BirSaNN Posted May 7, 2023 Posted May 7, 2023 The comedian on drinking Bloody Marys, listening to Roberta Flack – and the joy of never having to go to church When does Sunday start? Quite early. I have to present my Virgin Radio show. I’m on air at 9.30am, so I’m out the door and on my bike by 8.45am. Sunday is my turn to get coffee for the team. While I’m there, I treat myself to a muffin. If I’m feeling fragile, I’ll nip next door for vegan sausage rolls instead. After work? I finish at 12.30, which is deliberate – it means I can still meet up with friends for lunch. Sometimes my husband, Jono, will join me at a dog-friendly Borough Market restaurant. In summer we might have people over: heat means you can offer salad, about all I can face making after work. Bloody Mary Cocktail Isolated on White Background Photograph: EHStock/Getty Images/iStockphoto Is it a religious day? As a child it was. We always went to church, one might say religiously. I’ve never known boredom like it. Time in church seems to pass differently, by which I mean slowly. One of adulthood’s greatest joys is never having to go again. Do you drink? I don’t associate any other day of the week with a specific drink, but Bloody Marys, the spicier the better, are forever linked with Sundays. It would never cross my mind to order one at any other time. What are you listening to? The work playlist is dominated by jangly guitars, so at home I like to mix it up. I just watched a brilliant documentary about Roberta Flack and have become obsessed by her voice. A special Sunday? I feel honour-bound to say our wedding weekend last year… but it is also true. A bunch of our friends and family were in our garden in West Cork, the weather was freakishly good, and as the sun set and the music got louder I was finally able to relax and enjoy it all. Nothing had gone wrong, in fact everything had gone better than we dared hope. Last thing you look at on your phone? I’ve done a pretty good job of weaning myself off my phone; leaving Twitter was a gamechanger. But, if it is after midnight, I will squeeze in the next day’s Wordle before lights out. I sometimes wait up especially. Graham Norton hosts and commentates on the Eurovision Grand Final, at 8pm on 13 May on BBC One and iPlayer The free press is under attack from multiple forces. Media outlets are closing their doors, victims to a broken business model. In much of the world, journalism is morphing into propaganda, as governments dictate what can and can’t be printed. In the last year alone, hundreds of reporters have been killed or imprisoned for doing their jobs. The UN reports that 85% of the world’s po[CENSORED]tion experienced a decline in press freedom in their country in recent years. This week marks the 30th annual World Press Freedom Day, a day for everyone to reflect on the importance of free expression as fundamental for all other rights. It is also an opportunity to pledge support for independent media – because without a robust and free press, a healthy democracy is impossible. As you’re joining us today from Serbia, we hope you will consider marking this day by supporting the Guardian. Despite the financial challenges plaguing the media industry, we’ve decided to keep our journalism paywall-free, because we deeply believe everyone has the right to access high-quality, fact-checked reporting. And we maintain our independence thanks to generosity from readers all over the world, who understand that supporting the free press is an investment in an informed and empowered public. Unlike many others, we have no billionaire owner – this helps us maintain the freedom to fearlessly chase the truth and report it with integrity. Your support will allow us to continue to work with trademark determination and passion to bring you journalism that’s always free from commercial or political interference. We also encourage you to support one of the many, smaller independent news organisations around the world. Over the years, we’ve collaborated with teams who are often publishing quality reporting in the face of great adversity. We have shared our expertise with them, helping to start and grow their own reader funding models. If this interests you, find out more about our work with outlets in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary and beyond. Today we ask you to power Guardian reporting for the years to come, whether with a small sum or a larger one. link: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/may/07/sunday-with-graham-norton-i-squeeze-in-the-next-days-wordle-before-lights-out
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