" The segment was quietly dropped before the episode aired.

Kevin Costner

"Waterworld" and "Yellowstone" star Kevin Costner fared little better in Norton's estimation. Speaking to the Express, Norton recalled the actor behaving in a manner he could only describe as "snooty" and dismissive.

"I ask him a question and he looks at me like 'Jesus, do I have to talk to this man?'" Norton said. "He kind of gives a half-[expletive] answer and Helen Mirren chips in and asks him a question and he could not be happier." The implication was clear — Costner simply didn't want to be there.

Mickey Rourke

Actor and professional boxer Mickey Rourke was another guest who left a lasting impression — though not a flattering one. Norton branded him "exhausting" and a "nightmare," recalling that Rourke reportedly turned up clutching a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels and proceeded to light cigarette after cigarette throughout filming.

Speaking to the New Zealand Herald, Norton said, "Mickey Rourke he was just exhausting because he wanted to smoke all the time. I'd turn away for a second, turn back and he'd have lit another cigarette. It was so boring — you feel like a teacher taking children on a school trip, not a chat show host."

David Cassidy

Norton also recalled interviewing 1970s pop legend David Cassidy as one of the more uncomfortable experiences of his career. The late singer, who passed away in 2017, was described by Norton as "bitter and weird" during their encounter.

Speaking on "This Morning" with hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, Norton opened up about why the meeting had felt so deflating. "I loved him when I was a teenager, and then you meet him, and he's so bitter and weird… not a happy time," he said. "I think David hates that he was David Cassidy."

It was a sad portrait of a man seemingly at odds with his own legacy.

Mark Wahlberg

And then there is the guest Norton has officially crowned his "worst ever" — and the story is as chaotic as it sounds.

During a 2013 appearance on "The Graham Norton Show", Mark Wahlberg arrived seemingly in fine form. He chatted about his film, shared a few anecdotes about stunts going awry, and gave no indication whatsoever that the evening was about to go sideways.

Fellow guests Michael Fassbender and Sarah Silverman were also on the sofa that night, and for a brief window, everything appeared to be going smoothly. Then, roughly 15 minutes in, something shifted dramatically.

Whatever Wahlberg had consumed before arriving at the studio suddenly made itself very known. He began interrupting Fassbender and Silverman repeatedly, making it nearly impossible for anyone to complete a thought.

At one point, he even climbed onto Norton's lap. And then, in what may be the single most astonishing moment in the show's history, Wahlberg fell asleep on the sofa — in front of a live studio audience — while Fassbender was mid-story.

Speaking to the Mirror, Norton recalled that Wahlberg had seemed perfectly fine on arrival — coherent, engaging, and giving nothing away. It was only once the show was well underway that things unravelled spectacularly.

"There was not a hint of it and then about 20 minutes into the show (alcohol) caught up with him," he said. "Oh it was bad. At one point Mark was asleep on the couch in front of the audience."

At the Henley Literary Festival in October 2025, Norton expanded on just how disorienting the experience had been, noting that what made it so strange was how normal Wahlberg had seemed beforehand. "It was only 15 minutes into the show when whatever the hell was in his system really took hold," he said, "and it was hell."

Norton also noted that Fassbender's story had actually been going rather well — until he glanced over and realised why the room had gone so quiet. Wahlberg was spark out on the sofa.

The host has previously made clear that when guests arrive in such a state, it is entirely of their own doing. "If you ever see a drunk person on the show, it's because they've arrived drunk — we have not made that happen," he said.

After 30 years and thousands of guests, Norton has earned the right to say exactly what he thinks. And apparently, what he thinks is that Mark Wahlberg takes the biscuit.