Graham Norton gushes it meant the world to him that his mother saw him tie the knot and says parents with gay children felt ‘robbed for decades’ that they couldn’t until law change
Graham Norton has sweetly shared how special it was that his mother Rhoda Walker was able to attend his wedding and said how much it meant to him.
The BBC presenter, 61, married Scottish filmmaker Jonathan McLeod in July 2022 in his hometown of West Cork, Ireland.
Speaking about the Queerphoria podcast with Jack Guinness, he told on Thursday how parents of gay children would previously have felt ‘deprived’ because they could not attend the wedding of their offspring.
Same-sex marriage became legal in Ireland on November 16, 2015. Ireland was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage through a national referendum and the referendum passed with 62 percent of voters in favor.
He said on the podcast: ‘I grew up in West Cork and now I’m here and my mum is there.
Graham Norton has sweetly shared how special it was that his mum Rhoda Walker was able to attend his wedding – and said how much it meant to him (seen with his mum)
The BBC presenter, 61, married Scottish filmmaker Jonathan McLeod in his hometown of West Cork, Ireland, in July 2022 (shown in New York in May 2024)
“No matter how accepting parents are and how much they love you and how much they don’t care that you’re gay and they support you in all your gay relationships, they’re being robbed.
‘As parents, they had the expectation that one day they would dance at your wedding. Obviously it’s great for us that we’re getting married.
“But it’s wonderful for all the people who love you to be able to share in things that for decades they thought could never happen.”
In 2023, Graham broke his silence about his marriage to Jonathan and revealed that he married the filmmaker in July 2022.
The news surprised his fans due to the private nature of their relationship.
But in an interview, he explained the details of their marriage and what it was like to get married later in life.
Graham and Jono married at Bantry House in Ireland after opting for an Irish wedding to accommodate the former’s mother, Rhoda.
The lavish performance was held in his native West Cork, where 120 guests were in attendance, with a rumored appearance from music icon Lulu, while drag queen Panti Bliss was DJ.
Speaking on the Queerphoria podcast, Graham told how parents of gay children would previously have felt ‘deprived’ of not being able to attend their offspring’s weddings
In 2023, Graham broke his silence on his marriage to Jonathan (seen) and revealed that he married the filmmaker in July 2022.
Jono is a filmmaker recognized by BAFTA Scotland for his work (pictured with Lulu and Alan Cummings in 2022 at the premiere of My Old School)
Graham told me later The Guardian about the day he joked that “till death do us part” was “more attainable” at age 60.
He said: ‘I had a joke in my speech: the vows are much more manageable. ‘Till death do us part’ seems more feasible at our age.
‘If you get married at 23, that’s a big ask. We only have to put up with each other for a few decades. And then I’m out of here.’
Jonathan ‘Jono’ McLeod is an acclaimed Scottish filmmaker and the couple tied the knot after meeting six years earlier.
After bringing together a host of stars for their glamorous Irish wedding, the couple have remained blissfully happy ever since.
Graham revealed at the time: ‘I got married this year and we had our wedding party close to where my mother lives in Ireland so she could come.
The couple is rarely seen together, apart from a rare photo in 2018 where they posed with friends
Graham said of his wedding: “It’s wonderful for all the people who love you to be able to share in things that for decades they thought could never happen.”
“She wouldn’t have been well enough to come to London, so West Cork it was. And it made me very happy.’
Speaking about their marriage, Graham continued: “It’s been good so far, it would be awful if it wasn’t at this stage, in a few months, I’d like to think even I could last a few months.
‘I belong to that generation of gays who assumed this would never happen. So first of all, it’s extraordinary that it could happen. I mean, I never gave up hope of finding the one. If it was a surprise, it was a pleasant surprise.”
Jono is a filmmaker recognized for his work by BAFTA Scotland.