logo
Graham Norton's quiet life away from the spotlight with husband Jonathan McLeod as he sells homes in NYC and London

Graham Norton's quiet life away from the spotlight with husband Jonathan McLeod as he sells homes in NYC and London

Daily Mail​10-05-2025

He is one of the most beloved presenters and talk show hosts on our screens.
But away from the glitz and glamour of TV work on the hugely-popular Graham Norton Show, awards shows and Eurovision commentary he enjoys a low-key happy life with his husband.
Graham, 62, married Scottish filmmaker partner Jonathan 'Jono' McLeod in 2022 in a private ceremony in Cork attended by just 120 guests.
And the pair live a life away from the Showbiz circuit, regularly spending time in Graham's native Ireland and are never seen together at public events.
This week it was revealed that Graham has put his gorgeous New York townhouse on the market just a week after revealing he was also selling his £4.95million east London mansion after 20 years of living in the grade-II listed home.
Amid the move Graham said he was 'finally feeling brave enough to make a big change in his life' - possibly alluding to stepping back from the spotlight even more with his husband.
He told The Sunday Times: 'We've been thinking about it for a couple of years and I finally feel brave enough to make a huge change to my life.
'My favourite times have definitely been enjoying a drink sitting by the river on a summer's evening.'
So what does Graham Norton's quiet life with his husband look like?
Away from the glitz and glamour of TV work, awards shows and Eurovision commentary Graham Norton enjoys a low-key happy life with his husband
Scaled back radio work
Last February Graham confirmed that he was leaving his weekend shows on Virgin Radio after three years.
The Irish presenter had hosted The Graham Norton Radio Show on the station since 2021 alongside Maria McErlane.
Announcing the news of his departure live on his show, Graham said: 'The show isn't quite the normal show today because I have a bit of an announcement to make. I'm kind of off! I'm leaving weekends here at Virgin Radio.'
His final weekend show was on Sunday, February 25.
Virgin Radio revealed Strictly Come Dancing star Angela Scanlon would step in for him.
Graham explained live on-air: 'I'll still be popping up at the station from time to time but my regular Saturday and Sundays, I'm stepping away.
'I've worked weekends between here and the old place for 13 years and my life has changed a bit, so I thought, 'Oh, I want my weekends back!'
'So, really, the next two shows, today and tomorrow, are me just saying thank you to you all for listening.'
Graham has repeatedly mentioned cutting back on his work and desire not to keep going until he was too old.
He told SiriusXm in September, 2019: 'We are on air right now 35 to 36 weeks a year. So if I cut that down, maybe lob ten weeks off it, then I think that would be ideal.
'What I might try to do is just cut back on my workload.'
And in 2015 he said he would retire before hit the age of 60.
He told the Mirror: 'I'm not jumping tomorrow but it is in my head. You want to get out when you can still enjoy your life.
'Neighbours of mine worked and worked and went on this trip of a lifetime round the world. They had to be airlifted three times because they were too old to do this trip. They got stuck on every hike they did.
'So I don't want to be them. You want to get out of work when you have still got time to enjoy your life.'
He still works on his hugely-popular chat show The Graham Norton show.
Amid his 'huge change', Graham recently took a break from hosting duties on The Graham Norton Show.
The legendary host travelled Down Under in February and March to present An Evening With Graham Norton, which saw the Irish presenter discuss hilarious stories and shed light on some career highlights, before taking questions from the audience.
BBC 's The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman took over while Graham stepped away from presenting.
Time in his native Ireland
Graham grew up in Bandon and regularly heads back to west Cork where he often recorded his Virgin Radio UK show.
And there was no better place for him to return to for his 2022 wedding than Ireland.
Just last year Graham took a trip down memory lane as he opened up about the crazy 'rumour-mill' that followed his epic marriage.
He married BAFTA-winning filmmaker Jonathan in Bandon, west Cork, where the presenter was raised.
And rumours were very quick to escalate as A-listers were apparently spotted by locals in the rural area.
Graham and Jono tied the knot in Bantry House having opted for an Irish wedding to accommodate the former's mother Rhoda Walker.
'I don't talk much about my personal life but the big headline is now I am a married man,' the hosting icon began on his first night of his new book tour.
He often shares snaps of the beautiful Irish countryside to his Instagram account
He is a regular visitor back to where he grew up
'I'm surprised. I did not see that happening in my life. I am glad I waited. It is quite nice to get married at my stage in life,' he added.
'There are perks, like the vows. At my age 'til death do us part' is more achievable. I have got things in my fridge that will outlast me.'
Fondly recalling the wedding, he continued: 'We got married but every f**ker in Bandon knew.
'You can imagine the rumour mill. I talk to celebrities for a living but I know practically none. People in Bantry said they saw Lady Gaga at Cork Airport, Elton John was seen in the local pub.
'Imagine being the man and somebody mistook you for Elton John. That is a cruel day,' Graham finished.
