34 years after he made his festival debt

Graham Norton named as an  ambassador of the Edinburgh Fringe.

The talk show host joins Brian Cox, Suzy Eddie Izzard and the festival’s honorary president, Phoebe Waller-Bridge in having the role.

Norton first appeared at the Fringe in 1991 when he performed the stand-up show  Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s Grand Farewell Tour in the Pleasance Attic, a 60-seat venue that had just opened. 

In the years following, as he made the move to mainstream television – including playing priest Father Noel in Father Ted – he made frequent returns to the festival, culminating in him being shortlisted for the Perrier Award in 1997.

Speaking of becoming a Fringe ambassador, Norton said: ‘It’s hard to believe that my connection to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe dates back nearly 35 years. 

‘As an emerging comedian back in the early 1990s, everyone in the industry knew that you had to make the journey to Edinburgh and its Fringe for the opportunities that you have to develop your craft with a live audience, but also to meet and network with the thousands of industry that go there to look for talent.

‘Through my chat show I meet and talk to those across the entertainment industry every week, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone on the sofa that hasn’t been to the Fringe either to perform or to watch shows at some point in the past.

‘I’m delighted to be announced as an ambassador of the Edinburgh Fringe and look forward to visiting the festival next August.’

Tony Lankester, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, added: ‘Our ambassadors represent the critical role the Fringe plays in the lives of so many who got their start on the stages of Edinburgh and, today, are at the top of their game in the world of the arts. 

‘Welcoming Graham to the fold is a real pleasure. He is someone who exemplifies the joy and generosity of the Fringe spirit, unapologetically passionate about the arts and a huge advocate of the importance of the Fringe in his own career. 

‘As an Ambassador he will be uniquely positioned to help inspire the next generation of artists, and we’re excited to be working with him on this mission.’

Published: 29 Oct 2025