By SOPHIA STANFORD, NEWS REPORTER and REBECCA ENGLISH, ROYAL EDITOR
Published: | Updated:
The Prince of Wales has made a surprise appearance on a special Earthshot Prize edition of The Graham Norton Show.
As TV host Graham was chatting with his celebrity guests Cate Blanchett, Robert Irwin and Hannah Waddingham in a pre-recorded episode tonight, William revealed himself as a surprise guest.
William, who set up The Earthshot Prize in 2020, was met with joyful cheers and gasps from the audience as he became the first royal to sit on Graham's famous sofa.
The show, which also featured a performance from singer Jorja Smith, will be aired tomorrow on BBC One at 10.40pm.
Before William's reveal, Graham had been speaking with Blanchett, Earthshot Prize Council Member, Irwin, Earthshot Prize Global Ambassador and Waddingham, who hosted the 2023 Earthshot Prize Awards in Singapore, about their work.
Graham then revealed that the connection between all three celebrities is The Earthshot Prize, to which he segues into William's arrival.
The Prince and Princess of Wales's official Instagram shared a picture of William on the famous sofa in a blue suit to their story. The Graham Norton Show and The Earthshot Prize were tagged, alongside a pair of eye emojis.
While on the sofa, William discussed the origins of the Prize as well as pairing a need for urgency and optimism when it comes to tackling climate change.
The Prince of Wales has made a surprise appearance on a special Earthshot Prize edition of The Graham Norton Show
Last week, William kicked off the countdown to the Prize in Mumbai on November 17 by playing cricket in The Mall with some of India's cricketing legends
As well as discussing The Earthshot Prize, William spoke about his loyal support for Aston Villa as well as his love for Christopher Nolan's films.
William is not the only royal to have appeared on a chat show, with Princess Anne appearing on The Wogan Show in 1985 and the late Prince Philip in 1986.
He also highlighted the Prize's role in identifying and supporting innovators around the world and helping them scale solutions for greater impact.
The Prince emphasised that climate change can not be tackled by a single person or initiative and explained why Earthshot can bring together a global coalition of innovators, investors and advocates.
Blanchett called The Earthshot Prize a 'tapestry of solutions', while Waddingham highlighted the support offered to all Finalists and Earthshot's ability to connect innovators with the expertise, networks and investment needed to grow their impact.
Irwin spoke about Earthshot's role in inspiring young people and building a new generation of environmental advocates.
Last week, William kicked off the countdown to the Prize in Mumbai on November 17 by playing cricket in The Mall with some of Britain's and India's cricketing legends.
William was joined by homegrown test captain Joe Root, India's former national team captains Ajinkya Rahane and Sourav Ganguly, and West Indies hero Brian Lara.
Their verdict? William was a 'pretty good batter' whose 'bowling needs a bit of work'.
And the scenery? 'There are some wonderful backdrops in cricket, but none quite like Buckingham Palace,' said Root.
England women's captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, England white-ball captain Harry Brook and radio host Greg James also joined in the fun at the 'Cricket on The Mall'.
The Earthshot event in November will bring together more than 5,000 participants and will be streamed on Prime Video.
It is expected to reach the largest global audience in Earthshot's history, with the event being streamed in more than 40 languages across 240 countries.