‘I’ll be raising a glass to Sir Terry!’
Graham Norton chats about Eurovision, achieving a long-held dream and why he’s determined to make the most of every day By Christine Smith hen Graham Norton took over the mantle of hosting the annual Eurovision Song Contest from the late Sir Terry Wogan, it was undoubtedly one of the proudest moments of his career. And now as the 53-yearold prepares to host the three-hour live extravaganza, Graham reveals he will be paying a poignant tribute to the great man who, he says, he will be forever personally indebted to. Raising a glass to Sir Terry at song number nine on Saturday – the very moment the much-loved television and radio legend advised was the sensible time to crack open the wine – Graham admits he will never be far from his thoughts. “I will certainly be mentioning Sir Terry and raising a glass to him,” says Graham softly. “It’s the first Eurovision since Sir Terry passed away. Everyone will
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be thinking of Terry this year – as will I. Terry’s voice is in my head the whole time that I am doing it. He did it for so long. He is synonymous with Eurovision and he always will be. I am personally really indebted to him for what he did with the role.” Graham laughs as he recalls what Sir Terry told him to do when he took over the presenting job in 2008. “He told me not to open my bottle until song nine. It was very practical advice and very him,” he remembers.
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“His whole attitude was to be laidback; and his advice was always ‘don’t try too hard’. I try to have that relaxed nonchalance he did so well.” As he chats, it’s clear Graham absolutely loves presenting Eurovision. The show is, he says, by far the maddest TV role he takes on – but he says the staging, crazy performances and rasmattaz of the evening are all what make Eurovision so special. “Doing Eurovision is miles more crazy than my chat
show,” he chuckles. “Some of the things defy logic and only with Eurovision do you find yourself saying ‘there’s no explaining that’. I am really looking forward to it! “I do think it’s important we get behind the UK act. I’ve met Joe and Jake a few times and they are really sweet boys. Their song is instant.” Graham says he gets cross when people start moaning about the voting system. “I am a passionate defender of Eurovision,” he adds. “Countries have always done
star chat The golden era for British wins Our most successful decade for Eurovision was in the Sixties with Sandie Shaw’s Puppet on a String winning in 1967 and Lulu’s Boom Bang A Bang in 1969. In 1976 Brotherhood of Man’s Save Your Kisses For Me took top honours, followed by Bucks Fizz and Making Your Mind up – with that famous skirtripping routine – in 1981. Katrina and The Waves, with Love Shines A Light, were our last winners in 1997 – although Katrina was American!
All change for voting system
Winning combinations, clockwise from top left: Sandie Shaw, Bucks Fizz and Brotherhood of Man
The biggest change in voting rules since 1975 will mean this year’s winners will only be revealed at the very end. The votes will be split with each country’s jury vote cast first, and votes from viewers in all countries combined and announced at the end. Organisers say they hope this will create a “dramatic finish”!
‘Doing Eurovision is miles more crazy than my chat show. Some of the things you see defy logic, but I love it’
block voting but invariably the best song wins. You never think ‘that song was robbed’. I think it does still work on that level.” Embracing everything about the show, Graham reveals it has, however, come at a particularly busy time as he puts the finishing touches to his first novel, which will be published in October. And the reason why he decided to write a book, he says poignantly, is because he suddenly got to a point in life where he realised he should
follow his dreams rather than just talk about them. Explains Graham: “I have always wanted to write a novel and it got to a point in my life where I thought ‘right I am 52, enough talking about it, if you are going to do it, do it.’ Now I’ve done it and I really have enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I am happy knowing I can put the book in a tin box under the bed and say ‘I wrote a novel’.” One of the nicest, most down-to-earth stars you are ever likely to meet, Graham says if he could rewind the clock, he’d tell his 18-yearold self that ‘there is more time than you think’ to pursue your goals. And to be prepared for the unexpected! “I wanted to get into showbusiness but I never thought I would end up doing Eurovision,” he muses. “I love it and if I wasn’t
commentating on it, I would be watching at home!” So given he loves his job so much, can he see himself working until the grand age of 80 like another British institution – Mary Berry? Roaring with laughter, Graham thinks he may cut down a bit – and possibly calm down as he gets older. “I would like to be doing a little bit,” he adds. “But the idea of retiring completely is for those who do a job they hate. I’ve got 30 years between now and then so I might try and cut down my commitments!” Very much someone who loves nothing better than going for a good country walk with his dogs when he does have time off, Graham is also a great supporter of the Parkinson’s UK charity after his own dad sadly died of the disease. He has spoken
out in the past about how much the family was affected by his death. “Once he was diagnosed it all happened very fast,” Graham has admitted previously. “It’s different for everyone, but it hit him like a ton of bricks. “I have no idea how I would react if I was given the news that I had something like Parkinson’s, but I like to think that I would fight it and continue to find a quality of life.” And it’s this fighting spirit that makes him one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers – determined to make the most of every day. And hosting Eurovision will, he says, be plenty of fun. “I am really looking forward to it. It’s always nice to see what they have done and the way they have put it together. And it’s always a mad moment when you look at the costumes. That’s heaven to me…!” ■ Eurovision is on BBC1 on Saturday, May 14.
