{"id":2283768,"date":"2026-02-16T08:04:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T08:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2283768"},"modified":"2026-02-16T08:04:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T08:04:29","slug":"graham-norton-in-awkward-exchange-with-damon-albarn-over-chat-show-snub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/graham-norton-in-awkward-exchange-with-damon-albarn-over-chat-show-snub\/","title":{"rendered":"Graham Norton in awkward exchange with Damon Albarn over chat show \u2018snub\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"main\">\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-10wlkbs-0\" data-component=\"Newsletter\" data-loading=\"lazy\" data-theme-name=\"base\">\n<aside class=\"sc-y4bm30-0 jwWhkK newsletter-component sc-1ge0fwe-0\" data-newsletter-key=\"receiveIndyArtsAndEntertainmentNews\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-2 kcLSBk\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-1 inRDZn\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-3\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-4 hfveGa\">\n<p><h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-6 fvoxRM fafQAy\">Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-8 fvoxRM fvWmZq\">Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter <\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-7 fvoxRM hkVmms\">Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter <\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"sc-eaj12q-0 hKcUSR sc-culv3z-0 eifaJK sc-1ix0cah-0 PYnPb sc-y4bm30-10 fUEDPX\"><use href=\"#600f53465147d717\"\/><\/svg><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-2 kcLSBk sc-y4bm30-9 iQYNfz\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletters\/indyArts1_1.png\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"IndependentCulture\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/the-graham-norton-show\"><em>The Graham Norton Show<\/em><\/a> viewers were left squirming after the host struggled to recall a past exchange with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/damon-albarn\">Damon Albarn<\/a>, in which the Blur singer questioned why he hadn\u2019t been invited back on the BBC series.<\/p>\n<p>The Blur singer, who was promoting his forthcoming tour with Gorillaz, appeared on the show on Friday (12 February), but asked why it had taken him nine years to return.<\/p>\n<p>When Norton welcomed Albarn back, saying \u201cIt\u2019s been a minute,\u201d he told the Irish host: \u201cWell, you just haven&#8217;t invited me back.\u201d Norton replied: \u201cWell, you\u2019re here now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The singer then shared an alleged encounter he had with the presenter in a nightclub after recording his last appearance on the show in 2017, in which he asked him directly: \u201cWhy am I never on your show?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Norton awkwardly didn\u2019t remember this exchange, asking: \u201cWhat? I was in a nightclub? I have no recollection of that. I must\u2019ve been quite drunk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the audience laughed, Albarn replied: \u201cIt must\u2019ve been one of those nightclubs,\u201d to which Norton said: \u201cYes, it must have. How funny. I may have blanked it from my mind out of awkwardness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Albarn appeared on the show with fellow celebrity guests Stephen Graham, Kaley Cuocol, Adrian Lester and Leo Woodall.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div data-gallery-length=\"2\" class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 jyWmVs\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/02\/15\/9\/09\/Screenshot-2026-02-15-at-09-37-11.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/02\/15\/9\/09\/Screenshot-2026-02-15-at-09-37-11.png?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/02\/15\/9\/09\/Screenshot-2026-02-15-at-09-37-11.png?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Graham Norton couldn't remember past exchange with Damon Albarn\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/><\/p>\n<p><button class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\" id=\"trigger-autogallery-395185\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 gtVitN hgzWpY\">Graham Norton couldn&#8217;t remember past exchange with Damon Albarn<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 exGSyR\"> <!-- -->(<!-- -->BBC<!-- -->)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>It marked the singer\u2019s third time on the show, having first appeared in May 2025 and again in May 2017, when he performed with Gorillaz.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, Albarn, who released a comeback Blur album in 2023, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/taylor-swift-damon-albarn-songwriting-twitter-b1999943.html\">was criticised by Taylor Swift<\/a> after he accused her of not writing her own songs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-118zqaw-0 ijrISW\">\n<div class=\"sc-118zqaw-10\">\n<div class=\"sc-118zqaw-3 bnPMtb\">\n<div class=\"sc-118zqaw-4 hqeEpq\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/mobile-stores\/Apple_TV_Plus.png\" width=\"112\" height=\"52\" alt=\"Apple TV+ logo\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-118zqaw-5 erkCqL\">\n<p class=\"sc-118zqaw-6 fwMNvw\">Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-118zqaw-7 euVGoL\">New subscribers only. \u00a39.99\/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"sc-1aus1tj-1 jseGHe sc-118zqaw-2\" href=\"https:\/\/tv.apple.com\/gb\/channel\/tvs.sbd.4000?itscg=30200&amp;itsct=independent_tv&amp;ct=offer&amp;at=1000l3akK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Try for free<svg class=\"sc-eaj12q-0 kjmIzh sc-culv3z-0 eifaJK sc-1aus1tj-2 cChEZI\"><use href=\"#baddbaa17d236bd5\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/div>\n<p class=\"sc-118zqaw-8 eEWumW\">ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission.