Graham Norton - who was today announced as one of the hosts of the Live 8 anti-poverty gig - paid himself more than £1.1million from his TV production company last year.

Newly filed accounts for So Television show that he received another £200,000 in dividends from the company’s profits.

However, those profits to the end of July 2004 slumped 20 per cent, as Norton’s Channel 4 show ended. It made £1.35million profit on a turnover of £10.4million.

The company now intends to make more programmes for the lucrative American market, having made inroads with the 42-year-old comic ’s Comedy Central chatshow.

In the accounts, Norton said: “The directors intend for the company to continue to establish itself within North America, while also developing existing programmes on both the British and overseas markets.”

Norton will host the American leg of charity concert Live 8 from Washington DC on July 2, Bob Geldolf will announce today.

The comic also topped up his personal income with earnings from his best-selling autobiography So Me, which is not included in So Television’s accounts. It has just been published in paperback (Click here to buy)