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Work Rest & Play…
Whatever your plans, be wardrobeready with these gorgeous looks, says Fashion Editor Michelle Nightingale
Blouse (with necklace), £16, 8-22, George at Asda | wide-leg trousers, £45, 6-22, Next
WORK
PHOTOGRAPHY RUTH JENKINSON, STYLIST DANIELLE ELMES-HUGHES, HAIR AND MAKE-UP SARAH JANE GREEN
Brighten up workwear by teaming neutral basics with a pop of colour Cardigan, £60, 8-20, Laura Ashley | top, £28, 8-20, Laura Ashley | skirt, £32, 6-22, Next | slingback shoes, £29.50, 3-8, M&S | bag, £7, Primark
A
great match £25, 3-8, M&S
£26, 8-22, M&Co £45, xs-l, La Redoute
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Fashion made easy REST
Top, £20, 6-22, Next | coat, £89, s-xl, Monsoon | jeans, £24, 6-22, Next | scarf, £4, Primark | bag, £60, Clarks
Choose simple, comfy separates that you can mix and match when you’re out and about
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t partne fec r er
£12, 8-22, George at Asda
s
Top, £6, 6-16, F&F at Tesco | jeans, £45, 8-22, Monsoon | shoes, £45, 3-8,| bag, £50, both Clarks
Choosing separates in similar colours makes it easier to coordinate your look
£49, xs-l, La Redoute
£12, 3-8, Bonmarché
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TH DEN E
EXPERT PANEL
NS
Sammy Margo is a leading physiotherapist www. sammymargo physiotherapy.com/
HEALTH TESTS
Pick up the phone
PICS: SHUTTERSTOCK, GETTY IMAGES, ALAMY
Write yourself a letter ‘Micrographia’ – or small handwriting – could be an early sign that Parkinson’s Disease is affecting your nervous system, according to the experts. If your writing seems to be shrinking, and especially if you’re also writing more slowly than you used to, talk to your GP about your concerns.
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PIRIN
G
I
DIY
Zoe PalmerWright is a nutritionist and naturopath with a clinic in London
Are other people mumbling indistinctly, or could you be the one with a problem? The Action on Hearing Loss simple telephone test on 0844 800 3838 involves listening to a voice reading out numbers above background noise and typing those numbers into your phone. If the results suggest a problem, you can get a more in-depth screening for free through your GP, or from companies such as bloom™ hearing specialists (see page 62).
HY ALT
❤ Quick CONFI
healthy living
Is your body trying to tell you something? These easy tests could make a difference to your future health, says Karen Evennett
Stop frowning If your deep eyebrow furrows are a permanent fixture, your liver could be congested. “Cut back on alcohol and fatty food and eat more broccoli, cabbage and kale to boost the enzymes your liver needs to neutralise and remove toxins,” says nutritionist and naturopath Zoe PalmerWright. “I’ve seen furrows fade when patients do this.”
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Look in the mirror
Check your eyelids
A puffy face and spartan eyebrows (especially if they’re balding at the outer ends) could be signs of an underactive thyroid gland and may account for other problems such as excessive tiredness or weight gain. Your GP can use a simple blood test to confirm the diagnosis and prescribe thyroxin tablets to treat it.
Do you have fatty yellow lumps around your eyelids? These are called xanthelasma and are made of cholesterol. Xanthelasma could be an early warning sign of heart disease. Losing weight, taking more exercise, and watching what you eat can all reduce your risk. Ask your GP to check your cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Balance on one leg Use it or lose it. “Your balance is essential to prevent falls and maintain your independence, but it will naturally diminish from your 40s,” says physiotherapist Sammy Margo. “You should be able to stand on one leg for 60 seconds. If you can only manage less than 30 seconds, practise daily to improve your score.”
Sit-to-stand
Measure your waist Your waist measurement is a better indication of your risk of Type 2 diabetes than your weight. And if you’re apple-shaped you need to watch your waistline. A waist measurement of 31.5 inches or more raises your risk of this condition, which can also leave you feeling tired, thirsty and needing the loo constantly. Take your waist measurement by finding the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips, breathe out naturally, then measure around your waist in the
Your waist measurement is a better indication of your risk of Type 2 diabetes than your weight middle of these two points. You can assess your risk by taking a 60-second risk test on www.diabetes.org.uk
Draw a clock Psychiatrists use this test to detect memory problems. Give yourself 60 seconds to draw a clock, setting the hands at ten past eleven. If you make noticeable mistakes with the order and spacing of the numbers, or with the hands of the clock, it could be a sign that your memory isn’t what it once was. If you’re also forgetting names, words, asking questions repeatedly and feeling confused, ask your GP for a memory check.
