Brand slams Norton over divorce questions
Comedian Russell Brand accused Graham Norton of making his mum cry after the chat show host asked him about his divorce.
Brand took offence after being questioned about his short-lived marriage to US singer Katy Perry as he appeared as a guest on 'The Graham Norton Show'.
He told Norton he had stabbed in him in the back in a row which was axed from last night’s airing of the BBC One programme.
Brand – who was promoting his new film 'Rock Of Ages' on the show alongside fellow guests actress Emily Blunt and singer Paloma Faith – said: “My mum is here. She got upset when you dragged up my marriage.
“I saw her cry. That’s the reality because it’s real people Graham, that’s my real mum. I have come here to promote a film and you made my mum cry. I don’t see you as that sort of person Graham.”
Norton replied: “I don’t see myself as that kind of person.” But Brand hit back: “And yet you are.”
The presenter then explained Katy had appeared on his chat show the week before.
Norton added: “If I had not asked anything it would have been weird.”
Brand, 37, criticised Norton for not raising the issue with him before the show’s recording.
He said: “What I would have done, mate, in your position is come up to me before the show and gone, ’Eh listen, it’s a bit odd that your ex-missus was on last week. I might mention it, is that OK?’
“But in all of the chatting and the research backstage, no-one mentioned it.”
Brand told his fellow guests: “He upped the stakes and stabbed me in the back.”
Mary Collins, publicist for The Graham Norton Show, said the exchange was cut from the show for quality reasons and denied Brand had reacted angrily.
She said: “We just keep the best bits in the show and that wasn’t one of the best bits.”
Asked if Brand was angry during the exchange, she said: “He wasn’t happy but I wouldn’t say furious.”
Brand split from Perry last year after 14 months of marriage.
The couple met at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2009 and married in a lavish ceremony in India.
But rumours of cracks in their relationship circulated right from the start as their respective careers meant they were rarely in the same country.
Brand may have made a reference to the Norton spat as he compered a youth event with the Dalai Lama in Manchester today.
The subject of forgiveness was addressed at one point on stage by the pair when Brand said someone had been rude to him this week.
The Dalai Lama advised forgiveness to the person even though they may have acted wrongly.
Brand said: “I think the action was wrong, the person was rude. I can forgive the human being but still resist the action?”
“That is right,” replied the Dalai Lama.
