The Graham Norton Show will air earlier and only last half an hour

The host will reportedly be joined by a number of "virtual guests" while the notorious red chair is set to be "relocated to the comfort of your own armchair at home."

Announcing the news earlier this week, the BBC's director general Tony Hall said, "The BBC is determined to do all it can to raise a smile and keep the country entertained during these testing times.

"We have lots of great shows already recorded, but we have also found ways to keep many other shows going so that the familiar faces people love will still be in their living rooms in the weeks and months ahead.

"I think that is incredibly important. Our pledge is to offer the best escapism, fun and distraction we can, alongside the news and information everyone needs."

Many TV shows have been hit by the virus, while a number of big events including the Olympics, Glastonbury and Eurovision have all been cancelled or postponed.

However, the BBC is pushing ahead with some new entertainment formats, including Save our Summer —a show which will be fronted by Peter Crouch, Maya Jama and Alex Horne and which aims to give “the British public a little bit of all the big summer events that have been taken away.”

As well as Graham Norton, some other staples of the broadcaster's entertainment schedules will also be continuing in slightly compromised formats—including Have I Got New For You and The Mash Report.

The Graham Norton Show will return on Friday, April 10 at 9pm on BBC One.