<span class=\"disclaimer-break\"> This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-118zqaw-1 bfZJxf\">\n<div class=\"sc-118zqaw-10\">\n<div class=\"sc-118zqaw-3 bnPMtb\">\n<div class=\"sc-118zqaw-4 hqeEpq\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/mobile-stores\/Apple_TV_Plus.png\" width=\"112\" height=\"52\" alt=\"Apple TV+ logo\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-118zqaw-5 erkCqL\">\n<p class=\"sc-118zqaw-6 fwMNvw\">Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-118zqaw-7 euVGoL\">New subscribers only. \u00a39.99\/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"sc-1aus1tj-1 jseGHe sc-118zqaw-2\" href=\"https:\/\/tv.apple.com\/gb\/channel\/tvs.sbd.4000?itscg=30200&amp;itsct=independent_tv&amp;ct=offer&amp;at=1000l3akK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Try for free<svg class=\"sc-eaj12q-0 kjmIzh sc-culv3z-0 eifaJK sc-1aus1tj-2 cChEZI\"><use href=\"#baddbaa17d236bd5\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/div>\n<p class=\"sc-118zqaw-8 eEWumW\">ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission.<span class=\"disclaimer-break\"> This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>When an<em> LA Times<\/em> interviewer called Swift \u201can excellent songwriter\u201d, Albarn replied, \u201cShe doesn\u2019t write her own songs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Journalist Mikael Wood replied: \u201cOf course she does. Co-writes some of them.\u201d Albarn responded: \u201cThat doesn\u2019t count. I know what co-writing is. Co-writing is very different to writing. I\u2019m not hating on anybody, I\u2019m just saying there\u2019s a big difference between a songwriter and a songwriter who co-writes. Doesn\u2019t mean that the outcome can\u2019t be really great.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd some of the greatest singers \u2013 I mean, Ella Fitzgerald never wrote a song in her life. When I sing, I have to close my eyes and just be in there. I suppose I\u2019m a traditionalist in that sense. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cA really interesting songwriter is Billie Eilish and her brother. I\u2019m more attracted to that than to Taylor Swift. It\u2019s just darker \u2013 less endlessly upbeat. Way more minor and odd. I think she\u2019s exceptional.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div data-gallery-length=\"2\" class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 cTSpqB\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/02\/15\/9\/58\/Screenshot-2026-02-15-at-09-37-00.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/02\/15\/9\/58\/Screenshot-2026-02-15-at-09-37-00.png?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/02\/15\/9\/58\/Screenshot-2026-02-15-at-09-37-00.png?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Damon Albarn questioned why he hasn't been on 'The Graham Norton Show' more\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/><\/p>\n<p><button class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-0 dkRtZs inline-gallery-btn\" id=\"trigger-autogallery-395186\"><span class=\"sc-1uf4o3q-1 hwVecx\">open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 gtVitN hgzWpY\">Damon Albarn questioned why he hasn&#8217;t been on &#8216;The Graham Norton Show&#8217; more<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 exGSyR\"> <!-- -->(<!-- -->BBC<!-- -->)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Swift \u2013\u00a0who is officially credited with writing or co-writing all of her music \u2013responded to the interview on X\/Twitter: @DamonAlbarn I was such a big fan of yours until I saw this. I write ALL of my own songs. Your hot take is completely false and SO damaging. You don\u2019t have to like my songs but it\u2019s really f***ed up to try and discredit my writing. WOW.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Albarn apologised &#8220;unreservedly and unconditionally&#8221;, and suggested clickbait headlines had taken his words out of context.<\/p>\n<p>Norton is a friend of Swift and will attend her wedding to Travis Kelce later this year. He also <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/taylor-swift-opalite-music-video-graham-norton-b2915819.html\">recently appeared in her music video for \u201cOpoalite\u201d<\/a> alongside every celebrity who appeared on her episode of <em>The <\/em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/graham-norton\"><em>Graham Norton<\/em><\/a><em> Show<\/em> in 2025, including Domhnall Gleeson, Cillian Murphy, Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith and Lewis Capaldi.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.independent.co.uk \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter The Graham Norton Show viewers were left squirming after the host struggled to recall a past exchange with Damon Albarn, in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1948653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2283768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Strictly-2025-BBC-loses-professional-competitor-for-new-series.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2283768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2283768"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2283768\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2283769,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2283768\/revisions\/2283769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1948653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2283768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2283768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2283768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}