How many times can you stand from sitting on a chair without using your hands to lever yourself up? “If you’re under 60, 16 times in 30 seconds shows you have good leg strength. This will also help to prevent falls,” says Sammy. “Even in your 70s, you should still manage ten standups in the same time. Strengthen your legs more by standing, walking three metres, then sitting again. Ten seconds is the target time to achieve this.”
Look at a door If the straight line of a doorframe seems wiggly when you look at it with one eye covered, it could be an early sign of Wet Macular Degeneration or a hole in your macula; the area in the back of your eye that senses light. Visit your optometrist for a check-up as soon as you spot any problems because the sooner you pick up Macular Degeneration, the better the chance of successful treatment.
Take your pulse A healthy resting pulse rate is 60-70 beats per minute (bpm). Find yours with your middle and index finger on the inside of your wrist, and count the number of beats you feel in 20 seconds (use a stopwatch) then multiply by three. If your bpm is more than 80, try to get it down by taking more exercise (talk to your GP first). If you notice that your heart skips a beat,
the irregular rhythm could be a harmless arrhythmia – or a sign of Atrial Fibrillation (AF), which could increase your risk of stroke, so get it checked out by your GP.
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Make your garden a
wildlife haven Lizzy Dening explains how to create a garden
home for butterflies, birds, frogs and hedgehogs
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hether you’re an avid birdwatcher, or find peace sitting by a pond, spending time in the garden surrounded by nature is a great way to give your health and wellbeing a boost. Not only will encouraging critters lift your mood, it’s never
been more important for British wildlife either. More than 60 per cent of our species are in decline – from hedgehogs to starlings – but with a few simple changes you could make all the difference. We’ve teamed up with the RSPB to offer these top tips on giving nature a home for next to nothing.
IN T HE SU M M E R
Meals for moths They might not seem as glamorous as their daytime cousins, butterflies, but moths can be just as beautiful and need your help. Provide plants for their caterpillars to munch on, as well as flowers for the adults. In the summer try Nicotiana alata, jasmine, honeysuckle Honeysuckle and sweet rocket, and in autumn plant ivy and michaelmas daisy. Your reward? Apart from a gorgeous floral display, you might be lucky enough to spot elephant Sweet Rocket hawkmoths, large yellow underwings and ruby tigers.
Mutual benefit Installing a water butt will save you money when watering the garden and will also help thirsty critters in warmer months.
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IN T HE AU T U MN Butterfly banquet Got a bunch of bananas that are on the turn? Just one overripe banana could see a whole host of butterflies safely through hibernation! Autumn is an excellent time to offer them a pre-nap sugar boost. Leaving the skin intact, give the fruit a gentle rub until you feel the insides turn mushy. Then nick three or four small cuts along one side, and leave it in the garden in a sunny, sheltered position at about chest height. Look out for beautiful visitors including red admiral, painted lady and comma.
B&B for bees Bees are the unsung heroes of the garden, as they are always hard at work
pollinating plants for you. As you might assume from their name, solitary bees don’t live in hives like honeybees, so they’re often on the lookout for a cosy bolthole. Make a bee hotel in a small box or container, by filling it with different sized hollow Toad abode tubes such as bamboo sticks, Give your local amphibians a helping rolled up paper, drinking (webbed) hand, by creating a cosy home for straws or the cases of old hibernating toads and frogs in time for winter. pens. Stuff them in tightly Dig a shallow hole and fill it with assorted and make sure one end is stones, bricks, branches and twigs. Pop some closed up. Look out for holes of the soil you’ve removed over the top, being becoming blocked with mud careful not to cover up too many tempting or leaves – that means you entrance holes. have a happy resident!
Y E A R-ROU N D Open a bird café More than 60 per cent of us feed garden birds and it’s an excellent way to give them a helping hand, especially in the winter when the ground is frozen and seeds are scarce. Don’t forget them in the summer though. Keep an eye on your feeders – you’ll be surprised how quickly busy parents empty them as they feed up their chicks.
What should we feed them? ■ Bird seed mixtures, which will be snaffled up by most birds including blackbirds, robins, dunnocks, wrens, finches and sparrows. Some like to feed on the ground and others prefer feeders or tables, so have a mixture of platforms if possible. ■ Sunflower hearts, are less messy and great for redpolls, tits and finches.
