Irish actor Saoirse Ronan quickly swooped in to remind the 28-year-old star that although he might not reach for his phone while defending himself from a physical attack, not everyone has the same luxury.
I’m sure Ronan didn’t set out to stun the likes of Mescal, Denzel Washington and Eddie Redmayne into silence when she sat down on the BBC talk show on Friday (25 October), but she certainly deserves some applause for challenging the couch full of Hollywood stars completely off the cuff.
Ronan – who has had a string of major movie roles over the years, including The Lovely Bones, Hanna, Brooklyn and Little Women – has been receiving praise for how she handled the situation, as she stopped Mescal in his tracks as he joked about the idea of fumbling for a mobile phone if he felt under threat from an attacker.
“That’s what girls have to think about all the time,” the 30-year-old said, before adding: “Am I right, ladies?”
Viewers were left squirming in their seats as they watched Graham Norton’s guests react to Ronan’s retort, and I’m sure we could all have a good guess as to what was running through their minds at the time.
But thankfully, a renowned body language expert from the US has saved us the job, as Patti Wood has offered up her opinion on what impact Ronan’s spirited words had on her fellow celebs.
She specialises in non-verbal communication and can pick up on minor movements or mannerisms which a person displays that can reveal a lot about what they are really feeling.
Speaking to LADbible, Wood explained that there appeared to be a ‘very interesting’ shift in everyone’s body language before, during and after Mescal delivered his joke after she analysed the footage.
The body language expert reckons Paul Mescal was ‘shielding’ himself after Saoirse Ronan shut down his joke (BBC)
She reckons that initially, everyone apart from Ronan looked quite entertained by the wisecrack and notes that they were all displaying ‘animated’ behaviour.
Ronan, on the other hand, remained ‘laid back, downward and still’, creating quite the contrast between her and the other guests – who promptly reined themselves in when Ronan called out Mescal’s comment.
Wood complimented Ronan’s ‘confident’ and ‘deliberate’ delivery while challenging Mescal, saying she perfectly put across her frustration about the fact that women have to think up about what they would do to protect themselves in scary scenarios like a potential assault.
So, the expert says it’s no wonder the men were not just silenced, but also somewhat paralysed by Ronan’s comeback.
“People are talking about how they go silent as she makes the statement, but what’s non verbal and also interesting is, the men all freeze in place,” Wood told LADbible.
“There’s just a moment of both silence and frozen behaviour on their part.
“What’s happened is, they’ve been shocked. They’re on Graham Norton, this playful, wonderful show, and she’s just changed everything. What the heck are we going to do now?
“So they all freeze in place, because they’ve gone from being playful about the situation to her very serious statement.”
According to the body language expert, Ronan sought the opinion of the women in the audience to ‘make her message stronger’, showing the blokes that she wasn’t alone in feeling this way.
The actor has received praise for how she handled the situation on The Graham Norton Show (BBC)
Wood reckons Mescal got the message that he had put his foot in it pretty quickly though, as she pointed out that he seemed to ‘lean away’ from Ronan before she had begun to correct him.
Taking a closer look at the Normal People star’s reaction, Wood said that she noticed the actor shuffle in his seat while moving his hands to ‘shield’ himself.
“He’s taken his left hand and he’s crossed an arm over the front of his body,” Wood went on. “That’s a shield movement, it’s under the category of what I call a ‘comfort cue’.
“He goes all the way up, and he touches the side of his face and his ear, which symbolically says, ‘I’m blocking myself from what I just heard’.
“See how he scooched his body and leaned away from her?”
Wood believes that Ronan has got quite the interesting expression throughout all of this too, as she’s displaying both ‘a sort of judgement’ and also ‘playfulness’.
“She’s sure of herself as she says this, and yet she’s having to hold back how upset she is and the anger she has about the fact that women have to defend themselves all the time,” the expert added.
There’s plenty of ‘miracle’ anti-ageing products out there, but these gummies might just be worth the hype.
NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) is a bit of a buzzword in the world of anti-ageing at the moment. Or you might have heard of the abbreviation NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). But don’t let those long and technical names put you off.
Both have quickly become a must-have with celebrities such as Joe Rogan, The Kardashians and Hailey Bieber reportedly big fans.
Orange County
And even though they’ve been hooking themselves up to NAD IV drips, there is a way for us to benefit from the supplement here in the UK and thankfully there are no needles or injections involved.
If you’re looking for an easy and tasty way to get some of the same benefits that the celebs have been getting, Orange County’s NMN Gummies have just hit the market. And when we found out that you could take what is thought to be ‘the miracle molecule’ in the form of gummies, we were certainly intrigued.
