Prince William, first royal on Graham Norton's sofa, reveals Nolan obsession and family's Traitors fixation

Prince William sat down on one of British television's most famous sofas on Thursday — becoming the first working royal to appear on The Graham Norton Show — and used the moment to talk about psychological thriller films, a reality gameshow, and the environmental prize he hopes will outlast both.

The pre-recorded BBC One episode, airing Friday, is a special Earthshot Prize edition timed to promote the annual awards ceremony, due to be held in Mumbai, India, next month. Joining William on the sofa were actors Cate Blanchett and Hannah Waddingham, and environmentalist Robert Irwin — all connected to the prize, which William founded in 2020 to recognise and reward ideas that address planetary challenges.

For many years I was hearing stories about environment issues, and one thing that struck me was the negativity and doom, which got me down. I thought we could do something more powerful and more optimistic and the idea of an awards' ceremony came about and we could talk about urgency and optimism together.— Prince William, Prince of Wales

But it was the less stately disclosures that are likely to dominate Friday's conversation. William told Norton he unwinds through music and film, singling out director Christopher Nolan as a particular favourite.

I love getting immersed in deep-thinking films. I like action films too, but I like something a bit different. I'm a big fan of everything Christopher Nolan does. His films are fantastic – The Dark Knight series is psychologically dark and deep and I absolutely love that. He takes concepts that are completely out there and makes them incredibly entertaining.— Prince William, Prince of Wales

He was equally enthusiastic about The Celebrity Traitors, the reality competition that has gripped British audiences, revealing it is appointment viewing across the Wales household.

I love it, the family love it. Charlotte and Louis are obsessed with it. It's really good telly.— Prince William, Prince of Wales

William also recounted a moment of gentle mischief involving EastEnders actor Ross Kemp, who appeared on The Celebrity Traitors and became visibly anxious about being eliminated by a covert touch.

I saw Ross Kemp the day after the first episode and I couldn't help but try – in the most appropriate way – to touch him to see what reaction I got from him. Turns out he was really jumpy!— Prince William, Prince of Wales

The appearance is notable beyond its entertainment value. No working royal had previously taken a seat on Norton's sofa, a fixture of British Friday-night television known for its relaxed, candid format. The choice of venue — and the willingness to discuss family TV habits alongside a flagship charity initiative — reflects a deliberate effort to present the Earthshot Prize in an accessible, mainstream context ahead of its Mumbai ceremony.

The Earthshot Prize was founded by William in 2020. It holds an annual awards ceremony recognising innovators working on solutions to environmental problems. Previous ceremonies have been held in London, Boston, and Singapore before this year's event moves to Mumbai.

Why it matters — The appearance — the first by a working royal on one of Britain's most-watched chat shows — signals how William is using mainstream entertainment platforms to build a broad public audience for the Earthshot Prize ahead of its Mumbai ceremony.

Reported by variety.com, theguardian.com, reuters.com