Close and private relationship
In 2023 Graham broke his silence on his marriage to Jonathan, revealing that he wed the filmmaker in July 2022.
The news took his fans by surprise due to the private nature of their relationship.
But in the interview he lifted the lid on details from their wedding and what it was like to marry later in life.
The lavish do was held with 120 guests in attendance with a rumoured performance from music icon Lulu while drag queen Panti Bliss DJed.
Graham later told The Guardian about the day as he joked that 'till death do us part' was 'more achievable' at the age of 60.
He said: 'I had a joke in my speech: the vows are much more manageable. 'Till death do us part' seems more achievable at our age.
'If you get married at 23, that's a big ask. We only have to put up with each other for a couple of decades. And then I'll be out of here.'
Jonathan is an esteemed Scottish filmmaker and the couple tied the knot after having met six years previously.
Having drawn together a slew of stars for their glamorous Irish wedding, the couple have remained blissfully happy ever since.
At the time, Graham revealed: 'I got married this year and we had our wedding party near to where my mother lives in Ireland just so she could come.
'She wouldn't have been well enough to come to London so West Cork it was. And it made me very happy.'
Speaking about their marriage, Graham went on: 'It's good so far, it would be awful if it wasn't at this stage, just a few months in, I'd like to think that even I could manage a few months.
'I'm from that generation of gays who assumed it was never going to be on the cards. So, one, it's extraordinary that it can happen, I mean, I never gave up hope of finding the one. If it was a surprise, it was a pleasant surprise.'
Slimming down property portfolio
Graham 's fans shared their concerns after it was revealed he had put two of his homes up for sale in just one week.
The huge move left some concerned about the reasoning behind the decision to sell both properties, with fans sharing their fears online.
The presenter was previously one of the BBC's highest paid stars, but in recent years has seen his earnings reduce.
The star, who tied the knot with Jonathan in 2022, had also shared his hopes of 'a big change' when he first put his London home on the market.
Underneath a post about the sale of the London property, fans mused: 'And I read yesterday that his New York City apartment is up for sale. Hmm...'; 'So is his New York home [pondering emoji]';
'Just read he is selling his NYC place too'; 'Are we about to see the downfall of Graham Norton or something? Selling two homes at once?'
'Is he well? I'm actually concerned. These are big life decisions for a man his age. Perhaps he's getting ready to retire? Gorgeous home.'
Graham, previously among the BBC 's highest earners, is no longer one of the top-paid presenters on the publicly funded broadcaster.
He left BBC R2 in 2020 and his BBC One show is produced by an independent company, meaning his earnings are not reflected in the annual list of highest earners.
However, Graham's recent comments about the reason behind the potential sale of his home in the English capital may put their worries to rest.
Revealing the reason for the sale, the TV presenter told The Sunday Times that after pondering over it for a couple of years he is ready for a 'big change'.
The Irish comedian said he is 'finally feeling brave enough' to sell his beloved Georgian house which sits on the banks of the River Thames.
The four-storey house features two reception rooms, views of the river as well as a garden overlooking the Thames.
His upscale abode also has double-height ceilings, five bathrooms and an internal patio courtyard garden.
Speaking to the publication about the move, he said: 'We've been thinking about it for a couple of years and I finally feel brave enough to make a huge change to my life.
'My favourite times have definitely been enjoying a drink sitting by the river on a summer's evening.
'My least favourite memory in the house was that time one of the dogs got stuck in a neighbour's shrub.'
During the interview Graham did not mention that he is also selling his Manhattan home, which he bought from supermodel Claudia Schiffer in the noughties.
Speaking on his decision to purchase the charming property, he told The New York Times: 'I couldn't stop thinking about it, and finally caved in and flew over to see it.'
Graham viewed several properties in the area but admitted that none of them captured his heart in the way Sniffen Court did. He added: 'Once you step into Sniffen Court there is no sense that you are in the heart of Manhattan!'
The second home has been used as a base for the TV host's US visits over the years, apart from a brief period in 2004 where he lived in it full time while hosting the NY Graham Norton talk show.
The house was only recently completely renovated as Graham believed he may one day retire to the city. However his plans changed when he married Scottish film maker Jono McLeod in 2022.
It's not the first time Graham has put a plush home of his up for sale as he previously listed a six-bedroom seaside pad in 2017 for £2.3million.
The stunning mansion in Bexhill, had a private beach and master bedroom opening on to a balcony overlooking the English Channel.
According to property records, Graham bought the property for £1.3million in November 2009.
Graham and his husband Jonathan are often seen walking through Hampstead with their black cockapoo named Douglas.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