I mean, who wouldn’t want to take all their vitamins and supplements in gummy form?
Here’s what you need to know about the latest anti-ageing supplement and why it might be beneficial to you.
What is NMN?
First of all, it’s important to break down what NMN means and according to Healthline, “at specific doses, NMN supplements may help improve insulin sensitivity and heart function and reduce tiredness with few side effects.” But as with any supplement or vitamin that you might be thinking about taking, it’s a good idea to consult your GP or pharmacist before doing so.
NMN is a molecule that our bodies make naturally and while research is still ongoing, it is thought to help with brain and heart health, sleep, memory and a few chronic conditions.
Tatiana Rodriguez/Unsplash
And Orange County’s NMN Gummies make taking the supplement so much easier.
If you’ve ever struggled to swallow numerous chalky tablets as you try to take your daily vitamins and supplements, you’ll know how quickly that becomes rather off-putting and stops you from making it a part of your daily routine. Whereas, these mixed fruit-flavoured gummies definitely go down a lot easier.
The reason that the celebs have been flocking to try this particular supplement is the fact that it is reported to slow down the ageing process, with some claiming that it can slow down or reverse the natural signs of ageing such as hair thinning and loss and skin elasticity and firmness.
How much do the gummies cost?
The Orange County NMN Gummies are priced at £26.99 for a tub of 30 gummies. Or, you can save 20% on every order if you buy them via their subscription, making each tub just £21.59 or 80p a gummy.
And if you’re still not sure if they’re for you, they also have a 30 day money back guarantee, allowing you to try them out to see if you notice any difference to your overall energy levels and skin or hair.
Anyone who’s worth their salt has earned a seat opposite the Irish presenter, 61, and some have even been invited back several times over the years as the audience loved their appearance that much.
It’s safe to say we’ve all enjoyed a Friday night in watching a celebrity who we have a soft spot for joining Graham Norton for a natter about their careers – but the host can’t say the same himself.
In fact, he previously declared that one legendary household name was the ‘worst ever’ guest he’s welcomed onto the BBC show – but despite this, the person has actually been a guest four times in total.
Pick a lane, Norton!
We know, we know, pick your jaws up off the floor – Norton came for the one and only Robert De Niro.
But before you start sharpening your pitchforks, why don’t you stick around and find out the reason why the talk show host was rubbed up the wrong way by the cinema legend.
Despite laughing and joking on the couch with one another, it seems Norton was putting on a false front.
At the Cheltenham Literature Festival a few years ago, he explained that although he had high hopes for his conversations with the Goodfellas star, his presence on The Graham Norton Show was somewhat ‘benign’.
Although this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it seems that De Niro’s ability to entertain didn’t live up to the presenter’s expectations.
Norton said that the ‘last time he [De Niro] started telling a story, he went on and on’.
Norton ranked Robert De Niro as one of the ‘worst’ guests he has ever had on his talk show (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
He explained: “He’s not a storyteller, or very verbal. He’s a benign presence. We were all leaning in, willing it to be amazing… then he finally went, ‘why am I telling this?’
“Nobody had an answer. We cut it.”
Even though De Niro is obviously more than capable of winning over a crowd and getting them to eat out of the palm of his hand, Norton seemed to think his multiple natters with the star over the years didn’t flow that well.
The actor, 81, has been a guest on The Graham Norton Show quite a few times to promote his movies, but according to the presenter, he’s a lot better at regurgitating scripts than having a compelling chat.
However, the movie icon will be glad to hear that Norton has since changed his mind about who his worst guest ever was.
In wake of the shocking revelations about disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, the TV titan explained in 2022 that he had reconsider the ranking of his worst guests.
The presenter said a chat with the movie icon was like pulling teeth (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Norton announced that the convicted sex offender from the US had overtook De Niro and was the most unpleasant person he has ever interviewed.
The comedian described how Weinstein emailed him explaining that he wanted to be on the chat show, but it was already fully booked.
“He e-mailed back: ‘What if I blah de blah de blah’. [I replied] ‘No, the show is fully booked, blah de blah’,” Norton said.
“And he e-mailed back again, ‘But I think…’, and I just had to turn to my booker and say ‘Can you please deal with this?’
“And at the time, I thought that sort of attitude, that kind of ‘Oh no, I’m going on [the show]’, that is what makes you a very good producer.
“But of course, now that we know what we know, that is what makes him a predator.
“It was that kind of weird, tunnel-vision thing. And it was sort of chilling in retrospect, because I was just laughing at those emails. But you realise ‘Oh my God, that is an insight into how that man is’.”
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The 60-year-old star has had a host of famous faces on his couch over the years and naturally viewers are always keen to know who he reckons is the ‘worst guest’ he’s ever had.
