Doctor Who confirms Graham Norton role – after previous (sometimes accidental) cameos
Norton will be appearing in the sixth episode of the new season.
Just one day before the new season of Doctor Who kicks off, we've now heard about a new guest star joining the cast – Graham Norton.
Norton, who serves as the BBC's commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest, will be appearing, seemingly as himself, in the sixth episode of the season, titled The Interstellar Song Contest.
It had already been announced that Rylan Clark would be appearing in the episode, also seemingly as himself, hosting the contest.
Showrunner Russell T Davies said of Norton's casting: "There’s no song contest without the great man himself, and it was an honour to welcome Graham Norton to our studios in Cardiff.
"And it’s not just a cameo, he has a whole plot twist all to himself! This is the wildest episode of all, and we’re lucky to have Graham adding to the mayhem."
This isn't Norton's first connection with Doctor Who. Not only have he played in himself in three Doctor Who-related comedy skits, but he has also appeared in the main show in different forms twice – both by accident.
The first came in 2005 during the broadcast of the first ever revival series episode, Rose. A mistake meant sound from Norton's show Strictly Dance Fever, which was airing on BBC Three at the same time, was heard over the top of a scene.
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The second came in 2010, when a banner advert with a cartoon Norton, advertising his show Over the Rainbow, played over the top of the climactic, cliffhanger moment at the end of The Time of Angels.
Along with Norton and Clark, other guest stars to have been announced for the new season include the likes of Alan Cumming, Freddie Fox, Kadiff Kirwan, Charlie Condou, Miriam-Teak Lee, Christopher Chung and Rose Ayling-Ellis.
They will be seen alongside Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor and Varada Sethu's new companion character Belinda when the season airs, starting this Saturday.
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Notably, while Norton's episode will definitely be released on BBC iPlayer, there is a question mark over whether it will get a BBC One transmission – as Russell T Davies explains here.
Doctor Who season 15 begins on 12th April 2025, coming to BBC iPlayer at 8am and airing at 6:50pm on BBC One.
Dive into our Doctor Who story guide: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
