By Liam de Brun

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Graham Norton has revealed his ‘dream guest’ who has never been on BBC series as he admitted that he was ‘getting close’ to securing them. The Irish presenter is back for another series of his BBC talk show on Friday, September 26, for its 33rd season. Beginning in 2007, the series became a global hit through Graham’s interaction with his A-list guests and the iconic big red chair segment where members of the public share hilarious stories. The series premiere will be a star-studded occasion, with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Emily Blunt appearing to promote their new movie The Smashing Machine. On top of this, Graham will be joined by Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey, The White Lotus’ Aimee Lou Wood and singer RAYE. The following week will be even crazier, with Taylor Swift appearing on the same day her new album The Life of a Showgirl is released around the world. Taylor will be appearing on Graham’s sofa alongside Irish actor Cillian Murphy, Greta Lee. Jodie Turner-Smith, Domnhall Gleeson and Lewis Capaldi . Despite the amount of major guests he continues to have on his show, Graham has revealed Brad Pitt is the one person he’s failed at having on. He told Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett on the Dish podcast: “He’s one of those ones that we keep getting close to, and then it doesn’t happen. “In America I think he doesn’t sit on the couch. He’ll do skits with them. He’ll play little games and stuff, so we’ve never had him sat down. Maybe we never will.” Looking back on some of his favourite moments from the programme’s history, Graham had lots of praise for Pretty Woman icon Julia Roberts. He explained: “We’d never had her before and we discovered she’d never done a UK talk show and she made it all work because she just fangirled on Cher. “It gave the couch a shape. Rather than just having four huge stars, Julia Roberts shone her light on Cher and made her the number one star. “Also Julia Roberts did this thing where if there was a little break, she knows Cher, she knows Tom Hanks and Timothée Chalamet, when there was a little break, she’d talk to the audience.” Graham added: “The audience loved her so much. She was just terrific. But I was nervous because Cher’s one of those people, she’s so great and I love her, but, uh, no s**** are given. I mean, if she’s not having a nice time-she’ll tell you.” Teasing what to expect from the new season, Graham said that he continues to enjoy doing ‘live research’ and he likes to wait until the cameras are on to speak to his guests. “I normally wait for the couch,” he explained. ‘Sometimes I’ll bump into them backstage and that’s all fine. Sometimes they want me-to go and say hello. “If they’d never been on before, sometimes I’ll go say hello, like if they’re a sports person or something,” he noted.