Graham Norton Bids Farewell to Listeners After Three Years on Virgin Radio
Graham Norton, the beloved Irish presenter, bid an emotional farewell to his listeners as he signed off from his weekend show on Virgin Radio. This poignant moment marked the end of his three-year and two-month stint hosting the program.
At the end of his final Radio 2 program, he said: “Mostly, I need to say thank you to you, the listeners.
“It’s been lovely sharing your lives and hearing your messages, and that’s been the greatest joy of being on Radio 2, it really has.”
He added 10 years had “gone by in the blink of an eye” and closed the program by playing Reach by S Club 7.
“It has been a privilege to be part of your mornings,” he said. “I’m getting emotional now. Someone told me I’d get emotional and I said ‘No I won’t.'”
He joked that it made him feel better to “think of the six flights of stairs” he will no longer need to climb to reach the Radio 2 studios in Wogan House in central London.
On Sunday morning, Graham Norton commenced his final show with the words, “Here we go, one last gallop around the paddock.” His first song of the day was the iconic Pet Shop Boys’ “Always on My Mind.”
During the show, Norton expressed his gratitude to the listeners: “My final thank you has to be to you, for listening and sharing your lives with us. We’ve loved hearing your messages and finding out what you’ve been up to, what’s made you happy, what’s made you sad over those years.”
Reflecting on his time at Virgin Radio, Norton praised the positive atmosphere: “It is a really lovely place to work here at the top of the tower. They’ve created such a nice atmosphere, and I’ve only had good times here.”
As he bid farewell, Norton left a heartfelt message: “Goodbye again, see you soon … Thank you very much for your company this weekend. I hope you enjoyed the shows.”
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Virgin Radio Content Director Mike Cass acknowledged Norton’s contribution: “Graham Norton has delighted Virgin Radio’s weekend listeners for the last three years. He steps back from the weekend show with our thanks and with our delight that he remains part of the wider Virgin Radio family.”
While Norton leaves the weekend show, fans can anticipate his next endeavors. His departure leaves “big boots to fill,” and the station will announce his successor in the coming weeks.\
“We’ve loved hearing your messages and finding out what you’ve been up to, and what you’ve liked, what you haven’t liked, what’s made you happy, what’s made you sad over those years.
“It has been such a privilege to sit here and share your weekends with you for the last three years and two months.”
He added of his Virgin Radio team: “It is a really lovely place to work here at the top of the tower. They’ve created such a nice atmosphere and I’ve only had good times here.” He added: “Goodbye again, see you soon … Thank you very much for your company this weekend. I hope you enjoyed the shows.”
Virgin Radio is owned alongside TalkTV by News UK, with both stations broadcasting from the centre of London. Of Norton’s departure, in a statement released to Deadline, Virgin Radio Content Director Mike Cass said: “Graham Norton has delighted Virgin Radio’s weekend listeners for the last three years. He steps back from the weekend show with our thanks and with our delight that he remains part of the wider Virgin Radio family. His are big boots to fill, and we’ll be announcing the owner of those feet in the weeks to come.”
Switching stations: Graham Norton Bids Farewell
Radio 2 confirmed in November that Norton would be leaving at the end of the year – an announcement which took his listeners by surprise.
In fact, Norton had only made the decision himself in the preceding few weeks, after a chance encounter with his old colleague, Chris Evans.
In late September, Norton was gearing up for the release of his third novel, Home Stretch. He gave numerous interviews to promote the book, including to Radio 4’s Front Row and ITV’s Lorraine Kelly.
But he was also booked for an interview with Evans, who had himself left Radio 2 for Virgin in 2018. Their conversation would change the course of Norton’s radio career, as he recalled recently on The High Low.
“I did an interview with Chris Evans on his breakfast show,” Norton explained, “and he was sort of teasing me saying, ‘You should come to Virgin’. And the studios were lovely, you can see my house from the studio, and I thought, ‘Oh actually, this is very nice here, and Chris seems so happy’.
“Then Virgin got in touch, and they mooted this idea of doing Saturday and Sunday. And I always thought on Radio 2 that it would be good to be stripped across the weekend. And I think in a way, at my age, I was so flattered that someone wanted me, and it just seemed exciting to have a new challenge.”
Graham Norton’s farewell resonated with listeners, marking the end of an era on Virgin Radio. His warmth, wit, and connection with the audience will be dearly missed.
