Entertainment
Graham Norton praised for ‘eloquent’ description of ‘cancel culture’ being about ‘accountability’-Rachael O'Connor-Entertainment – Metro
Graham’s reponse has been widely shared online.
Graham Norton has been praised for his ‘eloquent’ response to a question about cancel culture, saying it is more accurately described as accountability (Picture: WireImage)
Graham Norton’s ‘measured’ response to a question about so-called cancel culture has been widely praised online.
The actor and talk show host, 59, got people talking this week when he offered his opinion on people complaining about how they’ve been ‘canceled’ – while speaking on a national platform.
‘You think, in what world are you cancelled? I’m reading your article in a newspaper, or you’re doing interviews about how terrible it is to be cancelled,’ he told Times Radio.
It comes after actor John Cleese announced he was joining national outlet GB News because he would be ‘cancelled or censored’ if he was offered a BBC job, which Graham referenced in his criticism.
He suggested ‘it must be very hard to be a man of a certain age, who’s been able to say whatever you like for years’ to know there is now ‘some accountability.’
Graham’s views and the way in which he responded to the question has been met with praise online, both from the public and those in the spotlight.
The chat show host spoke at a literary festival where he said ree speech was not without its consequences (Picture: PA)
Presenter Jamie East described it as ‘excellent,’ ‘assured and eloquent,’ saying Graham was ‘one of the good guys.’
Responding to Jamie was First Dates star Fred Sirieix who vehemently agreed, writing: ‘Yes! This is excellent. I love [Graham Norton]… for me it’s the values and the sentiments (but the rest too).’
Actor Adrian Lester, who has appeared in the likes of The Day After Tomorrow and Hustle, said it was ‘absolute gold.’
‘Making so much sense,’ he added, while Irish author Patrick Freyne said it was ‘really good stuff’ from the talk show host.
Meanwhile, YouTuber Ellen Rose also praised the author, responding to the video and writing: ‘Thank you, [Graham Norton.]’
‘I don’t think I’ve ever nodded along and said ‘yep’ ‘yep’ ‘yep’ to a video more than I did with this one,’ another user wrote, while one said Graham’s response was ‘spot on.’
Speaking to Mariella Frostrup at the Cheltenham Literature Festival Graham had said: ‘You read a lot of articles in papers by people complaining about cancel culture and you think, in what world are you cancelled?’
He went on: ‘I think the word is the wrong word. I think the word should be accountability.’
Graham had added that people have ‘free speech but not consequence-free.’
Fawlty Towers star John made headlines on Monday when he confirmed he was moving to GB News after being told it was a ‘free speech channel.’
Asked about how his new show with GB News came about, he said he ‘met one or two of the people concerned and had dinner with them and I liked them very much.
Graham made reference to actor John Cleese, who has often complained about being canceled (Picture: Getty Images Europe
He was also asked about JK Rowling, but said anyone wanting to ‘shine a light’ on trans issues should defer to those who have experience in the matter – such as trans people themselves (Picture: PA)
‘And what they said was, “People say it’s the right-wing channel – it’s a free speech channel.”’
The author, whose novel Holding was adapted for TV this year, was also asked about JK Rowling, with host Mariella asking if it was fair that she was ‘deluged in anger’ for her views on trans people.
To which Graham responded: ‘When I’m asked about it, I become part of this discussion.
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‘All I’m painfully aware of is that my voice adds nothing to that discussion and I’m embarrassed that I’m somehow drawn into it.’
He said people wanting to ‘shine a light on those issues’ should refer to experts, to trans people and the parents of trans children.
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MORE : John Cleese joins GB News and insists it’s ‘not right-wing, it’s a free speech channel’
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