■ Small black Nyjer seeds are enjoyed by siskins and goldfinches. ■ Peanuts are a great source of protein for birds such as sparrows, starlings and woodpeckers. Avoid using them when there are baby birds visiting your garden though, as they can be tricky to swallow. ■ Suet, which can come as cakes or fat balls, provides much-needed energy for birds such as robins and tits. Always remove the balls from the mesh bags, as tiny feet and beaks can get caught. ■ Food from the fridge! Birds love things like mild grated cheese, unsalted bacon, uncooked porridge oats, cooked rice, soft fruit like apples and pears or cooked potatoes. ■ Don’t forget to also provide a shallow dish of water for birds to drink and wash their feathers!
EASY, TIGER
There’s often a worry that if you’re a cat owner, encouraging garden birds isn’t a good idea, but the RSPB says you can have both. Of course there’s always a risk, but the charity suggests putting a bell on your cat’s collar to give small creatures, including birds, mice and voles, fair warning. Also keep your cat inside when birds are most vulnerable: at least an hour before sunset and an hour after sunrise, especially during March-July and December-January, and after bad weather, to allow birds to come out and feed safely. PICS: ALAMY, ISTOCKPHOTO, GETTY IMAGES
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GOOD to KNOW
■ For more ideas on how to make space for nature at home, visit www.rspb.org. uk/homes ■ For a round-up of wildlife holidays for nature fans, visit www.yours.co.uk/ wildlifeholiday
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Bow wow! For knitters with more experience
✪✪✪✪●
This pretty lightweight jumper is perfect for warm spring days Before you begin…
Alt - alternate; beg - beginning; cont - continue; dec decrease(ing); foll - following; inc - increase(ing); k - knit; 0 - no stitches or rows; p - purl; patt - pattern; patt2tog - pattern next 2 sts together, keeping continuity of patt; psso - pass slipped stitch over; rem - remain(ing); rep - repeat; RS - right side; s1 - slip 1 stitch knitways; st(s) - stitch(es); st-st – stocking stitch (knit RS rows, purl WS rows); WS - wrong side
BACK
Measurements & materials TO FIT BUST*
n 3(3:3:3:4:4) 100g
81
86
91
97
102
32
34
36
38
40
57
59
FULL LENGTH 53
55
21 21¾
56 22
22½ 23¼
SLEEVE LENGTH 2
2
2
2
2
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
107 cm balls of Sirdar Cotton 4 ply (F035) shade 506. 42 in n Pair each of 3.25mm (UK10) and 2.75mm 61 cm (UK12) needles. 24 in n Stitch Holder. n 28 sts and 36 rows to 10cm(4in) over 2 cm pattern and st-st on ¾ in 3.25mm needles.
*This garment is designed to be close fitting
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Using 2.75mm needles cast on 105(113:119:127:133:141)sts. 1st row *k1, p1, rep from * to last st, k1. 1st row sets moss-st. Work 6 rows more in moss-st. 8th row p20(23:24:18: 18:20), inc in next st, (p20(21:22:17: 18:19), inc in next st) 3(3:3:5:5:5) times, p21(23:25:18:19:20). 109(117:123:133: 139:147)sts. Change to 3.25mm needles proceed as follows: 1st row (RS) k0(4:1:0:3:1), *p1, k5, rep from * to last 1(5:2:1:4:2)sts, p1, k0(4:1:0:3:1). 2nd and every alt row purl. 3rd row knit.
5th row k3(1:4:3:0:4), *p1, k5, rep from * to last 4(2:5:4:1:5) sts, p1, k3(1:4:3:0:4). 7th row knit. 8th row purl. From 1st to 8th row sets diamond patt and st-st. Keeping continuity of patt as set (throughout) proceed as follows: work 0(2:2:2:2:0) rows more. Next row patt 33(37:39:42: 45:48), s1, k1, psso, patt 39(39:41:45:45:47), patt2tog, patt 33(37:39:42:45:48). 107(115:121:131:137:145)sts. Work 11(11:11:11:11:13) rows without shaping. Next row patt 32(36:38:41:44: 47), s1, k1, psso, patt 39(39:41:45:45:47), patt2tog, patt 32(36:38:41:44:47).
n It is essential to work to the stated tension to ensure success, if necessary change the needle size to give the correct tension. Figures in brackets () refer to larger sizes (see measurements chart). Where one set of figures is given this applies to all sizes. If a zero is given, this means you do not need to work these instructions. Circle the size you wish to make before you start. Yarn quantities are based on average requirements when specified tension and yarn is used. Different wool may be used but ensure tension of replacement yarn matches that stated in the pattern for best results.
TESTED BY OUR TEAM
n All Yours patterns are checked by an experienced knitter so you can be sure of success