BBC
He’s discussed several candidates before. Poor old Robert De Niro was originally named his worst guest ever following some snooze-worthy stories on the couch, while Harvey Weinstein later usurped him for obvious reasons.
Norton explained: “He asked for my e-mail. And he emailed me something very nice, a complimentary thing. And then he decided he wanted to be on the show, because he was going to promote something.
“And it was a show that was fully booked, so I replied saying ‘Oh, thank you so much, but the show is fully booked’. He emailed back: ‘What if I blah de blah de blah’. [I replied] ‘No, the show is fully booked, blah de blah.’
“And he emailed back again, ‘But I think…’, and I just had to turn to my booker and say ‘Can you please deal with this?'”
But, during an appearance on Kiss radio, Norton remembered another guest who threw the show into absolute chaos.
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BBC
The guest was, of course, Mark Wahlberg, who back in 2013 rocked up to the popular chat show absolutely steaming drunk.
Norton said on Kiss: “I had Mark Wahlberg fall asleep. He was very, very drunk. It was me, Michael Fassbender and Sarah Silverman.
“But it was hard to get anything done.”
This was because Wahlberg was constantly interrupting the other celebs in the middle of anecdotes, leaving Fassbender and Silverman exasperated.
Norton continued: “At one point, Michael Fassbender is telling a story and it’s going really well. Like, he’s getting through the story and I’m thinking, ‘wow this is going well’.
“And then I look over and Mark Wahlberg is just asleep. That’s why it’s going well!”
Norton has previously spoke about the chaotic episode. Speaking on This Morning a few years back, he was asked about problematic guests with Phillip Schofield saying: “Some people are drunk when they arrive,” before adding: “Mark Wahlberg.”
Norton replied: “He’s been on a few times since, but the famous time – he came on [and] he was fine.”
At this point Willoughby pressed: “What happened then, what did you do to him?” to which Norton replied: “Well I don’t know what happened.
“I think it’s that sort of thing when you finish drinking, that isn’t the drunkest you’re going to be.
“Sometimes when you get home, ‘Ooh, I’m drunker than when I left the pub.’ So I think maybe there was a bit of a time lapse and yeah, he did get very drunk.”
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BBC
Norton went on to say that Wahlberg was constantly interrupting the other guests’ anecdotes – including Fassbender and Silverman.
Until he suddenly went quiet.
“We couldn’t get any stories going, and then Michael Fassbender was on and he was getting this story away,” said Graham.
“And I was like, ‘Wow, this must be a good story,’ because Mark Wahlberg’s letting him tell it.
“And then I looked at Mark Wahlberg and he was asleep… we didn’t wake him, we were delighted.”
This week, alongside the Only Murders In The Building star, was Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Kingsley Ben-Adir and music band The Last Dinner Party.
Opening up on the hit Hulu series – created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman – Randolph spoke about working with Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep in the latest season.
For those unaware, Only Murders In The Building follows three strangers from one apartment complex (Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one.
And season three, which is available to watch on Disney+, sees Randolph revive her role as Detective Donna Williams as she works alongside Streep, who plays an eccentric stage actor.
BBC
“When I found out she was going to be in it I begged and was like, ‘Please god I want just one scene with her’, Randolph explained on Norton.
“And it happened. I get to arrest her! She is so amazing.”
However, the moment of the night came when Norton was forced to explain himself over the ‘Red Chair’ segment, which sees audience members air their most cringe secrets to the whole panel of celebs.
If the host isn’t liking the story, he pulls the lever and the chair falls backwards, along with the story-teller.
BBC
On this week’s show, one Red Chair participant attempted to tell her story: “So I was gardening naked, I’d fallen over,” and that’s as far as she got before Norton pulled the lever.
The whole couch, along with the audience, all laughed – apart from Randolph.
She was clearly ‘traumatised’ by the segment, saying: “What did you just do to her? What happened?”
Norton quipped: “She’s gone, she’s gone now.”
“So what’s that mean, you’re like, you’re over it, you’re not that into it, it’s a bad story?” the actor replied.
BBC
“Well it’s just I feel I’ve heard the I’ve you know, I was putting in a lightbulb and sat on it, that kind of thing,” the host explained.
“We’ve all heard those stories,” Norton continued, after turning his chair to the audience: “Haven’t we?”
Commenting on the clip, one viewer tweeted: “Screaming at Da’Vine Joy Randolph not knowing what the hell the red chair is #GrahamNorton.”
“The look on her face was so funny!” another added.
“Love when people don’t know about the red chair,” a third agreed.
The full episode is available to watch on iPlayer now.
Featured Image Credit: BBC
