Wanging On with Graham Norton and Maria McErlane podcast review

The Australian

12 hours ago

In 2018, as Game of Thrones neared its hotly anticipated conclusion, star Emilia Clarke sat on a plush red couch and blushed uncontrollably.
Next to her was Matt Le Blanc, one of the most ­famous sit-com actors of all time, and he'd good-­naturedly indulged Clarke's girlish fantasy by sending his iconic Friends pick-up line – 'How you doin'?' – in her direction.
It was television magic, to be sure, but somehow Graham Norton still managed to be the most compelling person on screen.
Norton is, of course, the host of the eponymous comedy chat program The Graham Norton Show, and he regularly steals the limelight on a program that features some of the world's most famous, beautiful, and creative people as a rule.
The Irishman got his start in stand-up comedy and acting before finding his niche in television and radio broadcasting, where he encountered the comic Maria McErlane.
Also a presenter and writer, including for The Sunday Times Style in Britain, McErlane served as ­Norton's guest and co-host during stints on BBC Radio 2 and Virgin Radio.
Their new podcast, Wanging On, has roots in their radio days when McErlane served as the Agony Aunt in a Radio 2 segment known as 'Grill Graham'. The series 'dishes out average advice and so-so solutions to [the] everyday dilemmas' sent in by listeners.
And hoo-boy, are there some doozies.
In addition to Norton and McErlane's input, each episode has a fun interactive element, where the show's most-dedicated listeners – known as ­'Wangers' – proffer their advice and feedback on the dilemmas presented. Some do so in voice-memo format – perfect for podcasting – and a not-insignificant chunk of this crowdsourced guidance is as questionable as the letters themselves.
Plus, Norton and McErlane finish each episode with a stand-alone segment called 'Am I Weird?', where listeners submit their, er, unique behaviours for assessment by the hosts. It's an entertaining way to cap off the episodes, sure, but in instances like this, I tend to be of the belief that if you have to ask the question, you already know the answer.
Perhaps the true purpose of that segment is to give the rest of us comfort that we are, in fact, normal – at least by comparison.
Of course, the fatal flaw of all good advice content is the lack of resolution. How desperately I would like to know the outcome of a husband's conversation with his wife of several decades about her body odour problem. But, what? I'm just expected to continue living my life never knowing how she took the news that she'd developed a 'pungent' smell too strong for soap and laundry detergent?
Graham and Maria, if you're reading this, consider it my formal request to add a segment where these ­crucial updates are given. I'm sure you're as curious as I am to know whether your sage advice was taken.
Norton and McErlane's larger-than-life personalities, comedic genius, and 30 years of friendship is on full display in the handful of 30-minute episodes of Wanging On released to date. And episodes are available in video format on select platforms if you're not yet ready to let go of Norton's characteristically flamboyant delivery.
'It's relaxed, it's ridiculous, and it's what Maria and I have always loved doing – chatting nonsense and digging into people's drama,' Norton said of Wanging On.
It's a good thing Norton and McErlane's particular brand of nonsense is pure, hilarious entertainment.
Kristen Amiet is the producer of The Australian's daily news podcast The Front. Wanging On with Graham Norton and Maria McErlane is available now wherever you listen to podcasts.