ALEXANDRA SHULMAN'S NOTEBOOK: An unexpected audience with my late, great father
ALEXANDRA SHULMAN'S NOTEBOOK: An unexpected audience with my late, great father

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

ALEXANDRA SHULMAN'S NOTEBOOK: An unexpected audience with my late, great father

Fiddling around on my laptop the other evening, I accidentally flicked a key and found myself listening to an episode of Desert Island Discs from the Radio 4 archives. Utterly unexpectedly, out boomed the unmistakable voice of my late father Milton, from an episode recorded in 1994. It was an extraordinary moment. Briefly, I wanted to stop it. I wasn't braced to hear him and feared it would make me miserable. But the urge to listen was stronger. I then wanted to keep listening for hours to the anecdotes I'd heard so many times throughout my childhood. His being hired by Lord Beaverbrook to be a film reviewer with no previous experience. His quite ridiculous pronouncement he had seen no new important plays during his 40-odd-year career as the theatre critic for London 's Evening Standard. The episode so vividly painted the picture of an ambitious Canadian who came to London with the military in the war and fell in love with the city and journalism. He never lost his Canadian accent. The whole interview was suffused with his amusing, proud and combative personality, and immediately I could see us all back round the family dinner table immersed in one of our many heated discussions. It was lovely to hear him again, but it was also desperately sad to know that this was the only way I can hear him now. He sounded so familiar, as if it were only last night that I'd heard him deliver some passionate opinion or other. In fact it has been 21 years since I last heard him speak. It was such a powerful reminder of how much I still miss him. Pregnancy is now the height of fashion Pregnant Saoirse Ronan looked ravishing at the Louis Vuitton Cruise show in a silky LV satin and lace slip that offered absolutely zero help in the bra department. I envied her. I can't imagine being able to go braless on a red carpet when I was pregnant. But things are different now. Pregnancy is a high-wire act of happily showing off this miraculous condition while maintaining high fashion credibility. Visible pregnancy has been acceptable for decades (in the 1950s women were squished into corsets, swathed in smocks and more or less hidden). But it's only recently become a fashion talking point. It's not just Rihanna in Marc Jacobs, or Sienna Miller in a white Schiaparelli puffball skirt and crop top at Vogue World, announcing their pregnancies to the world on the red carpet. You only have to scroll through Instagram to see a panoply of massive bare bellies. Visible pregnancy has been acceptable for decades but it's only recently become a fashion talking point. It's not just Rihanna in Marc Jacobs, or Sienna Miller (pictured) in a white Schiaparelli puffball skirt and crop top at Vogue World, announcing their pregnancies to the world on the red carpet Nobody could have been more delighted than me to be pregnant at the age of 36. But within weeks I'd turned into something more akin to an armchair than a woman. I'd have been no more able to wear a braless satin slip or crop top than to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Every inch of me resembled a Michelin Man – including limbs and feet. It just would have looked terrible. Not so for Rihanna, Sienna and Saoirse. The compensation for spending nine months dressed in a selection of drab, elasticated clothes and increasingly unattractive underwear was the thought of the baby at the end. It was after my son was born, when I was still nowhere near ready to wear a silky slip, that it really got depressing. How a glass of pink can leave you blue It's rosé season. Which, if you love the wine as I do, makes this a dangerous time. Rosé slips down in a different way to red and white. I've developed a theory that this dreamy pink potion doesn't register with the body as quickly as other wines, so it's easy to feel no effect until you've drunk too much. One glass, two glasses, even three and it's possible to imagine you're still stone-cold sober. Then an hour later your metabolism catches up – by which time, yes, it's too late and a hangover looms. Now everything's rosy in the garden A passer-by outside my house last Friday morning would have seen a figure in the pouring rain wearing a dressing gown and flip flops standing in the middle of the road consulting their iPhone. That would have been me dealing with a tech problem. But what was heavenly was the rich scent of jasmine and roses from our front garden, released at last by the rain after the dry weeks of May. Tousled Meghan puts on the style Meghan has posted a picture of herself with Lilibet on social media. While others have focused on her decision to show, for the first time, a small glimpse of her four-year-old daughter's face, I am most intrigued by Meghan's hair. Usually blown dry to a petrol slick, here she shows off a tousled look, presumably her natural style. As a reluctant hair brusher myself, it's one of Meghan's few character traits I can relate to. She looked rather splendid. Why must the show go on... and on? We have tickets for the musical Stereophonic opening next week about the trials of a rock band based on Fleetwood Mac. But I've just discovered it's coming in at three hours and ten minutes. That's way past my preferred running time, which is a concise 90 minutes with no interval. Dame Rosemary Squire, one of London's leading theatre owners, apparently agrees. She's spoken to say that audiences start to panic about having to get up the next day after performances that last more than two and a half hours. I can only hope the music is half as good as the Fleetwood albums. Keep the mozzies at bay – with Marmite Last week I wrote of my incessant battle with mosquito bites. Thank you to everyone who offered antidotes. My prize for the most unexpected go to Marmite and Tiger Balm. I look forward to road-testing them.

