Graham Norton’s secret lockdown heartbreak after loss of beloved dog Madge

TV host Graham Norton has been nursing a secret heartache after one of his beloved dogs died.

Ahead of a new series of his chat show, he told how terrier Madge died after nearly a decade alongside him.

Graham, 57, who was with the vet when the dog was put down, said: “I have her ashes. When my father died, his ashes were just in a plastic thing with a screw top, but Madge is in a lovely mini-coffin with a brass plaque on the top saying, ‘Madge.’

“My dad’s ashes were scattered – isn’t that the point of them? I like scattering ashes, but I think Madge’s ashes may end up interred because I can’t prise the lid off. It’s a sealed coffin, so I think I’ll have to dig a hole.”

Graham has described Madge and his labradoodle Bailey as his “significant others” in interviews.

He got Madge from a rescue charity in 2012 and said that she was “at least 16”.

He added: “She left us at Christmas. It wasn’t sudden but it wasn’t a terrible long lingering thing. It was about a week from start to finish. We held a wake for Madge. It was really upsetting.”

Graham was speaking as he prepared to restart his chat show next week back in the studio having filmed episodes on Zoom earlier in the year.

He said he was “really excited to get back to talking to real people”.

Among his first guests in the studio will be actor Rupert Everett and comedians Lolly Adefope and Sara Pascoe.

Reflecting on other news in lockdown, he said he was “impressed” after Prince Harry and Meghan left the UK and their public duties – saying royal events were “phenomenally dull” and that much of the media were against the pair.

He said: “I’m impressed they did it. I think it’s sad all around, because clearly that’s a family trauma and we’re watch-ing like it’s episodes of The Crown, but it’s mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters and it’s sad it came to that.

“But, my God, you can see how it happened. What’s impressive is that they just kind of went, ‘You know what?! F*** this. No.’ Rather than let it go on and live miserable lies for five years and then do the
get-out-of-Dodge thing.

“They did it for about a year and went, ‘No, this is really not at all pleasurable’.

“And also, you must have a special sort of brain not to go crazy doing all the phenomenally dull things the Royal Family have to do – opening biscuit factories and visiting drainage systems.

“It doesn’t bear thinking about, waking up… wondering, ‘What godawful dreary place am I going to today?’.”

The Graham Norton Show returns to BBC1 at 10.45pm on Friday, October 2.

Graham’s third novel Home Stretch is published on October 1 (Coronet, £20).