Shoppers go wild for Cadbury's new chocolate bar flavour on shelves at local store
Shoppers go wild for Cadbury's new chocolate bar flavour on shelves at local store

The Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Sun

Shoppers go wild for Cadbury's new chocolate bar flavour on shelves at local store

SHOPPERS have been scrambling to taste a band new Cadbury chocolate bar as it hits store shelves. The new tasty treat has caught the eye of many consumers - but Cadbury has said it won't be around forever. 2 The Twirl White Dipped was teased by the company last month in a Facebook video. These bars are much like Cadbury's popular Twirls - but are coated with white chocolate instead. "OK but we've really outdone ourselves with this one," they told shoppers. They described the flavour as "unreal, indulgent, smooth, swirly, creamy, melty, new, and mouthwatering". But a few weeks on from its tantalising announcement, the chocolate bar has now been spotted in stores. Its presence was flagged by the popular Facebook account Newfoodsuk. The account posted: "Wow, these are outstanding - closest bar you'll ever get to a Cadbury Snowflake! "We spotted these at our local convenience store!" The bars hit shelves on June 2, but are only set to be available for a limited time. Katya Savelieva, Brand Manager for Twirl at Mondelez International, said: 'Cadbury Twirl has always been a fan favourite, so it's no surprise that limited editions like Cadbury Twirl Orange and Cadbury Twirl Mint had everyone talking. "With smooth white chocolate surrounding our iconic milk chocolate swirls, the new Twirl White Dipped is an indulgence you won't want to miss - grab it as soon as you can and experience Twirl like never before.' Twirl bar were first released in Ireland in 1985, as a single finger bar. They hit UK shelves two years later in its classic double finger form. How to save money on chocolate We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar. Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs... Go own brand - if you're not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you'll save by going for the supermarket's own brand bars. Shop around - if you've spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it's cheaper elsewhere. Websites like let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you're getting the best deal. Look out for yellow stickers - supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they've been reduced. They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged. Buy bigger bars - most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar. So if you've got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.

Win a £250 Karen Millen voucher in this week's Fabulous competition
Win a £250 Karen Millen voucher in this week's Fabulous competition

The Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Sun

Win a £250 Karen Millen voucher in this week's Fabulous competition

LOOKING to make a statement or step up your power dressing? Karen Millen is the place for you. Whether you're heading on a tropical holiday, on the guest list for a summer wedding or just looking to amp up your workwear wardrobe, you'll find a range of top-quality pieces that'll have you looking effortlessly stylish and feeling super-confident, whatever the occasion. From premium power suits to gorgeous floral dresses, there really is something for everyone. Plus, we've teamed up with the brand to give away a £250 voucher to two lucky winners. Enter using the form below by 11:59pm on June 21, 2025. For full terms and conditions, click here.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store